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Mark Escobar Poem
What reminds me always of my own identity
being born in the Philippines, a poor nation;
faith and history that nurture my thinking,
their colossal meaning shows how I am doing.
Perhaps an upbringing in my own family culture
can add a vital implication in my behavior
yes, it’s pretty evident as I keep going
with my own certainty in language articulation.
Our constant struggles, miseries and beliefs
provide a perspective that comes with faith;
it’s a way to get plunged into the mainstream
that life in the Philippines has shaped my whole being.
Major hurdles as reflected in various situations,
the core truth of being subject to wrestle with life,
along with the fullness of time and the so-called ‘leb’
a challenge, indeed; the incarnation of my interior sense.
It is an awareness that poverty in most parts of the country
makes me realize that something has to be done so far,
it’s a person’s longing to achieve that goal of going elsewhere
like in the States, UK, Australia, Hong Kong or Malaysia.
That quest for greener pastures and other human aspirations
employment takes the centerpiece as a redeeming treasure;
like a “chiaroscuro” in the haven of human acquisition
where hope begets hope and where faith begets faith.
Well, seeing the reality of my own people’s struggles
I cannot help but be responsive to what they long for;;
a call from within drawn across the cry of the poor,
my own people, my sibling souls in the right direction.
I’ve developed that attitude of love and compassion
especially to those who’re eclipsed by epic proportion
in their search for peace, justice and Christian thought
with their roots plunged into the depth where we are.
Copyright © Mark Escobar | Year Posted 2012
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Mark Escobar Poem
She’s rolled up with patience
dedication and faith in the Lord;
her strictness punctuated a shared vision
that focused on learning acquisition.
Her punctuality, precision, and determination
to teach her pupils with discipline and right focusing;
as a rule of thumb she always obeyed
made the essence of what music means to all.
Rain or shine she’s there in her cubicle
waiting for her pupils scheduled to take their lessons;
those Hanon exercises, arpeggios, and other finger articulations
would lead off in concentration or warm-up in every lesson.
Perhaps she’s a scarecrow to some who hadn’t known her;
but she’d a listening heart described as a story line;
with depth and assurance that no one is denied,
along with other slow learners who coped with perseverance.
Truly, her endless word to slow down in every measure,
her technique that entailed so much discipline and correction
through memory lane I still remember a constant repetition;
her affinity for perfection that requires discipline and proportion.
She’s a teacher keenly aware of her pupils’ emotions,
her generosity explained either in time or learning a score;
as a sign and meaning to pedagogical association
with thriving efforts to play the music with technique and precision.
She’s held in the affectionate memory of her pupils,
their collective thoughts about her fittingly honored her
a woman like her with a horizon of meaning to everyone
a true Filipino educator with a glowing torch in her soul
and her music sustained my vocation to go on.
Its magical link to depth and soul of human expression,
its beauty and inspiration that kept me to deepen my own calling;
to make piano sing in the balance of emotion, technique and celebration
a way to experience Him with wonders and beauty – limitless world.
Maraming salamat , Maestra Marina M Diokno!
I really missed you; I really treasured whatever you taught me;
your strong affinity for virtuousity, allegato and sostenuto,
indeed, a memory lane suffused with gratitude and threads of appreciation.
Copyright © Mark Escobar | Year Posted 2012
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Mark Escobar Poem
As a Christian hope,
Beatitudes, the Magna Carta of faith;
teach us so many things,
that make us united to believe
and have trust in God's ways.
They show us like a mirror,
a reflection of what we share,
in a true and meaningful behavior
to human understanding.
There's a labyrinthine cycle
that focuses on Divine fulfillment.
to walk with God;
to look beyond the surface
of what life reveals.
As a challenge, a commitment,
God's love never ends
especially for the poor
with whom Christ identifies,
His love and compassion.
Having faith in Him,
and being part of His circle
His body, the Church.
One becomes holy and saint
in the language we profess.
Be happy attitude -
that's how it goes;
Remembering what lies ahead
a future filled with hope;
the beatitudes . . .
