Like the Molave

ni R. Zulueta da Costa



Not yet, Rizal, not yet. Sleep not in peace;
There are a thousand waters to be spanned;
There are a thousand mountains to be crossed;
There are a thousand crosses to be borne,
Our shoulders are not strong; our sinews are
Grown flaccid with dependence, smug with ease
Under another's wing.

Rest not in peace;
Not yet, Rizal, not yet. The land has need
Of young blood and, what younger than your own,
Forever spilled in the great name of freedom,
Forever oblate on the altar of
The free?

Not you alone, Rizal

O souls
And spirits of the martyred brave, arise!
Arise and scour the land! Shed once again
Your willing blood! Infuse the vibrant red
Into our thin, anemic veins; until
We pick up your Promethean tools and, strong,
Out of the depthless matrix of your faith
In us, and on the silent cliffs of freedom,
We carve for all the time your marmoreal dream!
Until your people, seeing, are become
Like the molave, firm, resilient, staunch,
Rising on the hillside unafraid,
Strong in its own fibre; yes, like the molave!

We, the Filipinos of today, are soft,
easy going, parasitic, frivolous
Inconstant, indolent, inefficient.
Would you have me sugarcoat you?
I would be happier to shower praise upon
my countrymen... but let us be realists...
let us strip ourselves...
Youth of the land, you are a bitter pill to swallow.
This is a testament of youth borne on the four pacific winds;
This is a parable of seed four ways sown in stone;
This is a chip not only on the President's shoulder,
The nation of our fathers shivers with long longing expectation
Shall we, sons and daughters, brother youths of the land,
Walk up now and forever knock the flirting chip off?
Or will the nation of our fathers be forever and forever
Lighting candles in the wind?

They say the molave is extinct,
But they are blind or will not see.
Stand on the span of any river, and lo!
Relentlessly to and fro, cross and recross, molave!

Yes, molave strides roads into the darkest core!
Yes, molave builds seven thousand bridges in blood!

Bagumbayan planted the final seed.
Balintawak nurtured the primal green

Molave, uprooted and choked, will not succumb.
Molave presses on and will not be detained.

Let Spain speak.
Let American speak.



Copyright © 2011 by J. Estoque
All Rights Reserved

Comments

Anonymous said…
Nice

Popular Posts

Disclaimer

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by “Poetika at Literatura” and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.

Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of “Poetika at Literatura”. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.

Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, “Poetika at Literatura” takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.


J.M. Benavidez Estoque "Poetika at Literatura"
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2009 - 2021