The Disciples Ask

The Disciples Ask

Why save her from being stoned

to death?

Has she not sinned

before the eyes of God and man?

Is it not then right that as payment,

her very life?

That justice be done, that it not be

delayed nor denied?

He replies,

“In my veins, in my very life,

runs the blood of a poet king…

and his slain soldier’s wife

whom he made queen.’

“Again, the first stone, if e’er thrown,

must be flung from the hand

that belongs to one

who is without sin.”

Karlo  Sevilla

Karlo Sevilla writes from Quezon City, Philippines and is the author of two poetry collections: “Metro Manila Mammal” (Soma Publishing, 2018) and “You” (Origami Poems Project, 2017). He was a runner-up in Submittable’s 2018 National Poetry Month poetry contest and one of his poems was nominated by Ariel Chart for the 2018 Best of the Net Literary Award. He also won third place in Tanggol Wika's DALITEXT 2018 poetry contest, and his partial translation into Tagalog of Dylan Thomas’ poem, “And Death Shall Have No Dominion,” won a reader's choice award from Human Rights Online Philippines’ 8th HR Pinduteros Choice Awards. He has more than a hundred poems published in various literary magazines and platforms worldwide, including Philippines Graphic, Ariel Chart (as aforementioned), Collective Unrest, Derelict Lit, Rue Scribe, Poets Reading the News, and elsewhere. He currently studies for the Certificate in Literature and Creative Writing in Filipino program of the Center for Creative Writing of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.