A Probable Cause of International Conflict
Karlo Sevilla
​
Centuries ago, empires and pretenders
waged wars over spices, after the royals
discovered what their blue tongues
had been missing all along.
If they heard you speak,
they would've likewise realized
that their tongues were deprived
not only of the taste of select herbs,
but also of eloquence, and for certain
would've launched armadas
just to fight over you.
Karlo Sevilla of Quezon City, Philippines is the author of the poetry collections “Metro Manila Mammal” (Soma Publishing, 2018) and “Recumbent” (forthcoming from 8Letters Bookstore and Publishing). Recognized among the Best of Kitaab 2018, shortlisted for the 2021 Oxford Brookes International Poetry Competition, and thrice nominated for the Best of the Net, his poems appear in Philippines Graphic, Philippines Free Press, Eunoia, Woolgathering Review, Moss Puppy Magazine, Bulb Culture Collective, and elsewhere. His Twitter handle is @KarloSevilla2.