(Reflecting Poetically on Some Recent Past)
In 2005, when I was doing mostly nothing but take care of my late maternal grandfather virtually day in and day out, I relied heavily on my literary pen to keep my sanity. One of the literary endeavors that I engaged in was embark on writing at least a dozen of short verses or a poem a day. I was able to meet that goal for more than a year! So, you can imagine the vast number of poems that I was able to compile out of those poetically prolific moments. These poems inevitably reflected my predisposition and state of mind and emotions during those early years in this newfound home of mine—Canada.
Here is the 55th of those dozen verses that I wrote in December 2005, which clearly illustrates the season in the place where I was during that time and my reaction to it. Each of the stanzas that comprise the entire dozen strictly follows a pattern of 8-8-8, or three eight-syllabled lines.
The 55th of a Dozen Verses
Kahit masíkat ang araw
Ay ubod pa rin ng lamig;
Sagad-butó—aking ginaw.
Madulas na ang kalye
Dahil sa tunáw na yelo—
Magmadali ay di p’wede.
Dapat makapal ang suot,
Tag-ñebe ay narito na;
Ulo’t kamay ay may saplot.
Nakalilibang pagmasdan—
Kaputian ng paligid—
Hatid ay katahimikan.
Kahit ano ang panahon,
Musika’y di nawawala—
Karamay sa bawat hámon.
Madalas nakatunganga;
Tanghali lagi ang gising;
‘la naman kasing magawa.
Meron nga ba akong silbi?
Darating nga ba ang s’werte?
Mangyari ngang pakisabi.
Bawat laglag ng dahon ay
Ambagal sa ‘king paningin—
Tulad rin lang ng tagumpay.
May nabasag na salamin—
Signos raw ng kamalasan—
‘sa na namang pamahiin.
Lahat nga ba’y may dahilan?
Di ako naniniwala.
Lahat nga ba’y may hangganan?
H’wag ka nang magpaliwanag,
Hindi na kailangan ‘yan.
Isa ka rin namang bihag.
Paulit-ulit ang búhay.
Inip na inip na ako.
Hanggang kaylan maghihintay?
The Last Leaf
Reflecting now on the meanings of each of the verses above gives me a feeling of satisfaction—as if every question that I asked had eventually been answered. They say that the fun in living is in the journey itself and not the destination, and what a journey that I have gone through!
Life goes on and on…thus, my journey simply continues.
