Droplet Poem by Richmon Rey Jundis

The cold wind carried me away
To the green leaves of the fertile Mount Makiling,
Flowing through branches, falling to the ground.
I mingled with the damp earth,
And became one with the gentle streams
Descending into the brook,
Until, in time, I was one with the rushing river.

It is frightening to be swept away by the current of life,
Unsure of where I am heading
While questioning the meaning of my existence.

I am but a droplet of water,
At risk of vanishing,
At risk of dissolving
Under the heat of judgmental eyes
And the noise of loud tongues.

I do not want to lose my unique identity
In a world that seems to be merging into one meaning.

Can I not be a drop of water that sparkles?
Can I not be a drop of water different
From those that simply follow the river's flow?

But I must accept
That at the end of the current is the sea,
With a single saltiness, united by one vast expanse.

The end is not an end,
But an embrace of a greater meaning.
I will no longer be just a drop,
But part of the vast ocean,
Boundless and never divided.

Yet if I were to return to the clouds
and becomes a droplet among the rains again,
I would still choose to be myself,
Different from every drop,
With my own radiance and purity.