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when dreams are not worth-dreaming for...

The Filipino Talents

Dear Dimasalang, pacific cradle

  Of illustrious and brilliant people.

In your rich garden of bliss and beauty,

  Everyone can feel pure tranquility.

Memories of you will never depart

  Oh pristine haven you'll stay in my heart!

Amidst the triumph and jubilation

  You certainly serve my inspiration

Stars and moon above, that glitter your sky

  Declare your splendor with a joyful cry

Angels protect you from evil and harm

  Bestow your settlers with goodness and charm

Lustrous paradise, homeland of the greats

  To you I'll offer all my greatest deeds

Always praise and thank, deeply glorify

  Our dear Creator, Holy God on High!

Never be afraid, Heaven is your guide

  Love humility, take away your pride

Go and reach your dream, town that I adore

  Dear Dimasalang, shine forevermore!

I made this poem on ..May 15, 2000.. to convey my gratitude to my brother, Andro, who was a scholar at that time in ....Cyprus.... for his profession (Maritime Transportation).  After his studies and trainings, he served as an apprentice for international ship navigation.  During those times, I and my sister, Claire, were in college, and our two younger brothers; Brian was in high school, and Seth, the youngest was in elementary.  Kuya together with Ate (a nurse) supported our parents (both teachers with meager income) for our schooling.  Since I really had nothing to offer for my dear brother's sacrifice, I composed a poem for him.  Currently, He is a professional officer in-charge, and it is not impossible that someday; Kuya will become a ship captain. 

....

I genuinely appreciate my beloved parents, my Ate and Kuya, and also my other three siblings for their efforts to make us proud to belong in our family.  Claire now is a licensed pharmacist in the ....Philippines.... and is presently preparing for her licensure in the ....United States of America.....  Brian is trainee in an architectural firm and Seth is a graduating Information Technology student.  Lastly, because of God's blessing, I became a registered Physical Therapist in the ....Philippines.... and in ....Maryland & Illinois...., ....USA.....

I can still reminisce when we were young

We have shared eminent laughter and fun

The quarrels and the wars were gone

They'd been memories under the sun

Mama's enchanting lullabies and hymns

And Papa's tales of noble knights and kings

Whispering voices and great joy, they bring

Perhaps, only remind us every spring

Now that you've gone far and miles away

Please don't forget our yesterday

The crazy games we used to play

For in my pure heart they would stay

So, my dear brother, listen to this

It is your presence we truly miss

And if I'd be given an invaluable wish

It's to become a child again to feel the bliss

Amidst the roaring storms and tide

Don't be afraid, face it with pride

Lift up your head and never hide

For Jesus is there at your side

..

..Whether it's a bright lightning sparkling

Or a very loud thunder resounding

Don't be bothered, continue praying

God is so good; he keeps on watching.

For if you cry our tears will flow

And when you're glad our soul will glow

We will be there to let you know

How much we really love you so

....

For your sad defeat is ours too

And your success is ours; also.

If you fall, we'll receive the blow

My Virgin Heart's Love Contemplation

By: satjr. of dimasalang

I am afraid of love; I am hesitant to love now and tomorrow,

Because, sometimes love goes hand in hand with pain, sacrifice, suffering and sorrow.

It is highly deceptive, paradoxically life - encouraging,

However, in other times death - advocating.

Frequently it offers fallacious ecstasy,

Ambiguous, obfuscated emotions, leading to misery.

It clouds the wisdom of the sage and steals the spirit of the prudent,

Weakens the body of the strong and hardens the heart of the benevolent.

It changes the avaricious to being generous and transforms the charitable to being greedy,

Compels the poor to become wealthy and drives the affluent to become needy.

I borrow the concept of Aristotelian virtues as variable of life influenced by love greatly,

I scrutinize and realize that loves venom diminishes the courage of the brave, or makes him foolhardy.

To the temperate, it affects licentiousness or insensibility,

To the liberal, causes prodigality or illiberality,

To the magnificent, urges meanness or vulgarity,

To the magnanimous, induces inferiority or vanity,

To the determined surprisingly pushes depression,

But in other moments, it thrusts illusion.

It inculcates impassivity or irascibility to the gentlest,

And bestows depreciation or boastfulness to the honest,

It promotes boorishness or buffoonery to the witty,

Evokes quarrelsomeness or obsequiousness to the friendly.

