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Where the s-t-r-e-t-c-h has no name

FLESH can take tension a tad short of shearing. Then, it can take some more. A limit is breached—limits are likely there for breaching.

Legal tender is less tensile—unlike flesh, there’s not much muscle fiber added in a regimen of repeated bundling and stretching to generate greater force. Relentless assault of market forces and quirks of the economy wear out currency’s buying power, always at the losing end in a contest of strength over the long haul.

Goods in bed and services, for example… hilo na sa tama ng toma kaya inakalang P100 ang piraso ng papel na pakimkim sa kaharap sa isang hapag-tunggaan sa katimugan.

Sumunod ang bata sa tinutuluyang hotel, disoras ng madaling araw… susuklian ang pakimkim na P1,000 pala ng konting pakamkam, camaraderie, in short.

Malaking tulong raw ‘yon sa paglalakad ng papeles… palipat-lipat lang tuwing ikalimang buwan ang pamamasukan sa Gaisano at SM… Kontratadong dispatsadora.

And in that stretch of time called “funemployment” between getting fired and re-hired, she’ll sit at booze tables and bare bundles of skin and orifices— maybe more-- in a beer joint.

She has to earn a living. Living costs don’t pause in a tireless tug-of-war with one’s meager means.

Uusad ang mga taon sa ganoong inog ng pamamasukan at pamumuhay. Tatanda siya.

At kapag ganitong tumatanda, medium-intensity stretching serves as best body toner… isometric exercises meant to haggle for two bit or more purchasing power… for added muscle control.

Unlike legal tenderness, human flesh has the capacity to stack up increasing levels of strength and explosive power as limits after limits are breached… until a plateau is reached.

Such a physical quest becomes a human destination, a validation of one’s humanity in the flesh.

Masaya ‘tong ganitong trabaho. Pag-iisip. Pagsusulat.

Hindi nga gaanong magbabanat ng katawan… kailangan lang na laging mabanat ang ulirat at isipan… kahit paunti-unti… parang isometric exercises, breaching limits a step at a time to reach new limits, then, breaching them anew to remap the boundaries of one’s horizons and unbounded capacity for imagination.

Yeah, the mind stretched by a new idea never returns to its original dimensions… why, even the universe expands relentlessly, so microcosm in man has to take the cue from the greater cosmos.

Oo na nga, nalampasan na ang mga naunang hangganan… tuloy lang sa pag-usad sa mga panibagong hangganan… malayo pa ang mararating.

Deja view: babalik-balikan kahit pa sa gula-gulanit na gunita at marahas na haplos ng alaala ang mga dinaanan. Pati ang lupaypay na katawan ng dilag na ‘yon… tiyak na igugupo ang katawang iyon sa pakikihamok sa panahon.

Kasi ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan, hindi na tinitigasan…

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