Martian Footprints » Literary Footprints

Era of Empathic Initiative (poem)

Nathan — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 06:41:24 +0000

Long gone, the era of empathic initiative;
For nothing now is just because.
Every pain left unspoken remains furtive;
As nothing is worth an applause.

Who says the world exists for us,
When we toil in seeking happiness?
We are but a lonely carcass,
Resting under the sun’s blistering caress.

I lie in wait with my tears unnoticed,
With the wind as my sole company.
As thoughts are together pieced,
I realize that no one will come for me.

The world is occupied, as usual.
It won’t ask me how I am doing.
Only a shot of hope remains residual,
To know that the world initiates in asking.

My fervent wish is to feel that day,
When that era awakens from its slumber.
When a simple ‘Hey, hey are you okay?’
Makes a whole lot of difference altogether.

-July 27, 2009

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Ang Rosas sa Taglamig

Nathan — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 02:29:41 +0000

[I wrote this poem when I was in third year high school for a Filipino Literary exercise]

Saglit na saya’y ipinagkait,
Sa pulang rosas na sakdal rikit.
Kung tumila man ang niyebe’y saglit,
Mutya, kay aba ng ‘yong sinapit.

Sa bawat magdamag ika’y api,
Damdamin ay laging nagagapi.
Pag-asa’y tila maiksing pisi,
Marupok at madaling mabali.

Ang tapang mo’y lalong mag-ibayo,
Nang sa kadilima’y mailayo,
Ang iyong kaligtasang totoo,
At ang kariktan mo ay mag-ibayo.

- Nathaniel Aaron Ong (2003)

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Ode to the Pasig River (Filipino)

Nathan — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:53:14 +0000

While fixing my blog, I came across this old poem I made when I was a third year student. We were asked to make an ode to the Pasig River as our literary exercise, and the best one would be forwarded to a national contest. Mine was not good enough, hehe. The professor told me that the poem was too negative and it will not win me anything. So they decided not to send it. :p

Tinig ng Buhay, Tanging Pamana

Salamat sa kaliluhan ng mga mabubuting kaluluwang
Nakatira sa gilid ng pasigang walang bahid,
Naranasan mong magdusa nang labis,
Maging abang lubha sa bawat magdamag.
Saglit na ligaya’y ipinagkait
At binura sa kalendaryo ng kasaysayan.

Lumipas na ang dati mong araw,
Pati na ang saliw ng bangka ni Abelardo,
Ang mga isda’t halaman sa bughaw mong tubig,
Ang dalisay na buhay na iyong ipinamahagi,
Lahat ay kumubli sa lihim ng kapighatian
At di na muling nasilayan ang banaag.

Bagama’t naging taksil ang ‘yong kapalaran,
Nanatili kang isang magiting na mandirigma,
Lalong nag-iibayo ang katapangan sa bawat lagapak.
Ito na lamang angtangi mong maipapamana,
Tagubiling “Munting pag-asa’y disin magpagapi
Kundi, siyang buhay ay mapipigtil.”

Isa kang bayani ng kasalukuyang lahi,
Buhay mo’y inalay sa bayang mahal,
Ngunit sa kadakilaan mo’y sakit ang kapalit.
Sana’y mga nilalang ay matutong magtanda.
Sa bawat hakbang ay lumingon nang kabilaan,
Nang di matulad sa yaring sawing palad.

— “Ode to the Pasig River” (2002)

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