By Julia Mikaela Uy
Kerima Polotan’s “The True and the Plain” is a personal collection of essays that captures her reflections on life, relationships, and the Filipino experience. Published by the University of the Philippines Press, this book demonstrates Polotan’s distinct voice as a Filipina writer, balancing vulnerability with sharp insight. Through her writing, she captures both the mundane and the extraordinary with an authenticity that resonates long after the last page is turned.
The essays, written from the 1970s to the 1990s, often feel like conversations, where Polotan shares her inner world while reflecting on universal truths. A key strength of this collection is her ability to portray personal pain and joy in equal measure. For instance, in “Estrella,” she writes: “She rushed at life full tilt, embracing it and all its burdens unreservedly, balancing its terrors and its joys so finely one often could not tell if Ester wept when she was laughing.” This line captures Polotan’s worldview—life is both beautiful and burdensome, and we navigate its complexities by embracing both.
Polotan’s gift lies in her ability to bring out the extraordinary from the mundane. In “Child on a Seesaw,” she revisits the memory of her mother’s death, merging it with the innocence of childhood. She writes, “Many times, I had wanted to find my mother’s grave, or the child on that seesaw in the park, the word orphan brushing past her like bat’s wings—she will never find her way home.” The seesaw becomes a symbol of her lost childhood and the weight of grief she carries, revealing how moments of play and tragedy are often intertwined in memory.
The collection also highlights Polotan’s reflective nature on relationships, particularly between parents and children. In “Early Encounter,” she muses on the nature of love when her young granddaughter asks, “And do you love me?” Polotan says yes, aware that “no one who is three and asks that question should ever, ever have to wait.” Through such moments, Polotan illustrates how love is often measured not by what we gain, but by what we are willing to lose.
While the book is filled with rich introspection, Polotan never shies away from the messier, more challenging aspects of life. In “My Misbegotten Christmases,” she critiques the commercialization of Christmas while revealing the intimate frustrations and joys of family life. Her tone is both humorous and biting as she recounts, “When you come right down to it, there should be a Presidential Decree outlawing Christmas, or that part of it anyway that means lights, tinsel, gifts, all the expensive and hypocritical claptrap that it has acquired through the years.”
In the final essay “The Remains of the Day,” Polotan leaves readers with a reflection on death and the comfort it brings, especially when a loved one is already waiting on the other side. She writes, “And best of all comforts is the fact that heaven is even nearer and made more real because we have our loved one there.” This assurance of reunion in the afterlife provides a fitting close to a collection that grapples so deeply with loss, grief, and the passage of time.
Kerima Polotan’s “The True and the Plain’” is a masterclass in personal storytelling. The tone of the essays alternates between gloomy reflection and sharp, almost biting humor, especially when Polotan delves into the everyday frustrations of family life. Yet, there is always an undertone of melancholy as she revisits themes of loss, memory, and the inescapable passage of time.
One of the strengths of this collection is Polotan’s ability to ground profound thoughts in the everyday, turning seemingly simple moments into explorations of love, grief, and identity. However, a minor weakness of the book lies in the occasional repetition of certain themes, which can feel heavy-handed at times. Some essays could benefit from more subtlety in the way emotions are conveyed, avoiding over-explanation.
Ultimately, “The True and the Plain” is a testament to Kerima Polotan’s ability to capture the human experience in all its complexity. Her essays are filled with raw emotion, sharp observations, and a deep understanding of life’s contradictions. Whether reflecting on family or loss, Polotan’s voice offers readers not just stories, but reflections on what it means to live, love, and remember.
About the Author: Julia Mikaela Uy is a Beyond Loyola staffer (2023–present) for The GUIDON, the official student newspaper of Ateneo de Manila University. She actively participates in The GUIDON’s coverage of social, political, and economic events outside the campus.
