Roh Mih
 

Angelus--
the silence of
cash registers

Most Filipinos are Catholics. Especially in the rural areas, the recitation of the Angelus--a catholic tradition commemorate the holy annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Mary--is seriously being observed, not only at homes but also in public places. In one supermarket I visit, everyone--including, of course, the cashiers--have to pause from what they're doing at the start of the Angelus. You don't hear any sound, especially the sound of cash registers. The Angelus moment therefore serves as a break from our daily struggle in the material world, and a reminder of the spirituality of our existence.

Roh Mih is the pen name of Romulo B. Halabaso. A Filipino, he was born in Manila in 1959. He received a BA in Economics from the University of the Philippines in 1982. A government employee, he presently works a the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), an agency of the national government in charge of peace negotiations with rebel groups and involved in various peace building activities. He currently heads the OPAPP's Policy and Program Development Office and the OPAPP's Peace Resource Center. He is particularly involved in programs focusing on child soldiers and former rebels.

He writes poetry, particularly haiku, tanka, and senryu. His personal
poetry sites include Along a Calm and Clear River; Songs of the Bamboo (a tanka journal); and Hamog at Ningas where he features an indigenous poetry form called "tanaga". He is a member of the PinoyPoets e-group and Brownsong e-group.

A proponent of the Taoist philosophy, he expresses his Taoist views through his blog, The Walk of Ten Thousand Steps.

Copyright 2006: Simply Haiku