Group 4: Between Veils and Voices; Literature Analysis of Simod sa Limod by J. Adonis Durado

 "Simod sa Limod"

By J. Adonis Durado

"how long would you endure, sacrificing pieces of yourself until there was nothing left?"

Introduction

    "He said, 'You just stay inside the house because you're only my wife and you can do nothing because you are nothing without me,'" recounts Michelle Bulang, a 44-year-old Filipino mother of four from Rizal, Manila. Her words come with the weight of thirteen stitches on her scalp and burn marks on her back and legs—scars left by years of abuse at the hands of her husband, who was addicted to vices. Simod-Sa-Limod is a poem that portrays the perspective of a wife and mother of two who, like Bulang, faces regular domestic abuse. Through the author's symbolic depiction of the wife's experiences, the work delves into the suffocating power of silence and the devastating consequences of love transformed into cruelty then eventually finding the light to leave her husband. The poem resonates with the biblical text, “God loves justice and establishes equity” (Psalm 99:4), underscoring the moral call for justice in cases of domestic abuse. It portrays such violence not only as physical and emotional harm but as a misuse of authority within marriage. This connection reinforces the poem’s message of empowerment and the moral duty to seek justice for the oppressed, offering hope for those who are silenced and mistreated.

Summary: 

The poem "Simod sa Limod" skillfully navigates the theme of denial in both personal and societal contexts, using the philtrum (simod)—the groove between the nose and upper lip—as a powerful metaphor for the space where truth is suppressed. Through the eyes of a wife enduring physical and emotional abuse, the poem poignantly reflects her suffering. It begins with a touching comparison between yard plants and human companionship, highlighting the comfort nature provides compared to the emotional neglect she faces at home. This imagery effectively emphasizes her deep sense of isolation and the pervasive impact of denial on her life. The poem ultimately reaches a powerful turning point when the speaker finds the courage to leave her abusive situation, taking her two children with her—a hopeful step toward liberation and self-assertion. It delves deep into the injustices that the wife felt, leading to the horrors of domestic abuse that has corrupted households.

Biographical context analysis:

    J. Adonis Durado's "Simod sa Limod" offers an intimate exploration of emotional pain, alienation, and resilience, deeply influenced by his experiences as an expatriate, particularly during his time in the Middle East. The poem’s opening lines, “maypa ang mesitas kay akong maestoryahan,” evoke a profound sense of isolation, where even inanimate objects provide more solace than human relationships. This alienation mirrors Durado’s personal experience of living far from home, navigating the emotional and cultural distance between his Cebuano identity and the foreign world he inhabits. The use of personification in the poem suggests a deep yearning for understanding and connection, underscoring the feelings of dislocation that often accompany the expatriate experience.

    Durado’s choice to write the poem in Cebuano is a significant act of cultural preservation, especially in the face of the dominant use of Filipino and English in literature and daily life. As a Cebuano writer living abroad, this linguistic choice reflects his commitment to maintaining his cultural roots, much like the poem’s speaker struggles to hold on to their identity amid emotional turmoil. The frustrations expressed in the poem—ranging from the trivial disappointments of everyday life to the emotional toll of broken promises and abuse—parallel the larger struggles of Filipino expatriates who often feel shortchanged, undervalued, or disconnected from their sense of self while living in foreign lands.

    In the poem’s closing lines, where the speaker asserts her decision to leave, Durado touches on themes of empowerment and reclaiming one’s identity after enduring emotional trauma. This act of self-liberation can be analyzed through the lens of feminist ethics, which emphasizes the importance of women's autonomy and the moral imperative to resist oppressive relationships. The speaker’s journey reflects an existentialist perspective, highlighting the struggle for authenticity and the quest for meaning in the face of suffering. Furthermore, Durado's work engages with ethical considerations surrounding domestic abuse, challenging societal norms that condone silence and submission. The imagery of soaking, drying up, and wilting metaphorically represents the toll of lies and deceit but also points to the speaker’s (and perhaps the author’s) ultimate decision to take control and move forward. Enriched by his biographical context, Durado’s work becomes a poignant reflection on the challenges of preserving cultural identity and personal integrity in the face of distance, dislocation, and emotional hardship, while also advocating for justice and moral responsibility.

Linguistic context  analysis:

The poem employs vivid imagery and figurative language to express the wife’s emotional turmoil and her husband’s dismissive behavior. The title, Simod-sa-Limod, loosely translating to "at the philtrum of denial," immediately sets the tone, emphasizing the husband's denial of his actions and their emotional impact on his wife. This Cebuano phrase carries cultural weight, reflecting the common tendency to avoid addressing emotional pain, particularly in societies where personal issues are often left unspoken.

