Bangka

Original painting by Sarah Himaya

My dad used to tell me stories about the ocean being beautiful.

Stories of when he was young, fishing with his father and brothers.

A time so nostalgic and pure

A place, and space I’ll never know.

It seems like a dream.

Words and memories of a distant pass bring life into the fragments of his mind.

And although, I could never be as he was, I am connected.

The ocean, the sun, the waves.

I am connected to the memories, to the color of my skin

to the Tagalog words that my mind is so thankful to be able to puzzle through.

Even though, I will never know

How it was to be born on that land,

To hit the ground running in the blazing heat,

Hear the noises of a jeepney passing by,

Or cicadas buzzing at night.

I dream about it. It is a part of me.

Bangka, it came before me.

It was loved by my Lolos, it carried their burdens,

It housed their laughter, and heart.

Now, captured in tiny pixels,

Made with the same love.

Sarah Himaya, 2020

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Sarah Himaya’s Artist Bio

Toronto based Film Graduate and Multimedia Artist, Sarah Himaya, has always loved expressing herself through art and connecting with people through various forms of storytelling. Her passion is exploring themes of nostalgia, dreams and her Philippine heritage; ultimately exploring what it means to be a second-generation immigrant and finding belonging between two cultures. In 2020, she exhibited at the RAW Artist Toronto Exhibit, and her short film The Blur was a semi-finalist with an online film festival Lift-Off Global Network’s First Time Filmmakers Sessions 2020. It will also be screened at the 2021 Diwa Filipino Film Showcase of Seattle later this year. Currently, Sarah is a freelance graphic designer and portrait artist. You may view all her latest work on Instagram @sarahhimayastudio.