God's constant promises to keep.
Copyright © Mark Escobar | Year Posted 2012
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Mark Escobar Poem
Despite the climate challenge with traffic congestion on the road,
there’s still a driving urge to go out and celebrate the Eucharist;
it’s a great deal of commitment to God who’s the source of life,
his language connotes an embodiment of love for our salvation.
Braving the difficulties in coping with the details of missionary life,
such as culture, language, climate, food and many others in foreign lands;
our faith gets tested, our humility gets challenged, and our identity revealed
and these comprise the foundation of being a missionary to other people.
In places where we learned to love the people of different cultures,
the need to adopt, acculturate, and realign to the mysteries of being a migrant,
continues to witness the movements and other signs of the times;
a world replete with endless search drawn from different human experiences.
It’s pretty common as a pervading theme across the passages in the bible;
the word migration that has a powerful connotation and rich in literature,
oh, as the holy scriptures say: “you shall not oppress an alien; you well know
how it feels to be an alien, since you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.”
The advent of a wide range of issues about the struggles in today’s migration,
with varying reactions characterized by principles, ethnic and religious devotion;
a certain perspective is formed according to Christian beliefs and aspirations
that migrants no matter who they are, deserve respect and societal insertion.
Lured by the promise of work and better opportunities that await somewhere,
people across the globe try their luck and take the risk to cross the land,
it’s viewed with deeper reflections like those of mostly Catholic Irish who came by,
their large influx in this country of America during the height of potato blight.
True to form, this parallels the new waves of Hispanic immigration
along with Asians, Africans, and other migrant groups with their history and cultures
truly, it’s a cycle that brings out the commonality of human quest and ambition;
with assimilation and determination to maintain and improve their life situations.
Copyright © Mark Escobar | Year Posted 2012
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Mark Escobar Poem
As the church celebrates your feast day
known as the Immaculate Conception,
we're grateful for your intercession,
to be part of your Son's redemption.
Preserved from original sin,
a grace and privilege you've attained.
You're the new Eve, our Blessed Mother,
who'll define us through your apparitions.
Your litany of titles draws us closer
to many situations of our sanctification.
Faced with the trials and tribulations,
we call upon you and be our intercessor.
Hail to thee, dear Mother Mary!
with our prayers and sons we raise to thee
be a reflection of our great love for thee
as we venerate thee in our community.
As the prophecy unfolds in the Genesis
"I will put enmity between you and the woman,
between your offspring and hers.
He will strike at your head while you will strike at his heel (Gen 3:15).
Dear Immaculate Conception, our mother!
being deeply involved in your devotion,
we pledge ourselves to be shared and broken to others
like the gift of the Eucharist, our life and sacrament.
Copyright © Mark Escobar | Year Posted 2012
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Mark Escobar Poem
I guess it’s not easy at first
to experience adjustment
when one gets uprooted
like in any other country.
I first learned the language,
immersed in life experiences;
with cultural differences,
I came along to blend.
With my own companions
living together at home
that through prayers
I was able to deal with them.
Certainly, I miss my loved ones
in times that I’d be alone
like in my bed at night
where I’d utter ‘far away.’
Yet the grace of strength
to cope with homesickness
made me keep going
made me keep in the game.
Though leagues and latitudes
may be the distance from us
but the thought, the heart
enabled me to transcend them.
Because of love and affection,
I was able to make sacrifice;
it’s the meaning I wanted
to emerge in the horizon.
Though we’re far away,
I could see beyond so far,
those mem’ries of yesteryears –
a treasure-trove to understand.
I’d always say no matter what,
it’s still my love to sacrifice
for your sake oh my God!
the source of all my love.
So far away, it doesn’t matter,
as long as there’s love within
this would shape the future
a portrait of our revelation.
Copyright © Mark Escobar | Year Posted 2012
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Mark Escobar Poem
Being mindful of my own roots as a Filipino,
with episodes of successes and failures,
with mirror images of my own culture,
show a sliver of commonality with others
as raised in accordance with Catholic religion.
