2005: The Last Days
ni Mila D. Aguilar
a.k.a. Clarita Roja
I.
Kagabi, may mga nagpaputok
Labintador lang naman
Pero ipinagtaka ko,
Dahil wala yata sa panahon.
Pagkalabas ko kinaumagahan
Naintindihan ko kung bakit.
Walang katao-tao sa daan.
Nagsisiksikan ang mga bus
Sa dalawang gilid ng EDSA,
Naghihintay ng mga pasaherong
Di dumarating.
Hawan ang kabilang parte
Ng nakatiwangwang na daan.
Sarado ang mga mall.
Alam na nilang ngayong araw
Walang magbibilihan,
Dahil sa mga linggong
Nakaraan, di rin karamihan
Ang nagpuntahan
Upang mamili, o magparaya man.
Masahol pa sa Biyernes Santo
Ang mga panahong ito.
Pasko na, Gloria, o!
Anong ginawa mo sa bayan ko?
II.
“What is real?
Asked the rabbit one day….”
Only my hair having been loved off,
My dear.* Otherwise,
What is real in a world
Manufactured by liars
In high places?
What is truth?
Are there more jobs?
Are the exports rising?
Are the investors investing?
Is the peso really rebounding?
Were there ever WMDs in Iraq?
The people know, but do not move,
As if they were waiting
For the stones to fall
Until not one is left on another.
The people know:
He will come on a cloud
But before that
One is already here
Who will claim to be Him,
He and she being it.
What is Truth?
Will you be able to stand firm
In the face of it?
Will you be able to stand before
The Son of Man, escaping
All that is about to happen,
Not a hair of your head perishing
As others are taken prisoners
To all the nations?**
What is truth
In the age of deception?
III.
Ngayong araw,
Panay pa rin ang paputok
Ng mga iskwater
Sa tabi-tabi.
Ibang klase silang
Magpaputok ngayon.
Di tulad ng dati,
Na masaya.
Ngayong taon,
May kahalong galit
Ang mga putok,
Para bagang sinasabing
Ito na lamang ang aming
Pagpaparausan
Tutal binigyan niyo kami
Ng kahirapan.
Walang ikababahala:
Labintador lang naman.
Ewan ko lang sa susunod na taon
Kung ano pa ang kayang makaon.
December 25, 2005
7:00 – 9:00 pm
* The question and answer are derived from Margery Williams’ poem entitled “What is Real?”
** This stanza and the two preceding it use the words of Luke 21, New International Version, almost exactly in some parts.
