Edith L. Tiempo

Edith L. Tiempo was known to be one of the best Filipino writers that used the English language. She was born on the 22nd of April 1919 in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, which a few of her works' foundation was the era she was born in. Edith is a Poet, Fictionist, teacher, and a literary critic. She and her late husband, Edilberto K. Tiempo, founded and directed the Siliman National Writers Workshop. Edith has published multiple books and shared her knowledge with a lot of people before she died in August 21, 2011.
(reference: http://su.edu.ph/page/113-biography-of-edith-l)

One of Edith's famous work was the poem "Bonsai", which talked about love. Everyone can feel love and talk about love, but there is something about Edith Tiempo's words that makes love a little bit less harder to explain. Here is the poem:

'Bonsai'
by Edith Tiempo

All that I love
I fold over once
And once again
And keep in a box
Or a slit in a hollow post
Or in my shoe.

All that I love?
Why, yes, but for the moment-
And for all time, both.
Something that folds and keeps easy,
Son’s note or Dad’s one gaudy tie,
A roto picture of a queen,
A blue Indian shawl, even
A money bill.

It’s utter sublimation,
A feat, this heart’s control
Moment to moment
To scale all love down
To a cupped hand’s size

Till seashells are broken pieces
From God’s own bright teeth,
And life and love are real
Things you can run and
Breathless hand over
To the merest child.

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It can turn a 'macho' man into a little boy with all the emotions it brings up on people. Also, everybody interprets someone else's art differently  and similarly at the same time. As a multimedia student that doesn't read as much, the interpretation of this may be too literall but it is still an interpretation. Love is shown through tokens, symbols, that if one recieves and loves them back, the token is kept and stored in a place; In our hearts? In our memories? Yes. If one loves a person, remember the things, keep the memories whether it is good or bad. Because in the long run, it is what you have gone through with each other that bonds the love even stronger.

As a student that loves to look at photographs and rarely reads, Edith Tiempo's work is a game changer. It gives insipiration to create, and she also said that there is this drive for creativity in everybody. Edith L. Tiempo inspires people to do a little better everytime, appreciate things more often, realize that every moment spent with friends and families cannot be replaced. And all of these emotions, feelings, came from one short poem.