Beauty in the heart remains a focal point
a criterion that captures a specific connection;
to the highest level – God with people of all nations,
an ongoing conversation between faith and culture.
But with the emerging trend in our civilization,
heroes for youth, sports figures or popular icons
are role models for them with a great deal of competition,
yet, opportunities to strive better and be achievers of honor.
Understanding the mystery of life through faith and trust
in God, whose source of love and compassion never ends;
A lodestar in my way, source of hope and spiritual joy.
King Solomon’s teaching enables me to recall
that some of our greatest actions come only -
because we fall and this makes us grow,
connect with Him and face what life brings.
As we used to say in Philosophy:
«nemo dat quod non haber»
indeed, a challenge that, for me, should be lived
along with enthusiasm and commitment to life.
The world in its movement greets every traveler,
with different salutations meant to inspire him
that in spite of a decadent age or conflicting moral answers,
God’s presence never fails to make us aligned to His own will.
It’s with an attitude of optimism that I hangs on to Him
because He is the way, the truth, the life, and everything,
His authorship and genuineness to any need in life’s quest;
He’s my great spiritual achievement, a future for my calling.
Copyright © Mark Escobar | Year Posted 2012
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Mark Escobar Poem
It could be noticed in media networks
either on television or newspapers,
how some writers document issues
with scores of errors or buthered grammar.
A literature in a hurry, a scripted discourse,
it’s what many demonstrate clearly
both in written and oral communication;
a powerful medium with a sense of liberation.
A ubiquitous voice, everywhere in this land,
its tapestry gets stronger in its own groove;
like those commentators or byliners,
able to articulate their own opinions.
But certain things in different settings
how those people speak with humor
at times make blunders wafting across
the growing audience and readers.
They say a picture is worth 1,000 words,
that exemplifies a reality in action;
as an instruction from the Lord
this Hebrew word from Zechariah’s book -
Dabru emet : speak the truth.
Copyright © Mark Escobar | Year Posted 2012
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Mark Escobar Poem
We have a beautiful liturgy
so dramatic and impressive
that one may be glued to it,
be involved and participate.
It presents a new movement,
along with its recurring theme,
a celebration of life and promises
that God, our Savior, makes us one.
He teaches us to serve others,
He teaches us to give humble service
He makes us aware that we’re followers
of his preaching to love one another.
It’s an act of self-giving to love others
as depicted in foot washing at the last Supper
where it happens on Maundy Thursday
as he institutes the Holy Eucharist
as well as the sacrament of priesthood.
It’s so rich with images and symbols
especially in our attitude of serving people
these are reminders that we’ve a role,
a mission to fulfill, a faith to proclaim.
In my own country where there’s poverty,
corruption, injustice, and inequality;
it’s a chance to incarnate in reality
what the gospel teaches us to do.
Though some hurdles may hinder
to move freely and be with the poor
yet the love of God for these people
is our priority, the preferential option.
Copyright © Mark Escobar | Year Posted 2012
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Mark Escobar Poem
A kind of cultural sensitivity,
that strengthens discovery; a space
for identity and history.
It’s a style of thought,
chosen to highlight its core;
A lengthy discourse that
acts and synthesizes.
Significant efforts that deal
with elements of change.
It’s a trend to implicitness
that evolves on the Asian heartland.
Discoveries and re-discoveries
about Asianness or Orientalism,
its nature and institutional sense
has its roots to share; a wealth of faith.
Features of the colonial past
reflect the emergence and growth
of that conventional wisdom;
At the same time, a reaction –
to sensitivty and understanding.
It’s an important element to draw
and carry out integration anew;
with other cultures or global forces
in developing nations; a relationship
a blend of strength, a sharing of gifts.
Asia seeks and grapples
with a great deal of systems;
In a world market swamped
with Eurocentric mindsets, a challenge-
a reinforcement that has its semantic shield,
that defends otherness and people with differences.
Copyright © Mark Escobar | Year Posted 2012
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