Parol [PHILIPPINES]

Tala Gan
A flamboyant lantern
Iridescent, and gleaming
Her colorful paper ribbons
Swaying in the cool wind
The soft glow is warming
She is wonderful, I can tell
Callused hands cut the bamboo
And scraped the capiz from its shell
Growing bodies were fed,
From this work of art,
Made by hand till it was finished,
By a hardworking, happy heart.
Parol: Filipino lantern in the shape of a star.
Tala Gan is a fourteen year old homeschooler from the Philippines. She is very proud to be a Filipina. "I’m Not on Diet" and "Parol" are based on her personal experiences; "Parol" is a Christmas reflection on the effect the native lantern has on a passerby and its maker. "I’m Not on Diet" is a reaction to the challenges a Filipino kid has to face when someone comments about his or her body.

Artwork provided by author.

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UNDER THE MADNESS
A magazine for teen writers—by teen writers. Under the Madness brings together student editors from across New Hampshire under the mentorship of the state poet laureate to focus on the experiences of teens from around the world. Whether you live in Berlin, NH, or Berlin, Germany—whether you wake up every day in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North or South America—we’re interested in reading you!