World Poetry Proudly Presents Joji Jocylene From the Phillipines and USA!

Joji Jocylene

LIFE Like We Think It Is

Ariadne’s note: We are proud to present a talented poet and artist who has kindly volunteered to help our World Poetry Family with reviving our newsletter  and helping out in other ways! Thank you so much Joji!  All the work on this site, the newsletter, readings, special projects etc is  done by volunteers and any help is greatly appreciated.

Joji Jocylene From the Philippines and USA writes:
“I was born in a country where English was taught in school with a Filipino accent, and worse, with a combination of Filipino dialects. I learned more English words by reading the first edition of the Book Of Knowledge that my dentist grandfather stored in an old cabinet in another island. I would often marvel and plan strategies to get my mother to allow me and my sister to take the ship and have a “vacation” in that island. I can just remember: cloth-bound, full of fables and drawings. I would hide in the dark and try to read or decipher the stories and poetry. While my cousins and sibling were out screaming and playing or whatever they were doing, this was what I loved, really loved to do an I guess it kept me out of trouble. I have written poetry as a kid but because I did not want to be teased or mocked for being “crazy dreamy”, I had thrown them away. Before my mother died, she had sent me a poem I had written about my father, the captain – when I was about 10 years old. I have not been back to the Philippines so I do not  have it nor remember the words. I continue to scribble poems in words depicting my random thoughts. I am highly-skilled in technical administrative support. So I just continue to help others (artist, poets, students, seniors) with organizing their projects in their computers. I also have my digital art that I am conglomerating into my literary work… ”  www.rojosolutions.wordpress.com