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However, this line shows us how frustrated the persona is with having to be patient while suffering. Indeed, asking too many questions implies that you do not understand something, which makes people impatient with their situation. However, asking too many questions also implies that something is not given properly—in this case, their rights to basic goods and services and to live safely and securely.

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This line also implies that the best course of action for them is to wait, follow the rules, and exercise more patience given that raising their concerns and complaining just makes the issue worse.

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This line shows that poor families are worried about their stomachs and are desperate to go outside to work and buy food, but are hesitant as they will be fined—it’s a choice between two deaths; they will either die of hunger or die at the hands of the police.

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What makes this piece more authentic is how this particular line shows how the police abuse their power by constantly eyeing poor people who will violate protocols such as the curfew hours and punish them with cruel fines even though they currently have no other means of support or income.

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Furthermore, the universal experience of having nowhere to go but the same chair, same room, and same four corners every day illustrates the reality of being isolated from the outside world—from one another—and the ambiguity of life during the lockdown. This is evident in this particular line, making the piece more authentic, real, and relatable.

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Some lines in the poem are visually presented which intensifies the emotion expressed in them. Moreover, the way these lines are delivered influences how the readers read the lines, which adds conviction making the lines more of a statement of truth rather than just mere questions.

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I really enjoyed reading this piece because it allowed me to look back on the days when we took interest in many activities just to cope with isolation, and while having to worry about not having enough food is something that we fortunately do not have to worry about, one thing I resonate with in this piece is its frustration towards our leaders with regard to how they manage, or lack thereof, the pandemic to the point where people have to rely on themselves—on resilience—just to get through the day.

Even though we are gradually going back to what we used to consider normal, we have yet to fully recover from the pandemic and its effects, making this poem still relevant today. However, even though this poem revolves around the life we had during lockdown, it is and will always be relevant until such a time where poverty is eradicated and no families or individuals will have to worry about food, safety, or not having a life to live tomorrow.

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With all the things discussed, it asserts the fact that living during a pandemic has been difficult for us, as we constantly worry about our lives and the future that we will have. However, this poem not only brings its readers into this reality, but it also immerses us in the world of the people who have always lived in poverty. It is unfortunate that having to worry about not having enough food or no food at all and their safety is not a new and foreign experience to them. And this reality speaks for the kind of system and the leaders we have.

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As was already established, the poem's form is made up of lines that simultaneously narrate a story and offer questions. The consistency in how the persona asks questions to speak their truth and the reality that they are living in emphasize the anxiety that the persona feels. The way some questions were asked in the latter part of the poem, wherein it repeats some words and phrases, also illustrates how frustrated the persona must be with having to be patient and understanding of the situation, even though they are only hanging by a thread; one such example is the line in the image above.

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The title already gave the readers information as to what the poem is about and its potential direction. However, the title makes much more sense as we read along because of how the lines were structured in a way that asks a question, reeling us into the thoughts and feelings of those who are experiencing poverty and are uncertain with their lives due to the threat posed by those who abuse their power.

It demonstrates the significance given to the questions that underprivileged Filipino families ask themselves during a lockdown since it is only by doing so that they are able to survive the pandemic. Asking whether they have enough food, whether they should skip a meal, or whether they should add more water to the lugaw allows them to survive by eating what the supply allows them to, so that they can save food as much as they can until the next supply comes.

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There is a lot to unpack in this poem, but we will discuss three points that contribute to the entire meaning of the poem as well as elevate the reader’s experience: the title, the delivery, and the figures of speech and images used in the poem.

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The persona is a family member of Gina, which we could assume is her husband, as implied by the line, "Will there be some left for the children tomorrow?" showing their concern over the amount of food that they have to share with their children. However, we could also assume that the persona is Gina herself, a parent who is struggling mentally and thus communicates the lines to herself in hopes of coping with their situation. Either way, the concerns of the persona, as seen in how the lines are delivered, imply that the persona is a family member who worries about their life and safety during the pandemic.

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Important Questions During Lockdown by Tiny Diapana is a poem that depicts the life and struggles of poor families when the pandemic breaks, forcing everyone to stay at home and depend on the authorities for the resources they need. As evidenced by the listed local delicacies (such as Fita and Lugaw) and circumstances that are existent in the context of the Philippines (e.g., the lack of government support, hence insufficient food supply, and the use of police power to combat the pandemic), the poem specifically highlights the issues that poor Filipino families living in the pandemic have to constantly worry about.

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by Tiny Diapana