"Famished"

Hear me, I beg you
My insides growls
Synonymous to a tiger
Angry and afraid

Sleeping is my brandy
Yawning is my peanuts
The more I dream
The more I feel full and contented

Still, lips are cracked
Like a wood
Weathered by the drips of rain
And excruciating heat of the sun

The bed is my rice
The blanket is my hot soup
Cooked by the hours of waiting
Waiting to be lifted by your grace

And yet I still feel
Less and Unheard
Thumbing every bead
For an aid that may not come

I need to act
I need to survive
Survival is a luxury
Purchase me one, please?

I can count the days no more
For what is the use of counting?
When every day is a blessing
And a curse at the same time

Hear me, Hear me
A hero or a villain may take heed
Every day a shelter might be taken away
The time ticks like a time bomb

Tick-Tack, Tick-Tack
Is that a sound of a grand father clock?
Nay, it's someone's tummy
Who dreams he's in a barrio fiesta

Flesh is weak, yet the Soul is strong
Friends of the north and the south
The West of plenty and the east of drought
Clasp your hands and kneel with I

-Ccigaux Adona

"Dasal-Dasalan"

Tinatawag ang ngalan mo
'Pag kailangan ko ng ganito, nito at ito
Ibinibigay kusa ang kahilingan
Lalo na sa panahong pinanghihinaan

Sa mga oras na kami'y busog na
Sinasadiyang 'di ka na marinig at makita
Ang bilis naming makalimot
Samantalang kahapon lamang kami'y nakaluhod

Naubos na naman ang grasiya
Tatawag na naman ulit kami sa'yo
Hihiling muli at aabuso
Bubulong, magdadasal, magrorosariyo

At dumating na nga ang araw na ika'y bingi na
Halos walang pakialam at nakamasid lamang
Leksiyon ang bigay mo't ito'y pagdusahan
Nauumay ka rin po pala't kami'y pinagsawaan

Kailan ba ako matututo?
Sinasamba kita sa pagkalam ng tiyan
Kailan nga ba kami natuto?
Mga anak mo nga kami't dapat parusahan

Bukas tatawagin uli't ang ngalan mo
Ngunit hindi na para sa ginto
Sa pagkalam ng sikmura ko
Mabubusog lamang sa kapatawaran mo

-ccigaux adona

Sensei

Definitely, you have atleast three favorite teachers in your little gradeschool/highschool list. It's as if having one is a requirement in life. In order for a certain teacher to be your favorite, personal standards are in the strictest implementation. Hmm... like for example, this certain teacher must be the one who recognizes your potential of giving you fair grades in the end of an academic year. Or atelast someone who recognizes you as a potential drug dealer after ten years... and then helping the most of themselves, for you not to become of them.

But how many of you who had given the chance to meet some certain teachers who did not make it to the final list of your "favorites"?

I was lucky I met and talked to her yesterday.

She's my grade three teacher which handles our class as her advisory. After a few years she went teaching in a more prestigous school for boys. And after a few more years, she decided to be in a more higher calling, that is, to serve her "kabarangays". She served as a Barangay Captain for atleast a decade and went on to have a stable government work inside The House Of Representatives.

She, my kuya and I went to a mall to assist her on buying surplus personal computer. While in a store, kuya went to other side of it and purchased a keyboard. This was my oppurtunity to chit-chat to her for awhile.

I asked if she missed teaching. And she said yes. She spoke of her past as if it was two days ago. Her face was a total depiction of a Filipino who served its people and due to the disgusting political system of the country, she grew tired. Yes, tired and hopeless. Here was a person who would want to make a difference and yet as the age ripened, the focus of the mind was now, more in personal welfare. She seemed open about the idea of living abroad now. But she said it with a crooked smile and felt a lump to her throat when she tried to swallow.


Our little yet very crucial and life-essential talk ended with a quote from herself as a teacher, a mother, a public servent and a wife...

"Nakapasok ako at naranasan ang buhay pulitika ng bansa. Masasabi ko na talagang madumi. Pero kahit madumi, may mga maliliit na tulad ko na gustong linisin ang sistema. O makapag bigay inspirasiyon sa kakaunting tulad namin na makapag buklod, at tularan ang malinis naming pamamaraan sa serbisyo-publiko. At the end of the day, nasa tao pa rin talaga at wala sa sistema ang problema."

She sounded really hopeless regarding the political issues here and there. Hopeless yet she wants me, still, to be hopeful. I guess she saw in me that I have the potential to be a Drug Lord or a corrupt official someday, but she also saw in me the great attempts and goals in choosing to be in the good side.

She was just my teacher back in third grade. A sensei who collected every life's teachings, lessons and experiences, summed up into one chunk of chocolate bar, to give it to her student after a decade.

She was my teacher back in third grade. And she wasn't on the list of favorites.
However, it's never been too late to make a new one. :)