Passion for Poetry and Pixels
The dawn of the internet is setting off amazing new changes
in all spheres of profession including the arts. Bold,
cutting edge breakthroughs in computer technology has
brought forth a world of convenience and endless creative
possibilities in informatics and communication. To
some, it may seem an old mismatch when the quaint practice
of poetry writing is coupled with the very contemporary art
of web designing. Yet, for Sonny Villafania, it is the
perfect artistic marriage.
Inspired by the works of esteemed Filipino poet, Jose Garcia
Villa and the classic collections of e. e. cummings, the
magic of the written world beaconed to him at a very early
age. As with most writers, writing has been a cathartic
exercise and articulating the intangible has become a form
of emotional and spiritual release for this young
man. Sonny’s dedication to his craft is evident as
some of his works appeared in several publications such
as:
Philippine Graphic Magazine
The
Crimson Feet Magazine
Balon Silew (publication of the Ulupan-Pangasinan)
The Sunday Times Magazine ( Manila Times)
The Heron's Nest, A hakai journal ...
HaikuHut's
Short Stuff
Ygdrasil,
A Journal of the Poetic Arts
The Circle Magazine
In Our Own Words 1 & 2
The Philippine Panorama
other poetry magazines / journals
His poetry, be it in free verse or metered rhyme, is notable
for the fluidity of thought and simplicity of
language. Among his personal favorites include a piece entitled
Of the Colours of Roses
, a succinct free verse on the different permutations of
human emotions:
there are roses that are red-blude
like the roseate dawn
sweet and cruel
and there are roses that are yellow or pink
these are the gentle the affable
and the free
and there are roses that are luminously white
soft as the little fingers
of the rain
and there are roses that are purple or blue
who ache for the beautiful pain
called love
In
Sonnet to a Pilgrim Soul,
Sonny’s display of vivid imagery and descriptive wording make for an effectively panoramic versology:
“when the morning spreads her warm golden wings/ and
the sapphire sky is wordlessly deep/ look yonder and feast
with your eyes the things/ which you seldom see in your
dreamful sleep.”
In both form and content, the poet’s aesthetic
versatility is also manifested in
The Mumbaki and the sensual play of words in
Fragments.
