Monday, March 30, 2015

A Dirge of the Pasig River

"Mother, let me die, there's no more sense of living, for I do not belong to humans anymore, I swear; I'm no longer a part of creation, I'm but a stranger... "

Dr Abe V Rotor


Living with Nature - School on Blog
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday
Death of an estero (tributary), the result of unabated pollution and siltation
Pasig River, Pasay City MM. Photo by Mary Kathleen Manalastas

I am dying, Mother, my mother whose womb was
     as virgin as the day I was born a rivulet to stream, 
estero to a tributary that feeds the mighty sea,
     as virgin as the Paradise of Milton's dream.


Mother, let me die - or let me sleep then forever,
     for neither can I flow out to sea nor keep in the sun;

let me die with garbage and silently sink in the murk,

     with foul gases, on thickening sludge, silt and sand.


I hear no songs anymore, Abelardo is long dead;
     I see no living garlands, not a bird building nest
among lilies and floating kiapo, among the nilad,
     pride of a race, woven into mats for lovely rest. 



Ahoy there! Two children are staring at my water 
      but they can't see what is inside me, I am as black,

as a dark night, but oh, how my heart longs for them!

     I have lost all things good - even as a mirror I lack.


Mother, let me die, there's no more sense of living,
     for I do not belong to humans anymore, I swear;
I'm no longer a part of creation, I'm but a stranger;
     but my mother doesn't answer;
     my mother doesn't answer.~ 

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Good evening sir. We are education students and we would just like to ask you if, by any chance you knew the author of a poem titled "Dirge of a Pasig River?" We have seen from your blog about the said poem yet couldn't find any information bout the author. Its for our report that we need to include the background/­biography of the author. And we are hoping that we can possibly get an information from people who posted some literary works. We hope to hear a response from you .Thank you and God bless.