One Day Before Father's Day

ONE DAY BEFORE FATHER’S DAY I stopped by the park today Pondering One day before father’s day. In the deep corner of my mind My father’s memory opens up. Year 1905 he was born In a third world country Where the farms, the mountains, the rivers, the live stocks Were the main source of livelihood. His voice resonating in my mind today Early dawn during rainy season, a shout here and a shout there Kick everyone in the butt To the farm Planting rice is never fun! My memory brings me back to the mountains, where He brings me and my siblings during dry season. There, there’s a free-flowing stream in between the valleys We clasp our hands to serve as a cup to quench our thirst. There, we gather guava and duhat fruits, self supporting trees, Sacks and sacks of fruits we bring home at the end of the day. Eels, catfish, mudfish, clams, snails from the rivers Weird, interesting foods he brings them home, I dared not to eat! Goats, cows, chickens, pigs from the backyard Organically raised, no steroid to pump them up Naturally preserved under the sun Painstakingly stored and prepared by him to a family of thirteen! Most of all His compassion and love Were etched in my mind A shelter to a homeless couple, a land donated to a church. His vision and hopes for a better life Lives on. Terms: Duhat: purple-like berries. They are oblong and elongated in shape. Their size is about the size of an olive. The fruits have seeds inside that cannot be eaten. (spit it out when you eat the flesh) Most of the trees grow naturally in the mountains or simply in the backyards in the Philippines. Guava: a tropical fruit with seeds inside that can be eaten with its flesh. It can be greenish or yellowish in color. Some varieties are purplish in color. Guava drinks have been popular in the US market. They naturally grow in the mountains in the Philippines but they have been cultivated in Hawaii or in other countries for commercial purposes. Dry season and rainy season- In the Philippines there are only two seasons: the dry and the wet season. The dry season is sunny(summer equivalent in US) while the rainy season is wet as the name implies.