"Merry Christmas!"
This is what beggars say during this season to ask for money (mostly kids, but even adults do this). People, believing that the spirit of Christmas is in giving and forgiving, take money out of their pockets. These kids then call their comrades and nag (or pest, if I may say) to death these 'generous' men. After a short while - or a long one, depending on how dense/rich - men stop giving. This attitude of kids and adults kills the 'generosity' of good guys out there. Good men are indeed hard to find. This is a huge problem to the society.
Others say that Christmas is about spending quality time with the family and friends. A lot of people become sentimental and often wish that their missing, overseas or dead relatives can come home even just once to celebrate Christmas. There's nothing wrong about this, is there?
Yes there is. The root of the problems lie in a viral misunderstanding of Christmas. It is extremely evident that humanity is doing everything in its power to remove the Christ in Christmas: "X-mas", "Happy Holidays", "Santa Claus", "Spirit of Giving", and hundreds more which I do not have time to mention. Media commercials never mention Christ, perhaps in fear of being branded as biased towards a religion. This gives birth to the current condition of the Christmas season: a time for spending time with the family or a time of giving and receiving, the latter of which is being abused by many. I'm not saying that it is wrong to do either: what I'm saying is that doing all these is worthless without the right reason in which it is done. It is a form without substance, a gift box without a gift. Disappointingly fascinating, people choose this box and throw away the gift that God has given.
To end this, I'd like to share a poem I (with the help of my Dad) made a few years back.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!
A man in blue, smiling, handing
A coin or two to a poor lass
He’s happy, with eyes a caring.
For love is the heart of giving
Giving is the art of living
Merry Christmas, merry Christmas.
A boy, caroling, cajoling
From house to house, from bus to bus
And begging with a can of tin
Hopeless, desperate, mirroring
A grim society we’re in
But Christmas is not us giving
It is receiving life endless
It is not candy, nor money
But is God’s gracious gift Jesus
A gift to change each one’s heart
A heart to change society
For us to say, “Merry Christmas!”
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Someone
Won't someone stay with me?
Someone who waits and cares
Someone who listens
Someone who understands
Syncopated
Either ahead or belated
Never was I
In the rhythm of this world
Won't someone stay for me?
Someone who can keep up
Someone who can wait
Someone who is willing
For willingness is worth more than ability
They look at me with contempt
With their burnt eyebrows
And swollen eye bags
They avoid my gaze
They say I'm good,
Too good, in fact.
With their mouths they praise
But behind their smiles,
I feel their hate
They who come
Always ask
Always wanting
Never waiting
Won't someone stay with me?
Won't someone stay for me?
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
No Regrets
Living a life without regrets
Being able to do what you want
Is that all there is to it?
Doing what you want
Never missing a chance
Never missing an opportunity
Living without regretting
Being happy
Is that all there is to it?
Achieving your dreams
Of getting rich
Of a grand mansion
Of a beautiful wife
Of a happy family
Of an easy job
Of good health
Of true friends
Being happy
Is that all there is to it?
Is that all there is to it?
Being able to do what you want
Is that all there is to it?
Doing what you want
Never missing a chance
Never missing an opportunity
Living without regretting
Being happy
Is that all there is to it?
Achieving your dreams
Of getting rich
Of a grand mansion
Of a beautiful wife
Of a happy family
Of an easy job
Of good health
Of true friends
Being happy
Is that all there is to it?
Is that all there is to it?
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Feelings
Feelings come and go
Like raindrop shadows
Flashed by lightning,
Like thunder roaring
Only for a second
then comes silence...
... ... ...
Holding on to it
Is like grasping the wind,
Trying to subdue it
Is like taming the storm clouds.
Trusting it
Is like sailing on a stormy night:
Never knowing where the wind is blowing,
Never sure where it's going,
Never certain, always doubting
If tomorrow the sun is shining
Feelings come
Feelings go
Like raindrop shadows
Flashed by lightning,
Like thunder roaring
Only for a second
then comes silence...
... ... ...
Holding on to it
Is like grasping the wind,
Trying to subdue it
Is like taming the storm clouds.
Trusting it
Is like sailing on a stormy night:
Never knowing where the wind is blowing,
Never sure where it's going,
Never certain, always doubting
If tomorrow the sun is shining
Feelings come
Feelings go
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Thousand Twinkles
Twinkling light, shining bright
The size of a dot, giving sight
To but a speck in the sky
Come closer,
Behold and see
The beauty and majesty
Of a twinkle in a thousand
Blinding, scorching
The sheer size awestrucking
There are thousand twinkles
Like this light
Each different, each unique
But all the same
To the naked eye
Thousand twinkles not enough
To light the darkness of the night
Thousand twinkles not enough
To clear the sun of its light
Thousand twinkles not enough
To outshine a single streetlight
Thousand twinkles not enough
Thousands more still not enough
Twinkling light, shining bright
Not enough until we climb
Higher, closer
To the darkness of the night
Only then can we see fully
The majesty and beauty
Of a twinkle in a thousand
The size of a dot, giving sight
To but a speck in the sky
Come closer,
Behold and see
The beauty and majesty
Of a twinkle in a thousand
Blinding, scorching
The sheer size awestrucking
There are thousand twinkles
Like this light
Each different, each unique
But all the same
To the naked eye
Thousand twinkles not enough
To light the darkness of the night
Thousand twinkles not enough
To clear the sun of its light
Thousand twinkles not enough
To outshine a single streetlight
Thousand twinkles not enough
Thousands more still not enough
Twinkling light, shining bright
Not enough until we climb
Higher, closer
To the darkness of the night
Only then can we see fully
The majesty and beauty
Of a twinkle in a thousand
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Biti-
Coke na walang
Bula. Ligong walang
Sabon. Tanghaliang
Walang kanin. Apoy
Na malamig. Kotseng
Walang gas. Joke
Na walang banat.
