Filipino Roots
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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