    One of the most powerful metaphors in "Simod sa Limod" is the wife’s description of her feelings being "cut with a blunted knife," leaving the "chopping board" of her emotional state bruised. The dull knife signifies that, while the husband's hurtful actions may not seem sharp or intentional to him, they still cause deep, lasting damage. This metaphor extends throughout the poem, symbolizing the cumulative harm inflicted on the wife over time, with the "chopping board" not only bearing the scars of repeated wounds but also representing her vulnerability and resilience. Similarly, the metaphor of the husband’s promises that "barely produced suds" highlights the emptiness of his words, suggesting hollow assurances that fail to cleanse or mend their fractured relationship. The contrasting imagery of the "yard plants," personified as silent companions with "large ears that do not tire of listening," emphasizes the wife’s profound isolation, as nature offers the empathy and understanding her husband denies her. This shift in emotional reliance from human to inanimate and natural elements heightens the sense of her abandonment. Linguistically, the husband’s attempt to excuse his abusive actions with, “I wasn’t myself,” reflects a familiar dynamic in abusive relationships, where abusers distance themselves from their behavior, leaving the wife to “pick up pieces of myself,” conveying the fragmentation of her identity and self-worth, compounded by the struggles of motherhood and the emotional and physical abuse she endures.

    In the final stanza, the imagery of unattended household chores—“the clothes left on the line will soak in the rain,” “the unwatered plants will wilt”—mirrors the wife’s internal state. These neglected tasks symbolize her weariness, mirroring her emotional depletion. Her decision to leave with their two children, despite societal expectations, marks a powerful act of defiance and self-preservation. The closing metaphor, “who's poured with too many lies will brim over,” encapsulates her breaking point, where the accumulation of deceit and neglect pushes her beyond endurance. This line vividly portrays her emotional overflow, a cathartic moment that underscores her decision to reclaim her autonomy; it is better to leave a place or a person when you aren’t treated right, for no matter how much you love you pour on to them, you cannot fill the love they have for you.

 Sociocultural context analysis:

The poem, told from the perspective of a wife, provides a glimpse into a sociocultural context where women face infidelity, physical, and emotional abuse within their marriages which causes her existentialism and authenticity. In the poem, the wife addresses her husband directly, expressing her pain and frustration. In the first verse, Maypa ang Mesitas shows how yard plants (inanimate objects) are better listeners than her husband, for the plants not only listen to her in silence, they don't hit her for expressing her sorrows. She compares communicating with him to the futility of using a "blunted knife", highlighting the lack of emotional connection and understanding in their relationship; even if how you see the knife isn't that sharp, it is still a knife. It still cuts slowly, and it becomes more painful. The chopping board is bruised each time you slice her, each time you hurt her. Her grievances, such as his broken promises and disrespectful behavior, point to a societal acceptance of male dominance and female submissiveness. In the verse, Scaling Blues, she describes his promises as something she "lathered," but they "barely produced suds," underscoring his lack of commitment and the feeling of being deceived, for what she was promised wasn’t fulfilled, it was lacking, it was rotten. 

The poem also suggests a societal expectation for women to endure such treatment silently. In verse one again, the wife finds solace in confiding in her "yard plants," symbolizing her isolation and lack of support from her social circles that she has to resort to inanimate objects. The "yard plants," with their "di kapuyonang tangkag nilang mgadahoon," stand in stark contrast to her husband, who dismisses her feelings and denies her voice; refusing to listen and acknowledge her pain. Finally, the poem concludes with a powerful declaration of the wife's decision to leave her husband, taking their children with her. The line "Now that I’ve decided to leave carrying the suitcase with our two children in tow, do not ask where I will go" reflects her determination to break free from the oppressive relationship. It also highlights the social stigma associated with divorce and the challenges faced by single mothers. Overall, Simod-sa-Limod offers a poignant commentary on the sociocultural dynamics within a marriage, exposing the struggles faced by women in a patriarchal society where their voices are often silenced.

Conclusion:

    With the holistic interpretation gained from this analysis, we can say that J. Adonis Durado’s “Simod sa Limod”, though written as a concise poem, showcases literary techniques and devices that leave a lasting impact on the readers. The poem itself captures the toll domestic abuse takes on someone— illuminating the complexities of the trauma the wife goes through, while also highlighting the strength that she finds in her vulnerability. The struggle of her search for justice and identity is a reflection of broader philosophical discussions, for instance, when we question the morality of the husband’s actions and examine what societal norms may influence such. The integration of several philosophical perspectives such as ethics and morality, existentialism, and feminist ethics, paves the way for readers to gain a deeper understanding of the protagonist’s journey. Durado’s rich portrayal of the human condition along with his usage of figurative language puts weight onto simple words and turns them into evocative experiences, enabling readers to connect with the work on a deeper level. With this, readers can perceive the poignant narrative as a whole, truly taking in the weight of the burden that the woman shoulders and the power she holds for expressing her autonomy. Highlighted by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal #16, Peace and Justice, we can see its importance through this literary piece “simod-sa-limod” as the author fully conveys the vital and pressing societal issue—domestic abuse. The poem is used as an awareness to voice out the women who were trapped in the isolated homes that tore them apart. It expresses deep sorrow and pain that lingers in the woman’s heart. This literary piece doesn't just voice out or yearn for justice, but it cries out for basic human respect. A respect for one’s dignity, a respect for one for being a human being. The United Nation’s act of SDG #16 focuses on the oppressed and the ones who need support. A statement from an NDS survivor, “Not everyone is as fortunate; not everyone who needs help seek it; and the sign of a domestic violence victim are not always visible.”