We were among those hundred innocent feet
wheeling through the clouds of dusts. So close
that someone shouted to stop the angry phalanx
from advancing the gates. We were young bloods then.
Brave as a collective force ululating vignettes
about homeless families, starving peasants,
weak indigents, landless tribes,
friends of disappeared and the exiled.
We stand like a hundred innocent moths
circling fearlessly around the flame. Ready
to extinguish our fates for one day of glory.
The cups ready to be filled with the bitter
after-taste of seeking the truth on the matter
of state. Of politics. Of international affairs.
We stomp them shamelessly beneath our sandals.
We ripped them off from our tattered jeans.
We print them on the plainness of black shirts.
That justice of the land is not blind and should prevail.
We debated doctrines. We fight about logic.
We push our pens. We clasp our fists.
We join the caravan. We live our days
marching vigorous in the streets chanting
the aged texts on mass struggles by the red book.
Burning effigies. Donning the placards.
We abhor dictatorship. We hated imperialism.
Like waterbombs spouting heavily against our faces.
Like the many teargases hurled against our defences.
We bled when the police beat us out of the line.
Isolated when we are thrown into prison cells.
Humiliated when subjected into torture chambers.
Discriminated when hunted down in the mountains.
We rise and made each part of our bodies as weapons.
Our mouths without strained voices.
Our eyes without biases.
Our ears without prejudice.
Our fists without cowardice.
Our hearts without fear.
This is our revolution against the world order.
And the phoenix will rise again and again
among the many moths that have died.
Resurrected and will never be silenced.
Solitude Amidst the Maddening Crowd
A poem fueled by a sense of pride and vigour and powered by incredible imagery. Beautiful.
hi bluesander,
welcome to my poetry page. thank you for your wonderful comment. i hope you enjoy reading most of my poems 🙂 godspeed.
Hello, hames.
I’m always impressed by your rich vocabulary and ability to express grand images… !!!
hiro
dear hiro,
i am so happy to see you once more. thank you for the generous praise for this poem. i will visit you more in the coming days to read your poems 🙂
rak en rol. ikaw na nga yan marvin. asteeg na panulaan to
dear olek bro,
thank you very much for the nice comment 🙂
Oh, how did you ever get the vision for the moths? That is genius in this piece, Hames. With all I see on the news, today, this is so contemporary!
dear leslie,
this poem is in the tradition of my similar poem “a moth in the flame” which i have written, many years back. i personify the moth as the young activist who is full-bloodied in its pursuit for equality and freedom. some of them, have died long ago, as they fiercely approach the flame of consistency and wisdom, they are murdered and killed by their enemies. i have great respect for those who are continually fighting for a good cause such as this. thank you leslie and i equally appreciate your continued readership of my poems.
I have my own share of radical-idealistic moment, when somewhere within, screams a strong “want” for reform – that profound “need” to make it known – I spoke with so much angst then, and so were my writings.
And then I grow up and reality slaps me on the face repeatedly. I mellowed with age. My idealism was transformed to realism. I had my time, and I don’t regret my radical-idealistic moments for in my own little way, somehow those days, I made a statement and stirred some minds that changed or made an impact to some string of thoughts that created new paths to inspire new breed of youngbloods in their time.
In reality, Big change doesn’t really happen in just one big move, but rather happens from the series of moves – big and small – shared by ordinary people that mold the minds of a certain generation, of an era that we took part from the past, take part at present and in the future. We don’t need to die to make that change, we don’t necessarily need to bring our angst in the streets, we don’t need to be heroes to take part in the change. We can be ordinary people – the way we are – to give our little share.
For what do you think are we doing leaving our country to make life better for our families – ain’t that enough proof how reality and age transfromed our way of reform?
I wish you well.
~ Jeques
dear jeques,
first of all, i commend you for the insightful comment you have here, it speaks wisdom from the learned. it is nice to know that you have your share of those radical-idealistic days, as you call it, and i guess all of us can be considered an activitist in our own little way. i guess, that is the phenomenon of being young and inquisitive, where hunger for knowledge and seeker of truth in things are evident.
though i have written this poem in its thematic form and interspersed with my brief personal experience as a student activist, i guess i just wanted to reminisce that part of my younger days. like you, i have accepted that things would stay that way because some of the age-old struggles are deeply ingrained in our social, political and cultural tapestry. i have learned to retain some idealistic values as i have tried not to succumb completely to complacency and status quo.
the world order is constantly evolving. the way of living is changing. and activism has changed its face adapting to the 21st century bandwagon. there are a lot of them that has sprouted becoming common; animal rights advocacy, environmental protection advocacy, gender equality movement, feminist movement, press freedom advocacy, media activism, socio-political activism etc.
you are right, that death should not be part of that compromise, however, in the course of heated clashes and exchanges of opinion, some are resorting to harrasment and worse, killings, as a means of silencing the critics and the springing of mass uprisings. i believe, that conflicts arise due to non-resolution of issues which has been rooted from the problems of the past. it will eventually come to the bursting point where extremely dissatisfied people use a force, may it be physically or actively protest in the streets or expressly write them in a readable media, perhaps passively.
i share your views that in our own little way as ordinary people, we can collectively share to the evolving change that slowly make their way to the system. and as an immigrant or overseas worker, we have a found a way, maybe it be through transfer of gained/learned skills abroad; or self-sufficiency and not being completely dependent on government; and a realization that reform doesn’t end with our country alone, it should be able to transform our life, a paradigm shift liberating our country from the clutches of poverty and ignorance. change should start from each of us.
thanks for your continued readership of my poems and i find these poetic exchanges artistically stimulating. all the best to you 🙂