Father’s Legacy Poem by Elizabeth Padillo Olesen

He was my Pa, I used to call him.
Everyday this was the word
He would often tell me:
“Never keep your anger
beyond the setting of the sun.”

In his own Cebuano language
He would recite these words:
“Ayaw pasalupi
sa adlaw ang imong kasuko, ”
while looking at my young eyes.

To my ears as a small child
his words were soft and tender;
few words in a sentence and
never did I realize that his words
point to life’s great principle.

Never go to bed with anger,
hostility, revenge and hate;
Clean the heart from all anger
before the sun sets down
and enliven that capacity to forgive.
__________________
September 16,2015