To the modest, it develops bashfulness or shamelessness,

And most of all, to righteous indignation, brings envy or maliciousness.

Generally, love snatches the moderation of these virtues, replaces them with vices of deficiency or excess.

From all of these, therefore, I meticulously deduce, oftentimes in love there is really no justice,

And to majority of its zealots it is obviously unfair,

Some celebrate while others weep, some embrace laughter while others feel despair.

Love blinds the eyes so clear,

And deafens the astute ears.

It turns the eloquent tongue into dumb,

And converts the sensitive skin into numb.

Alas!  The worst of all stupefies clever consciousness,

And suddenly engulfs it into a tunnel of wilderness.

Love is an exquisite flower with obnoxious odor,

A marvelous rainbow governed by tragic color.

It is a fresh spring that seems to quench the thirst,

Yet when you start to drink it, a sweet poison will burst,

Resembles road that waves hope to a desolate wanderer,

Nevertheless, as he explores it, a cliff of maelstrom will appear.

At first youre in paradise dancing with the fairies,

Later, youre in Hades, mourning, full of worries.

However, I am human and love is part of life,

I have to pass this struggle without the aid of knife.

I must submit my purest soul someday to someone else;

I should prepare my sassy heart to clanging sound of bells.

The Bible says, if I've not loved, it profits me nothing,

Indeed, my confused pristine heart should seek loves true meaning,

But who will be my savior to extinguish my fears?

The one who can assure Ill not shed lonely tears?

Is there a mortal who can teach me that genuine love is kind?

If yes, then shackles of my virgin heart will begin to unbind.

Will she be my source of fortitude to face loves ups and downs?

Make me a king because of love and place on my head a crown?

Zealously, I cast my wish to meet someone along the way,

A perfect gift form heaven who will make my blue heart gay.

I also pray for vigor to outlive the tests of love,

To pacify the rapid beating of my queer hearts unsullied throb.

The tempest and the turmoil, may I triumphantly sustain,

My dignity and honor, may I victoriously maintain.

I want my dreadful judgment of love to fade away,

Replace with optimism of love in splendid way.

But still, love must only be the slave and I must be the master,

My willpower should surpass love; I should be the controller.

Although I know there are some falls and failures will sprout,

Yet I will fight to survive these until the light comes out.

I will be bold to accept love no matter how difficult it is,

I will endure tribulations so that I finally find the bliss.

Lastly, I beg Almighty God to grant me real serenity,

So that, I can enjoy pure love from now until eternity.

KRUS!!!

By: satjr. of Dimasalang

Sa tunga san kaduluman adi ako nagabakho,

Naga-agrangay, nagasiyak sa kasakit na dako.

Wara ako sin kaupod kundi sadiri na anino,

Wara man lang sin kabayaw sa kabug-at na pas-an ko.

An akon kamutangan isad na makalulu-oy,

Gintalikdan san mundo bagan tikamatay na kahoy.

Sa huna san kadamuan ako gayud uripon,

Wara kuno sin kantidad an akon kaugalingon.

An mata ko naghubag na sa wan udong na pag-tangis,.

An dughan ko nagpi-ot na kag baga na an nagnipis.

An kalag ko tikalupad na gayud sa panganoron,

Kay pagti-os na baktut-baktot, bagan di na kakayahon.

Nano ba kay may pag-ugtas didi sa aton kinab-an?

Di ba gayud mahimo na pirmi lang kalipayan?

Nano ba kay may luha tungod sa mga kapait?

Di ba pwede na puro lang paghiyom sa mga kanamit?

Nano ba kay mas damo sin tunok ini na buhay,

Kontra sa mga paglumpat sa kasadya kag kalipay?

Nano ba kay mas labaw an limba-ongon na agihan,

Kontra sa mahayahay kag trangkilo na dalan?

Nahangog na an utak ko san paniguron kaiisip,

Sani na mga bagay-bagay na sigen sinudip-sudip.

Nano man ba kay sugad sani?  Nano man ba kay sugad sana?

Nano kay dili pwede ini?  Nano kay dili pwede ina?

Sa kahidaluman sanin kontemplasyon,

Bumunok an uran, humarok sa akon.

