‘I look forward to falling in love and writing about it’: Benjamin Alves on poetry

“I am prose And you are art.
 I am mind And you are heart.
Love, this is how we’ll start.”
 
These may sound like the lyrics of a popular song on the charts, but they are actually from “Start,” a short poem by Kapuso actor Benjamin Alves.
 
Yes, Benjamin is not just a thespian but a passionate poet as well. On his Twitter and Instagram accounts is a link to his Tumblr account where most of his literary works are posted.
 

We had a chat with the 26-year-old actor recently and asked him about his poetry and his thoughts on life, love and friendship.

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GMA News: When did you realize that you have this love for poetry and words?
Ben: I was in fourth grade and I liked this girl but she didn’t like me. I knew that I had it, it just always came naturally to me...I was able to write right away.

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Among Ben's favorite poets are R.F. Langley, Robert Frost, and Charles Bukowski.
 
He also believes that hip hop and rap are poetry, and among his favorite artists in those areas are Eminem, Jay Z, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G, Lauryn Hill and Drake.
 
Ben, who was raised in Guam, left for the Philippines in 2000 to try for an acting career but went back to study English literature at the University of Guam.
 
He finished the four-year course in two and a half years by taking additional courses in between semesters and even during Christmas breaks. He wrote six papers per month and absorbed about 24 books every semester.
 
Ben said that during this time he had no social life, but wanted it that way as he did not completely close the door on returning to the Philippines for a career in showbiz.
 
In 2012, Ben’s hard work paid off: he graduated summa cum laude.

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GMA News: What were your favorite moments in college?
Ben: My creative writing workshops. There were probably 6 of us; we would meet twice a week. The process of the workshop is parang book club, but you’re actually writing. Those were the moments I like [best] sa school.
 
GMA News: What are you most grateful for?  
Ben: That I have the ability to take care of my parents. I am grateful for the timing...even in relationships, timing is what brought me back here. God’s timing is always good, God’s plan is always good.

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Ben said most, if not all, of his poetry is based on his real-life experiences. Sometimes he even stops what he’s doing to write lines down when inspiration strikes.
 
He said that as he matured, so did his poetry, “I always come from truth. When you write, that’s the only way you can do it,” he said. “My past works before when I was in school, when I read them, now sound very pretentious. I tend to hide behind the language; I’ll make the language really fancy, but then there’s no honesty in it.”
 
He said he knows a poem is OK “when it's honest, when it's specific.”
 
“Monday”
 
i wake up to a
quiescent morning on
our clouds of bedsheets
next to your
skin made of milk.
and i’m greeted
with your eyes,
eyes like irises
of hidden promises
lifetimes away
and i wonder
if we blink just for them to
take refuge in you,
just as i do.
 
Although much of Ben’s poetry is about love, he admits he’s been single for years.
 
However, he said, even though people tend to keep asking him when he thinks he will be in a relationship again, “being single is not a curse. It’s a choice and it’s a blessing, as it’s supposed to prepare yourself. It’s always better when you’re not looking. The best thing that can happen to you is you gain more friends.”
 
Ben said that while he is not afraid to be single, he is also not afraid to fall in love or to have his heart broken. Every experience creates a point of comparison that goes into every story he writes in his mind. “I can’t write about love if I never experienced loss. You don’t appreciate it [otherwise]. So I look forward to falling in love and writing about it.”
 
He said he doesn’t need to be depressed to be able to write a poem, either. “I’m never that type na parang how they do it in the movies...I think people have the misconception that you’re supposed to be crying when you’re writing or you’re supposed to be really broken to really write about it. It’s too difficult to do that.”

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GMA News: What do you value most about friendship?

Ben: Openness, honesty. I’ve been very blessed this past year that I’ve met my friends. You have to be complete, and for you to be able to be complete you have to have friendship as your base.
 
GMA News: What roles do love and affection play in your life?

Ben: They're necessary...I wish that people have a healthy relationship with love and affection. I wish they knew how to discern a platonic love and affection from a different kind but you’ll only be able to differentiate that if your life is full of it.

GMA News: How do you define true love?

Ben: You've got to be able to put yourself second to somebody. That’s selflessness and unconditional [love]. You are not waiting for somebody to do something for you, I’m doing this because I love you. When you are able to put someone’s needs before your needs. The only way you can experience true love is when you give it. Giving love is more important than being in love, because there is no being in love without giving it. — BM, GMA News