Continental Drift

Arlene Biala was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area. Her poetry explores stories of the generations who have left their native lands to live in America, particularly Philipino/a people. A performance artist with an MFA from the New College of California in San Francisco, she has studied under poets Genny Lim, Juan Felipe Herrera, Margarita Luna Robles, David Meltzer, and Lyn Hejinian. She performs with her brothers, Jimmy Biala on percussion and Billy Biala on saxophone, throughout California. Her stark, tender, sensual and political poetry goes beyond chronological storytelling into the dance of simultaneous experiences called forth by tragedy, family, and love.something reminds me that I am nextin line to continue the chantmeanwhile my mother is telling me not to be afraid she is telling mestories of her childhoodso that I may learn to be patientshe is teaching me to gather firewoodto pick up memories like pele’s tearsshining in the damp soil.