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Best Poems Written by Joseph Sabido

Below are the all-time best Joseph Sabido poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

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The Red Babushka

Nineteen twenty-four and the wind was cold,
When men in uniform entered our town;
Forced us to leave in their boxcars,
Made us believe that it was for our own safety.

With no time to fix our things
We hurriedly got in the box.
And when everyone was in,
The doors were locked.

The place was hell
For not even a whisper of wind 
Could enter the place,
Nor could a light shine through its walls.

Our eyes were dry and lips cracked
Plead for just a single drop;
As four nights and days we travelled
Inside the cars with no food or water.

The box unimaginable in its very state,
For dung and human liquid fragranced the place.
Weak-hearted both young and old struggled to live
Even the strong wished not to survive.

And on the fourth day, the box went to a halt!
Survivors were singing songs to God;
“Please end this tormented journey,
And deliver us home safely.”
Light shone as the heavy doors were opened!
We dropped to our knees
Hoping the place was Paradise
But Paradise was it not for we were in Hell. 

Ironically, the gate held words
Like that as ‘Beware of the Dog.’
Written in frostbitten wood saying:
“ARBEIT MACHT FREI.”

My mind was puzzled upon seeing those,
How could labor set you free,
When labor here meant
Dying in force and agony.

Schnell! 
Jew, work or die!
Schnell!
Jew, never complain and lie!

Those were the words 
That became music in our ears,
As we bent our bones
Working for freedom that is bound.

Schnell!
Jew, form your lines!
Schnell!
Jew, the choosing has come!

And in this place we call Hell,
An Angel waits for preys.
Not to feed to its cherubim
But to the ovens decay.

Schnell!
Jew, old and sick!
Schnell!
Jew, to the ovens burn!

As the sun paints the sky red,
A gray smoke danced with the setting clouds,
And in the heavens, the old and sick smile
Grateful to be forever free from the Angel.

On and on, the days passed by
Not faster but years it seem.
Millions were killed by the monsters of time,
Feeding them to the hungry gas ovens.

Then one even night,
I dreamt of food, of home,
Of freedom and safety
And a voice calling me to follow.

I had no choice but to obey,
For in that moment I was already tired,
Sick and losing hope that once was mine
But seem to be forever lost. 

On the 16th of March,
I lied still in my shelf.
I slept forever smiling,
With my red babushka in hand.

But disappointed and angry was I
To share the very day of my death
To the birth of the Malach-ha-mavis:
The Angel of Death.

Details | Joseph Sabido Poem

Leave Me

wrote this one in the hospital when I was admitted because of 'aneurysm-false-alarm-
thing'.

Lying on my bed in the heart of the dark,
Listening to the croaking frogs and dogs' bark,
Lulled by the crickets and the mystic rain,
And the rumbling thunder and the flashes of pain.
Down the unknown road I fell asleep,
Knowing and hoping this pain would leave,
But all in vain I waited and wept,
The pain however never left.

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Claudia

Cracked and freckled skin wraps the frail bones of your being,
Blood of the past run though the roots of your antiquity,
Silver threads fall down like a cascading falls from your head
And knees trembling with the passing of time.
Your eyes speak of the story of a strong willed woman,
Spirited, inspired and beautifully made.
Your earth-tickled fingers and nails,
Now crooked; yet nimble and frail.
Your back, bent like the humblest bamboo,
Yet still stands like the strong kapok that conquers the storm.
Your lips now dry and gray with the passing years,
Yet the smile it painted; dries up all our tears.
Your stories of the red spot-in-white invasion and your years in Mindanao,
Brought memories bridging yesterday and now.
You are a tree, worthy of emulation,
Imperfect like everybody else in the world.
But perfection to you cannot be named;
For you are more than perfect, an old tree with flowers of gold.

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Tigress

Beauty of the wild
Savage hunters of the night
Deception, beware

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Amor

Is pure happiness
Lovers and couples unite
Language of the word.

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Querida

Temptation she is
An extra to a man's heart
Look out, it's the wife!

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Death of Christianity

Burned edge of faith
Forgotten cross and prayers
Mere shadow of God?

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Phoenix

Plumes of red and gold
And bird's tears milllions were healed
Hail to the great bird.

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Cynthia

Moon goddess she is
Chase and wild hunt she enjoys
Bow down, here she comes.

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Happy Father's Day, Tay

You were there when we needed you most,
You lead the way when we're almost lost,
You gave us strength in everything we undertake,
You forgave us everytime we make mistakes,
You tried to understand us eventhough it's hard,
Not only a Father but a friend and a helping hand.
You worked hard to provide for our needs,
A million 'thank you's' could never equal what you did.
And so, for your day we offer you this,
A poem, a message and a wish of bliss.