Papa's Post: State Of The Nation '79*

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All things dark and booty-full
       All "miracles" great and small
All things rank and plunder-full
       This "New Society" has them all!

A formal Constitution
       Approved by show of hands;
By voters and non-voters
       In parks and grandstands!

 An Interim Assembly
       With ready-made excuse—
It can legislate in freedom
       On tolerated views!

 Neither democratic
       Nor parliamentary;
Neither coming nor going
       From "crises" to normalcy!

 Running the Administration
       Are casuals high and low;
The test of tenure being
       Are you Marcos' friend or foe?

 A Comelec foreknowledge
       Making canvassing passé—
The Poll Returns completed
       Before election day!

 The President, the Premier
       An Envoy Plenipotentiary
A Minister, A Governor
       All in one family!

 The mass manipulation
       Of barangay and youth brigades
In rites of necromancy
       As "Sir's" most loyal aides!

 Decreed a day of "thanksgiving"
       Is September Twenty-One
The advent of martial power
       The power of the gun!

 The feats of engineering
       The pyramids of steel
And millions disappearing
       In many a highway deal!

 Patented privateering
       From light to steel and stones
And ghosts participating
       In "Mas-ang-gana" loans!

 There's progress, peace and plenty
       "And life is better, safer;
"For all there's equal justice!"
       All these, of course, on paper.

 The solemn proclamation
       Was "to reform society!"
Behold! the New Corruption
       To rank satiety!

 -II-

 Woe unto us, the people
       Our leaders and our priests
Who confine our witnessing
       To alms and religious feasts;

 And asking "who's my neighbor?"
       To imprisoned and persecuted
By love of self and comfort
       Blinded, deafened, muted;

 To dehumanizing tortures
       For "State Security"
To murder of unborn children
       Committed with impunity!

 Insensible to injustice
       Mouthing the "Party Line"
We spurn God-given birthrights
       As pearls upon the swine!

 Our present and our future
       Willed only by one man
Like Jews of old, the subjects
       Of Pharaoh at Malacañan!

 So it is, that God's
       Continuing creation
Must be man's handiwork
       'Tis we, must build our nation!

 Shall we be slaves forever?
       Bereft of heart and will
To make oppression bitter
       Our deliverance, fulfill?

 Kailan pa? O bayang magiting
       Ang mang-aapi, itatakwil?
Kailan pa? Sa manlulupig
       'Di na pasisiil?











*Phil. Collegian, Oct. 9, 1979;
Naga Times, Sept, 1979
       
       












photo credit: The Couple via photopin (license)
License: (license)

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