HEDGEROW

Before the sun is really up,
when the birds barely stirred,

and after almost an eternity

of stalking the opportunity--

long before my longest shadow is cast,

I viewed with finality the hedgerow,

that I've decided to end through the night.

So, after the sweat and the trim—

the morning's feat and the dream,

The Lord, in His eyes and guide

Gifted me with what it seemed

something like I should not hide.

SIMPLE JOYS

This is a photo of a patch of lawn in front of our facade. Ten years ago I planted the crab grass and maintained it like a green carpet, until a few years back when I came to the reality that I could no longer gather the same strength and stamina to cut the grass to its carpet form. 

When I took this photo from under the foliage of our apple-mango tree, I have just finished cutting the grass. My son has swept the lawn with a broom made of ribs of coconut fronds. The hedgerow needs trimming, but I thought it would have to wait for another weekend when we could have time again to be able to do just that.

What a refreshing feeling to have cut the grass!

At the far end of the lawn, what seems to be a rounded object is a bonsai pot that has been purposely turned up-side down. There are other pots stacked beside it that have remained empty since the time Typhoon Frank hit us a few years back.

Sitting at the garden set eating biscuits are my wife and my second son, Paco, the youngest of our two children. I always love to see this sight, and now I could always relish it. Thanks to my mobile phone camera.

The simpler we live, the closer we become to God. I give thanks to Him, the Lord God Jesus Christ, who really knows how to provide for all our simple joys.

CAT IN THE TUB

Rub a dub dub...

there's a cat,

a feline in the tub.

It's indicatively sleeping,

floating on Cloud Nine.

And what does it signify?

Either clothes hanging dry,

fluttering in the wind,

or still in the hamper

all waiting to be washed.

Philippine Nationalism and Patriotism

The words nationalism and patriotism are often used interchangeably, meaning one for the other. There is, however, a wide distinction between nationalism and patriotism as political concepts. Let us consider the following.

Nationalism, etymologically, means love, care for, preservation and patronage of one’s native land and everything in it—the country of birth of a national, whether it be Filipino or otherwise. To be a Filipino nationalist, therefore, the ethnological ramifications of nationalism must all be present in one’s being. This implies a heartfelt dedication for the love, care, and preservation of the Philippines and everything that is identified with it: the Philippine territory, the inhabitants, Philippine sovereignty, its government, all things that represent and symbolize the country; the aspirations, hopes, dreams and needs of the Filipino people.

On the other hand, patriotism is taken from the Latin term pater, which literally means “father”. Patriotism is the willingness and determination to lay down one’s life for the fatherland—the constant resolve to sacrifice one’s life and limb for the preservation of the State. It is the total realization of that love for the country, which is nationalism. In other words, to be patriotic is to be nationalistic. Conversely, one cannot be patriotic without being nationalistic.

In the Philippines, today, we are lacking in patriots largely due to the diffusion of Filipino values, culture, influence of conquistadores, and the confluence of historical bad governance. The Philippine State is in dire need of statesmen who truly understand the basics of politics—politics being defined as the systematic study of the state—the state being defined as having four basic elements: territory (the Philippine archipelago, its waters, subterranean shelves, etc.), people (the Filipino people who are nationalistic and patriotic), sovereignty (freedom from foreign dictates), and government (a body politic composed of delegates who are considered to be representatives of the people to stand and fight for Filipino interests, dreams, aspirations, and hopes).

For as long as our political leaders blind us of these things, for as long as the Filipino people refuse to learn, for as long as we remain mediocre, for as long we could not change our self  inwardly, for as long as we refuse to change, nationalism and patriotism will only be words in the dictionary.

BOOKS OF OUR LIVES

Books are gifts to us from their authors.

Books are the primary source of learning-- 

we cannot imagine how students could learn 

without the facility of books.

Investing in books has lost its mode

in the present-day affairs of the world.

Some students attend school classes

without the benefit of a single book.

Text books and reference materials,

aside from literature, creative writings,

documentaries and biographies,

are our necessary tools to face

the challenges of the turbulent world.

The youth of today cannot simply ignore

or take books for granted and prefer

to learn from the internet. 

There are learning modules and programs 

specially tailored for students 

and learners in the web.

Retention of learning is almost always

assured by the possession of books.

Books can be handed down from generation

to the next learning generation. 

Yet, investing in books seemed to have

lost its fashion in the present-day 

affairs of the world.

The Book Collector seemed to have

silently vanished as a unique human specie.

Now, the common problem is always about

English language and grammar,

either for composition or for street usage. 

It is a fact that English has become 

one of the international languages

of mankind that cannot be taken for granted--

if anybody wants to see the world.

We also read world history from books.

The story of the world cannot just be

handed down by word of mouth. 

The newspapers and magazines that

were once fashionable are now

beginning to fade out in circulation,

thanks to the internet that has provided

the alternative reading avenue.

More readers are turning in to movies 

instead of reading stories from the book. 

Most of them would prefer a 3D movie

 to a classic story book, and little

do they know that these movies

are all taken from manuscripts

in the form of a book.

In the Philippines, where daily subsistence

is the primordial concern of everyone,

investing in books is a twisted obsession.

Filipinos buy books only because

they need them in order to graduate 

and earn a Master's Degree

or a college diploma-- but even that 

could be arranged without the need

of a book.

With the availability of desktop printing,

the availability of books should have

grown geometrically--- but no,

modern cybernetics only furthered

copyright infringement and plagiarism.

All we need now is just one copy 

of any book in any field of study.

This book must be free-- gratis et amore. 

If we write books and think we

should get rich by writing them, write again.

Nobody should be allowed to get rich

by a single book. 