Gin-anod ako sa lam-aw san kamunduan,

Nagpongak-pongak tawon kay waran matagalan.

Aduy!, an katugnaw dulot na sa akon bukog,

Kairo!, wara man lang sa tungod kon makakup-kop.

 Nagkapa-kapa ako kag hapit na gayud malumos,

Kaya lang wa man sin makabulig sa akon tulos.

Apiki na gayud ako sa baba san kamalasan,

Nagahulat, naganga-nga tutunlon san kamatayan.

Aw nano man kay may tawo ako na nadumduman!,

Makabulig, makahatag sa akon sin kaligtasan.

Pumawa an kalibutan kag nakita ko Siya,

Ginhuyutan an kamot ko na maluya-luya na.

Ginkugos Niya ako kag gingakos sin maaayo,

Pinahidan an luha kag hinapuhap an bayhon ko.

Matam-is na nagtawa, humarok sa akon agtang,

Ginsabihan Niya ako na di ta ikaw papabay-an!

Adi Ako nagabantay sadto, yana, kag hasta na lang,

Idada-op an palad Ko san-o mo man kinahanglan.

Dili Ako magabag-o kay ungod an pagkamu-ot,

Abrihi lang an puso mo kag Ako magasulod.

Kaya ngani binaton Ko an pagpapako sa krus,

Kay gusto Ko kamo tanan sa kasal-an matubos.

An puso Ko nagalaad an kalu-oy sa iyo tanan,

Dili gayud mapaparong, wara inin kahumanan.

Sa Iya mga surmaton an isip ko na-abrihan,

Nabaton ko na an tanan didi sa duta may dahilan.

An pagpas-an gali san krus isad na paagi lang,

Na an pagtuod sumarig kag magbungan kaayuhan.

Amo ininn makabulong san tanan na kasakitan,

Nagagiya sa maliputok na porma san kalipayan.

20 ‘cans of success’

*from ‘gentle breeze’ of Nelly Favis-Villafuerte of Manila Bulletin (adapted from “victory over darkness” of Dr. Neil Anderson)

1. Why should I say I can’t when the Bible says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength? (Philippians 4:13)

2. Whys should I lack when I know that God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus? (Philippians 4:19)

3. Why should I fear when the Bible says God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind? (2 Timothy 1:7)

4. Why should I lack faith to fulfill my calling knowing that God has allotted to me a measure of faith? (Romans 12:3)

5. Why should I be weak when the Bible says that the Lord is the strength of my life and that I will display strength and take action because I know God? (Psalm 27:1, Daniel 11:32)

6. Why should I allow Satan supremacy over my life when He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world? (1 John 4:4)

7. Why should I accept defeat when the Bible says that God always leads me in triumph? (2 Corinthians 2:14)

8. Why should I lack wisdom when Christ became wisdom to me from God and God gives wisdom to me generously when I ask Him for it? (1 Corinthians 1:30, James 1:5)

9. Why should I be depressed when I can recall minding God’s having kindness, compassion, and faithfulness and having hope? (Lamentations 3:21-230)

10. Why should I worry and fret when I can cast all my anxiety on Christ who cares for me? (1 Peter 5:7)

11. Why should I ever be in bondage knowing that there is liberty where the Spirit of the Lord is? (Galatians 5:1)

12. Why should I feel condemned when the Bible says I am in Christ? (Romans 8:1)

13. Why should I feel alone when Jesus said He is with me always and He will never leave me or forsake me? (Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5)

14. Why should I feel accursed or that I am the victim of bad luck when the Bible says that Christ redeemed me from the curse of the law that I might receive His spirit? (Galatians 3:13-14)

15. Why should I be discontented when, like Paul, can learn to be content in all m circumstances? (Philippians 4:11)

16. Why should I feel worthless when Christ became sin on my behalf that I might become the righteousness of God in Him? (2 Corinthians 5:21)

17. Why should I have a persecution complex knowing that nobody can be against me when God is for me? (Romans 8:3)

18. Why should I be confused when God is the author of peace and He gives me knowledge through His indwelling Spirit? (1 Corinthians 14:13, 2:12)

19. Why should I feel like a failure when I am a conqueror in all things through Christ? (Romans 8:37)

20. Why should I let the pressures of life bother me when I can take courage knowing that Jesus has overcome the world and its tribulations? (John 16:33)