21st Century Literature- Edwin Cordevilla "Center of Typhoon" 1. Background 2. Written Works 3. Annotation 4. Structure

1. EDWIN CORDEVILLA
By: Jalen Rebolledo

2. Background of the Author
• Born on September 30, 1967
• He was a recipient of the Louie Rufino
Prieto Foundation Journalism Award in
1997 and awarded as an outstanding
alumnus in the field of journalism in
2004 by the Far Eastern University.
• A member of Philippine Center of
International PEN (Poets, Playwrights,
Essayists, Novelists).

3. Written Works of the Author
Pheonix and other
Poems
The Ocassions of Air,
Fire, Water, Earth
Ten Thousand Lines
Project for World Peace
BOOKS
Follow the Ant
My Eyes are
Sleepy
Only Peace
Center of
Typhoon
POEMS

4. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
1. The sky is the very background
That holds the stars
As here
The page
That holds the words
2. I notice the sky
It is being.
I watch the page
It is being.
3) Being holds all the worlds
*
*
*

5. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
4) When one is already fully aware
Of the soul
One fears
Returning to the reality
Of the physical body.
But we are subject to stimuli
Remember only
That there is prayer
There is faith
That there is be-ing.
5) Images have their own lives
They are invested with meanings
From the past
They are thoughts
They are stars
Words on the page
Motion on the stage
Winds that have gathered speed
Sounds vibrating in space
Cathedrals on vast lands.
meanings beyond
what is seen
}+

6. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
6) Enlightenment is seeing
What the images try to cover
What the thoughts try to conceal
What the stars try to outshine
What the symbols try to outdo
What the actors try to outpace
What the winds try to chase
What the sounds try to drown
What the concrete structures
Try to dwarf.
7) Experience awareness
By noticing the background
Behind the images
Bliss behind the thoughts
Space behind the stars
Page behind the words
Backdrop behind the acting
Calm at the center of the storm
Silence behind the sounds
Temple within the sanctum.
____________________________=Self awakening
_________ =scenery cloth
__________= sacred place______

7. 8) Nothing here in this epic
Is beyond the mortal.
Just notice with totality
Don’t even relish.
9) I experience being
It is bliss
Knowing
Awareness
Being alert.
10) The distances between two points
Not the quantity but the quality
That very instant between inhalation
And exhalation
Such quality
Such is awareness.
“Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
attainable by all
+
{
quality of awareness
inhalation exhalation
_______=entirety
______=enjoy
‘+’ Being
alt <God>

8. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
12) Seeing the space is
Awareness and alertness
They both lead to pure being.
13) Clear the lens of seeing
And you see the eternal present
In its entire clarity.
14) Humans know
It is in their nature to know
And yet truth
The great unknowable
May be experienced.
Right mindfulness
in choosing a
thought
(eightfold path)
{
Truth is intangible and may
only be experienced
*______
‘*’ Being
alt <awakening>

9. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
15) Humility is key
It is the act of acceptance
That God is the creator
And we are created.
16) No wrong can be corrected
By another wrong
It is the power of prayer
That straightens our path.
17) Enlightenment is in the awareness
That one is be-ing.
humble= _____
] ]humility- act of
surrendering to God have faith and be
good
+‘+’ Being
alt <God>

10. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
18) Everything springs from be-ing
Reality is found in be-ing.
19) The ultimate word is a non-word
And from the non-word
The word.
20) The word is the reflection
Of the non-word
Everyone who has seen the word
Has seen the non-word.
____+
____+
‘+’ Being
alt <God>

11. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
21) Even the quality of silence
Is reflected by sound
Listen between the units of sound.
22) All vibrations arise from a single vibration
And the original vibration comes
From no-sound.
23) In be-ing
One becomes
A seer of truth
Be-ing is the state
Of see-ing
By be-ing
One is a seer.
sound is manifested in silence
_______________________________
_____ = meditate to have inner peace
enlightenment
___*
*___
___*‘*’ Being
alt <awakening>

12. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
24) There is no exclusivity
It is one’s birthright
One only needs to claim
One only needs to humble one’s self
Before God.
25) Notice the stillness behind the motion
When one does
One is actually seeing
With the eyes
Behind the eyes.
26) One who recognizes the self within
Recognizes the self within others.
One is then prepared for the truth
The understanding that the highest self
Is the potential within everyone.
}open mindedness;
empathy
___________- self actualization at the top of
hierarchy

13. 28) Man is half-divine
The moment one realizes that
Is the very instant one is already
aware.
“Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
27) ‘Father, forgive them
for they know not what they do,’
says Jesus.
29) The divine in man is awakened
When the lens of seeing is cleared
With awareness also comes the cognition
That one is subject to the rules of the flesh.
1. spiritual and immortal
essence
2. Empirical life and
physical character
(nature of human beings-
Hinduism)
________=conscious mental activity
_______________= the flesh desires to
bring the spirit into submission
for those
who
neglect
God[

14. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
30) How can one see when one is still blind?
How can one see when one is still asleep?
31) How may one’s words capture the truth
When the truth cannot be spoken
When words are imperfect creatures?
32) The truth is perfect and unknowable
But it may be experienced
By grace and mercy it is possible
To experience the truth.
Yetgrace and mercy are not mine to give.
_____________________________________
faith
God God is intangible and may
only be experienced
________________________________________God is the one who can=
give grace and mercy
Faith=
is ambiguous

15. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
33) The perceiver is behind the mind
As the mind is behind thoughts.
The perceiver who is not yet awakened
Is lucky to have at his assistance faith
And by faith one may see
That which is invisible
By faith one may know
That which is unknowable.
By faith one may rejoice
In the midst of uncertainty.
34) The pains one undergoes in faith
Lead to understanding of another.
35) The perceiver who has awakened
Is naturally humbled by faith
For he sees that by faith alone
One may arrive at the truth.
the journey of
enlightenment
is worth taking
again
] Enlightenment
naturally causes
submission to God

16. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
35) Even at that state
A wind may rob you
Of your awareness.
36) Just watch.
No opinion.
Just be a spectator
Of consciousness.
37) Then finally
You are free
Finally you may shed tears
Of joy.
loss of faith
} When faith falters, just
be aware
}
REBIRTH

17. “Center of Typhoon” by Edwin Cordevilla
Structure:
• 37 stanza-poem
• Used figures of speech such as: personification, metaphors, symbolism, oxymoron
• Stanzas vary with random number of lines.
• There is no syllabic pattern; it’s a free verse.
Annotations by Jalen Rebolledo