Theses are written for the academe

and the advancement of research and knowledge, 

but it is not yet for wisdom.

Books become valuable either because:

they contain the wisdom that we all need;

of the expenses incurred in producing them;

of the invaluable time spent in writing them;

or, simply because without price, 

nobody would care about a book! 

MY JOURNEY TO ETERNITY...

My journey to eternity

is a short and narrow walk 
from the bustle and humdrum

of man's urbanity that's waiting,

there, beyond that rickety picket gate,

there, beyond that crumbling stonewall
there, where the unpaved road begins

a journey to the bustle and chaos

of hands, and collars, and bosses...

there, where the sun has dried

the morning dew and rains of yesteryears 

that blended the mud and sand and dirt

that sustain the plants and flowers

and the forget-me-not that's there--

that I caressed before I left.

TWO KITTENS

This is a photo of two of our original three kittens in the house. We have two other bigger cats that should be in this picture, but they were not around the house when this shot was taken. 

Cuddly beings, they are siblings whose lives now have become very dependent upon us inside the house. 

They are now necessary parts and parcel of our own lives. They have served as constant medium of communication when the domestic mood turns to gloom. They give us light-hearts and happy atmosphere in the house.They give us good reasons to be discreet about food and left-overs on the table. They teach us how to clean the house and shoo away stray dogs. They taught us how to enjoy meals with canned sardines, and above all, they have driven mice and rats away from home.

EPHEMERY

As we strive towards the promise--

like blooms that survive unnoticed

yet now very seldom hidden

in our most unexpected places

thriving in nature's abundant grace--

how's to be made or be unmade;

unmindful of constant symmetry 

with earth's unyielding patient bounty

in utmost humility they surrender

in God's mercy plant and things bear

the same frail, ephemeral meaning--  

we all must live to give and to forgive, 

and to plead to be forgiven.

RIVER CALL 2

Lonely white boat juxtaposed, 

untainted souls like one of those-- 

against the blackened silt

on dirtied banks and sands 

and on houses' ebony stilts,

under familiar impeccable skies;

all waiting for the water's rise,

all hoping for fresher current,

for stronger gusts of wind and vent

to fan the slick and mud of stench; 

for the swifter flow and higher ebb

to cleanse their beds of sin.

  

...OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE

32.9 per cent of the Filipinos live below the poverty line--- in a population of roughly 98 million that means a total of 32 million Filipinos. As of January 1, 2009, the Philippines ranked 74th poorest country of the world. While economic development is supposed to be the increase in the standard of living in a nation's population with sustained growth from a simple, low-income economy to a modern, high-income economy this definition has remained a rhetorical supposition in the Philippine government  economic development agenda. Although the basic task of the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan for the period 2004-2010 is to fight poverty and build prosperity for the greatest number of the Filipino people, that task seemed to have remained and never took off  the drawing board. Latest statistics show that the average Filipino family has only P42.00 to spend for food each day--- this, despite the fact that exports have climbed 35.9 percent in July 2010, reaching $4.5 billion on sustained demand for electronic products. In the meantime, Philippine labor groups have called the legislated a P22.00-daily salary increase in the private sector a big insult. Hunger is literally looming outside those glass portals of air-conditioned malls of urban centers. Indeed, the wealth of the rich is their fortified city; but poverty is the ruin of the poor (Proverbs 10:15). Progress and economic development are like the luxury cruise ship that the poor has missed very long ago--- a big ship passing in the night where wealthy tourists party aboard, filthy rich people lazing in the jacuzzi or passing time in cocktail bars, enjoying sexist talk beside the pool, or simply tossing hundred-dollar chips on the card table-- leaving behind poverty in its foamy wake. Yes, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3).

ILOILO RIVER CALL

A few hours before close of light, 

when the tide is at its lowest,

on the glassy surface is mirrored

a serene sky seemingly ominous;

from the blackened banks and slick 

the mud-reality is once more depict--- 

to echo the silent agony in decaying 

alongside urbanity's major tributary

 ---a river that is now considered dying

of effluents and humanity's debris;

of wastes of mundane affluence,

of industry, of modernity, of hubris

and swills of maximal poverty---

all to naught will soon be put 

at Mother Nature's final call.

HAIKU 3

In the midst of darkness and gloom
a flickering flame emanates
warmth and light that shines for mankind.

MAKE YOUR DAY

As you begin to be conscious of your day, always start with making a decision towards dedicating it to the glory of God. Say to yourself that it is His day, and that you are only His instrument for the glory of His name. Make it a constant resolve day-to-day wherever, until it becomes part of your mental, psychological and spiritual being. The challenge of the day is trying to be ever-conscious of Him, of His presence and of the manner with which you accommodate Him and respond to His silent interaction. 

Discard unbelief, dishonesty and all negative thoughts. Maintain spiritual balance with reality around you. Exude vitality by radiating jolly vibrations and evading profanity. As much as possible, listen with your eyes, speak with your ears, talk with your hands, understand with your heart, and pray with your mind.

Make your day.

KIND WORDS

Kind words are good vibrations for the soul. They refresh the spirit and give energy to the body. As kind words enter the human physique they pass through the astral points of the human being, giving the person prana --- spiritual energy and sustenance, that invigorates and sooths the soul to take in more energy. Kind words are positive words that include, but are not limited to the following: hello, love, devotion, charisma, care, share, give, smile, pray, understand, patience, and light.

The opposite is true of harsh words. As harsh words enter the human body, the bodily system naturally works in defensive ways to eliminate the psychological intrusion to protect and preserve the spiritual well-being, and, thus, it needs more energy to process harsh words to dissipate them in the consciousness. This painful experience enervates the soul, weakens the human physique and frustrates the spirit.

We should always avoid harsh words.