-I-
The Charge: "It's the Light Brigade!"
"Cannon to the right of them
Cannon to the left of them
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered."
Students to the left of M
Strikers to the right of M
Pressmen in front of M
Volleyed and thundered,
That Marcos had blundered
And pressure groups plundered
On contraband cargoes
Despite the embargoes
Of President Marcos.
Manglapus to the left of M
Ninoy to the right of M
LPs in front of M
Volleyed and thundered
Of M's "hocus pocus"
Of Officer Corpus
Of notorious Jabidah
And "the plans of Imelda";
And beleaguered was Marcos.
But, exposing Meralco's
Exemptions, he vowed
He'll no longer be cowed
By these titans who plundered
And the country pondered
As the Lopezes thundered
And the NPs were sundered.
"Savior of womanhood",
Fernandez, then stood---
"FM's but one
And much must be done
We must close our ranks
We should all give thanks
This rift between Lopez
And FM's 'da bes' "!
Praises from the right of M
Praises from the left of M
Praises from the front of M
Volleyed and thundered
That the people wondered---
How many were phonies?
And how 'bout the cronies?
Their doubts raise a cloud---
What was it he vowed?
The LPs still thunder
The NPs still ponder
The people still blunder
The titans still plunder.
*Phil. Free Press, March 20, 1971
(Apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson)
-II-
Who's The Richest of Them All?
ABRACADABRA crystal ball
Who's the richest of them all?
Quoth my magic crystal ball
"F is richer now than all."
Please specify the name
You mean by "F"; they're both the same---
Fernando, Ferdie, Fred. O please
I beg you, set my heart at ease.
Laughs the magic crystal ball---
"C is mightiest of all."
Nuts! Then say what you forsee
This coming 1973
Who'll be the Palace occupants
Since "Meldy gets what Meldy wants?"
Whispers magic crystal ball---
"The Palace will belong to all."
Will there be revolution then?
Who will lead it? How? And When?
The CSMrs, are they "in?"
Or the LPs? Who will win?
Grimly says the crystal ball---
"Revolution---losers all."
But how about the Philippines
(C's own among the Philistines")
Are we better red than dead?"
Says the serious crystal ball---
"Neither red nor dead for all."
Cursed double-talking ball
The craziest crystal of them all
I shatter you upon the floor
Where you will fool me nevermore!
Sighs the magic crystal ball
From out the pieces on the floor---
"F" is richer now than all
Revolution---losers all
The Palace still belongs to all
Neither red nor dead for all
For "C" is the mightiest of all!
And I shall answer nevermore
(Apologies to Snow White and The Raven)
-----------"C" for Christ
-III-
All Things Booty-Full
All things dark and booty-full
All rackets great and small
All things rank and plunder-full
The Oligarchs made them all.
Each Swiss account that's opened
Each white-washed expose
The price manipulations
And dollars salted away;
That massive overspending
The calamity money gone
The "floating" devaluation
They conjured them every one.
The compromises granted
Cronies X and Y and Z.
They talk in terms of millions!
They are the Oligarchy.
Governmental overpricing
From flags to steel and stones
The hidden tax-exemptions
The uncollected loans;
The riotous confrontations
With presidential guards
The strikes and demonstrations
And now, the credit cards;
The "accidental" burning
Of dossiers in the night
And witnesses who vanish
By gold or armalite.
But, this desperate situation
"Is the creation of fault-finders"
The panic-vending "naggers
And perpetual whiners."
There's hope! The Oligarchs' oppression
This reign of greed will stop---
We'll have a "re-structuring"
A revolution from the top!"
For we have eyes to see them
And lips that we might tell
How great is Marcos II!
He'll lead The Revolution! Well,
Well, well, well!
(Apologies to Cecil Francis Alexander)
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