Tatay Poem by Efren Petalver Carranza

[To my Father, I Love You]

Under the heat of the sun or heavy rain,
I watched you plow and toil the ground,
That seems to me like it was yesterday,
Of those years we have nothing but agony;

With eight children, from twenty to five,
A widower at forty-five, you kept us alive,
But your dreams and high hopes you didn’t meet,
When the eldest began to separate;

For once in your life, it didn’t cross in your mind,
Until your youngest ones left you one by one,
And supported you with nothing but their outrage,
When you married someone, too young for your age;

But I learned to let go of my selfishness, my anger,
And admitted the fact that you’ve now grown older,
You need more help as you walk slower and slower,
While I am too far away to be with you any longer;

Yet, no matter how far the distance between you and me,
It is your love that I’ve always kept in mind,
So whenever you may be when your time will come,
Bring my love with you and forgive me for all that I’ve done.