Ang Guryon

I came in the church and found the teachers in search for a poem to present during the school's Linggo ng Wika. As I sat down on one of the chairs at the round table and was thinking of what poem to suggest, I was reminded of Pahina, an local educational show which discussed Filipino literary classics through the point of view of a teenager.

Probably the only episode I could remember was when Balt (Carlo Aquino) was running for vice president of the student council and was up against a classmate who whacked up gimmicks but had really no concrete platforms. As Balt was accepting his defeat, he was given a copy of the poem Ang Guryon.

Ang Guryon was written by Ildefenso Santos, a writer of the American colonial period. Santos saw the kite as an image of weakness against the strong breeze, stating that life may knock us down and hit us hard but this should not stop us from pursuing our dreams and seeing ourselves fly.

"Ang Guryon"

ni Ildefonso Santos

Tanggapin mo, anak, itong munting guryon

na yari sa patpat at papel de Hapon;

magandang laruang pula, puti, asul,

na may pangalan mong sa gitna naroon.

Ang hiling ko lamang, bago paliparin

ang guryon mong ito ay pakatimbangin;

ang solo't paulo'y sukating magaling

nang hindi mag-ikit o kaya'y magkiling.

Saka pag sumimoy ang hangin , ilabas

at sa papawiri'y bayaang lumipad;

datapwa't ang pisi'y tibayan mo, anak,

at baka lagutin ng hanging malakas.

Ibigin mo't hindi, balang araw ikaw

ay mapapabuyong makipagdagitan;

makipaglaban ka, subali't tandaan

na ang nagwawagi'y ang pusong marangal.

At kung ang guryon mo'y sakaling madaig,

matangay ng iba o kaya'y mapatid;

kung saka-sakaling di na mapabalik,

maawaing kamay nawa ang magkamit!

Ang buhay ay guryon: marupok, malikot,

dagiti't dumagit, saanman sumuot...

O, paliparin mo't ihalik sa Diyos,

 bago pa tuluyang sa lupa'y sumubsob.

The Difference

by Grace Naessens

I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish, I didn't have time to pray.

Problems just tumbled about me and grew heavier with each task;
Why doesn't God help me, I wondered; He answered, "You didn't ask."

I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn't show me - He said, "But you didn't seek."

I tried to come into God's presence; I used all my keys at the lock;
God gently and lovingly chided, "My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.