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
License: (license)
Comments