My memory tells
about your happy school days
as seen in your smile
I heard recently
you bought a dress for your mom
with your own money
I saw you lately
at the center of the crowd
beside the right lane
An old man asked
'He is your student, isn't he? '
I could not answer
You went to Sog-ong
last night in a barayle*
it was fiesta** there
Our eyes were not there
to see the knife reach your lungs
and mar your future
Your friends could not serve
as a thick metallic shield
to face the sharp blade
All that they could do
was to carry your body
home by the hammock
Goodbye, my student
whose life was taken swiftly
like a lost bubble
* Barayle is a local term for 'night party'
** Fiesta is a tradition in the Philippines where people celebrate a feast in honor of a saint
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
A fantastic poem with a tragic end. a really great write.