Bagoong na
walang alat.
Biti-
Bula. Ligong walang
Sabon. Tanghaliang
Walang kanin. Apoy
Na malamig. Kotseng
Walang gas. Joke
Na walang banat.
Bagoong na
walang alat.
Biti-
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Helpless
This is a formal theme written in for my English class in 4th year high school after Ondoy, an incredibly devastating storm, hit the country.
A few weeks ago, a dreadful event that happened 16 years ago returned, only this time, it was a lot stronger. For two whole days it rained nonstop; darkness reigned above, and no hint of the sun was permitted to pass through the thick dark clouds of the storm. There was no electricity that will power the street lamps. The dams were forced to leak water into the rivers, which caused the creek that literally surrounded our village to overflow within an hour. Our area was a hill, yet half of it sank beneath the turbulent muddy waters. It was so deep that only the roofs of the houses downhill were visible. The two bridges that linked our community cracked; one of them broke down and can no longer be used, while the other one’s rusty railings got snatched by the flood.
Our house, thanks to the Lord, did not get flooded. All we lost was some electricity, some time, and some fun. During the time it was raining, it was too dark to work. All we could do was sit and stare at each other and at the ceiling. I preferred the latter. We got bored with staring and, to kill time, amused ourselves with a modified scrabble, chess, and toys that I used to play with when I was still a little kid. But without electricity, time is virtually invulnerable. It came to the point that I got bored of playing, and once more stared at the ceiling, wishing it would stare back at me. When the two days were over, electricity came back. My little brother shouted with joy, while I went straight to the computer and played. The clouds parted and the sun once more smiled on us, laying its warm, gentle rays on the wet roof of our house, making us forget the cold darkness we have experienced.
While the computer was booting, I realized how much I have changed. The action figures I used to play with for four hours straight no longer meant anything now. The board games I used to love have lost their appeal. But, more importantly, I realized that our society has been relying on the magic of electricity too much. We used it too recklessly, neglecting the negative effects it has on nature. Man has already begun to abuse and control nature; he has made his own source of light, his own sun, to make himself forget of all the hardships he has gone through. But, where there is light, there is shadow. It is true that today we enjoy life more, but we should also be reminded that there is a power much greater than what we could ever attain, that nature is not ours, but God’s.
I do not want this calamity to happen again – no one does – yet we cannot avoid it. The army of global warming is on its way and the Philippines is the front line of defense of the world. We will be the first to receive nature’s counterattack on humankind, and we are in no way whatsoever prepared for this. A lot of people still throw trash anywhere they want even though they know that it will go back to them in one way or another. Perhaps, we can make an effort to make the Filipinos realize their mistakes. The global warming awareness shows in TV helps a lot, and the environmentalist organizations also give their own contribution. By joining one of these groups, I can give my contribution to save the world. Or, I could do it in my own little way. But, unfortunately, our race is one that is eager for results. If we do not see or feel an improvement within a year, we will probably give up on what we do. We could try, but I personally believe that we are helpless against nature. But, then again, no one laughs at a man who does his best.
A few weeks ago, a dreadful event that happened 16 years ago returned, only this time, it was a lot stronger. For two whole days it rained nonstop; darkness reigned above, and no hint of the sun was permitted to pass through the thick dark clouds of the storm. There was no electricity that will power the street lamps. The dams were forced to leak water into the rivers, which caused the creek that literally surrounded our village to overflow within an hour. Our area was a hill, yet half of it sank beneath the turbulent muddy waters. It was so deep that only the roofs of the houses downhill were visible. The two bridges that linked our community cracked; one of them broke down and can no longer be used, while the other one’s rusty railings got snatched by the flood.
Our house, thanks to the Lord, did not get flooded. All we lost was some electricity, some time, and some fun. During the time it was raining, it was too dark to work. All we could do was sit and stare at each other and at the ceiling. I preferred the latter. We got bored with staring and, to kill time, amused ourselves with a modified scrabble, chess, and toys that I used to play with when I was still a little kid. But without electricity, time is virtually invulnerable. It came to the point that I got bored of playing, and once more stared at the ceiling, wishing it would stare back at me. When the two days were over, electricity came back. My little brother shouted with joy, while I went straight to the computer and played. The clouds parted and the sun once more smiled on us, laying its warm, gentle rays on the wet roof of our house, making us forget the cold darkness we have experienced.
While the computer was booting, I realized how much I have changed. The action figures I used to play with for four hours straight no longer meant anything now. The board games I used to love have lost their appeal. But, more importantly, I realized that our society has been relying on the magic of electricity too much. We used it too recklessly, neglecting the negative effects it has on nature. Man has already begun to abuse and control nature; he has made his own source of light, his own sun, to make himself forget of all the hardships he has gone through. But, where there is light, there is shadow. It is true that today we enjoy life more, but we should also be reminded that there is a power much greater than what we could ever attain, that nature is not ours, but God’s.
I do not want this calamity to happen again – no one does – yet we cannot avoid it. The army of global warming is on its way and the Philippines is the front line of defense of the world. We will be the first to receive nature’s counterattack on humankind, and we are in no way whatsoever prepared for this. A lot of people still throw trash anywhere they want even though they know that it will go back to them in one way or another. Perhaps, we can make an effort to make the Filipinos realize their mistakes. The global warming awareness shows in TV helps a lot, and the environmentalist organizations also give their own contribution. By joining one of these groups, I can give my contribution to save the world. Or, I could do it in my own little way. But, unfortunately, our race is one that is eager for results. If we do not see or feel an improvement within a year, we will probably give up on what we do. We could try, but I personally believe that we are helpless against nature. But, then again, no one laughs at a man who does his best.
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