Kawal ng Tadhana

​It’s been almost eight months since I last wrote anything on the blog. I usually post random thoughts and rants on Facebook only because I think they’re too short to be blogged.

Anyway, here’s a piece I wrote for Destiny Church Cavite’s 2nd Anniversary and Thanksgiving on December 11. 😄 And yes, thank you Lord for people who trust in me and push me to write. 👌

KAWAL NG TADHANA

Mapait.
Mapait kung tawagin mo ang kahapong minsan nang nanakit sa ‘yo,
Ang kahapong minsan nang sumira sa mga pangarap mo,
Minsan nang naglubog sa ‘yo sa kumunoy na tila wala nang pag-asang makaahon pa.

Walang kasiguruhan.
Walang kasiguruhan kung ituring mo ang hinaharap na tila hindi naaayon sa dikta ng puso mo,
Na tila lihis sa nais mong makamit para sa sarili mo,
Na tila puno ng kadilimang dala ng mapait mong kahapong pilit mong tinatakasan.

Walang saysay.
Walang kabuluhan kung isaalang-alang mo ang kasalukuyan mong parang nakatapak sa kawalan —
Ang kasalukuyan mong bihag pa rin ng mga anino ng mapait mong nakaraan,
At umaalipin naman sa hinaharap mong puno ng takot at alinlangan.

Ngunit sa buhay mong inakala mong wala nang patutunguhan ay mayro’n palang nakatadhana.

Isang tadhanang naisulat na,
bago pa man ang paglikha ng mundo;
Isang tadhanang nakaukit na sa mga pahina ng aklat ng dakilang Manlilikhang may gawa sa ‘yo.

Isang tadhanang pinag-isipan,
Pinagplanuhan,
Pinag-ubusan ng oras,
Hindi lamang ng iisa,
kundi ng tatlong persona.

Isang tadhanang pinaghirapan,
Pinagbuhusan ng dugo,
Pinagbuwisan ng buhay,
Upang ang bawat luha,
at bawat tangis na dapat mong maranasan ay mapawi,
Upang ang bawat pait,
at bawat sakit na dapat mong sapitin ay maibsan,
Upang ang bawat mali,
at bawat kasalanang dapat mong pagbayaran ay mawalan ng halaga.

Dahil ang tadhana mo ay maging malaya,
Malayang maranasan ang pag-ibig ng dakilang Manunubos,
Malayang matamasa ang nag-uumapaw na biyayang kaakibat ng pagiging anak Niya,
Malayang lupigin ang kasalanan at pagtagumpayaan ang kasamaan,
Malayang maibahagi sa iba ang mayamang pag-ibig ng Diyos na gumawa ng langit at lupa.

Kaya’t tumindig ka, kawal ng tadhana,
Dahil nilikha kang may tungkulin —
Tungkuling makibaka at ipaglaban ang tadhanang nakalaan para sa ‘yo,
Tungkuling hindi sumuko,
dahil mismong ang Hari ng mga hari ay hindi sinukuan ang buhay mo,
Tungkuling magtagumpay,
dahil ang kamatayan ay pinagtagumpayan na, dalawang libong taon na ang nakararaan sa krus ng Kalbaryo.

Dahil ikaw, kawal, ay may tungkuling ibahagi, at iparating sa iba,
Na ang plano ng Diyos ay para sa kanilang ikabubuti at hindi ikasasama,
Na ang plano Niya ay magdudulot ng kinabukasang puno ng pag-asa,
Na ang Diyos na makapangyarihan, ay naglaan sa kanila, ng tadhanang higit pa sa kanilang inaakala.

PS. I might share the recorded piece if I can somehow find a good audio editing app. Using my laptop is such a hassle. 😄

Hinanakit ni Aklat: a filler

If this post gets published, chances are I didn’t have enough time, or creative juices, to write anything. Still, I’m sure this is considered an entry for our August 31st cutoff, right, co-challengers? 😛

Because we are celebrating Buwan ng Wika at school tomorrow, and because I take care of my books so well that I see red whenever I find gruesome and highly distorted books left for moths and roaches to feed on, I might as well share, with a little tweaking, the only Filipino poem I have written, mainly as filler for The Green Board’s Filipino section. Now that’s recycling!

HINANAKIT NI AKLAT

Heto akong si Aklat,
Makulay ang pabalat,
Lalo na tuwing Hunyo
At ako’y bagong bago.

Sa oras na kailangan,
Malaya kang ako’y buksan.
Bawat salita ko’t titik,
Sa kaalaman ay hitik.

Kung may pagsusulit,
Anu pa’t di nawawaglit
Sa isip na ako’y dalhin
At dali-daling basahin.

Maging sa pagkakahimbing,
Naranasan kong ako’y yakapin,
Sa pag-asang maipapasa
Ng aklat na binabasa.

Bawat oras na pinagsamahan,
Handog sa ‘yo’y karunungan.
Walang saysay na sayangin,
Aking hangarin ay supilin.

Sa pagtatapos ng taon,
Ako nama’y huwag itapon.
Hindi mo man ako gamitin,
Ako’y mahalaga pa rin.

If I were a book and was left to die (as if it’s possible), I’d shred myself into pieces, ask help from bookworms around the city and have them force my owner to make me whole again.

Yep, I would do that.

She

Today, my grandmother is celebrating her 80th birthday, and with that, I am posting a poem I made for her exactly 10 years ago. 🙂

She wakes up at almost five,
Feeling alert and very alive.
Like a rooster welcoming the daybreak,
She tidies the house for everyone’s sake

To the market she goes unescorted,
Wearing her jacket in vivacious red
To buy newspaper, food and goodies
To provide for all her little kiddies.

She prepares breakfast single-handedly,
While doing her chores simultaneously,
Yet any complaint can never be heard,
As if she’s flying as free as a bird

She stirs her coffee as the sun rises,
Preparing for work and not minding the stress.
She eats pan de sal dipped in coffee,
Waiting for things that would give her glee.

She watches TV and gets all emotional
When the actors turn over theatrical.
At 9:30 she watches Lotto;
After a while she plays the piano.

She shows her listeners her current mood,
As usual pianists naturally would,
But the joy she has shared with others
Is a precious gift and that’s what matters.

She gives the best of everything
Without really asking for anything,
Which is why we never want another
‘Cause no one, other than Nanay, can be any better.