A collection of poetic reflections

All Too Soon

by Kristine Ashley Bombasi

For someone with so many plans,

He has shown many in a short span

And powered a lot with his noble stance;

We wished we could’ve taken a glance.

He walks the talk,

Strong and smart as a hawk;

In a group, he was the stalk

For many he was a great folk.

He was strict for he is a father,

But you know it’s for the better;

With him around as a leader,

Everything was steady like a skyscraper.

Most of them said he was workaholic,

He made changes that were drastic;

From him, we could’ve used more magic

But things have gotten tragic.

Things happened all too soon,

News popped out like a balloon;

Wish we could’ve seen you bloom like a cocoon,

But hoping you’re having a great tea up there with the moon.

To have his presence here was enough,

But the inevitable cannot be stopped;

Forever he will be loved,

We’re in hopes that you’re now in peace at the top.

I.

A long time ago, an earthquake started.

The people were restless and frightened.

Ground shaking, buildings crumbling

Oh God, hear your people begging

Save our souls! Is the end coming!?

II.

Heart shaking, pulse pounding.

Each of us stroked with despair

Not even a single flower spared

We should’ve saved all, but we had no control

so how can we be forgiven?

III.

Everything seemed submerged in rubble

Faces filled with sorrow and grief

Our fate was doing us cruelly

but where were those who shared that painful memory?

IV.

Life continued as normal, but we haven’t moved on.

As moons pass by, the ghost of that day haunted us.

Even though the tragedy ended, scars still ached

Yet once that sun grew, faces turned away from the moon.

Waiting for something gleeful to happen

V.

We found peace at the corner of our morals

like finding bougainvillea petals scattered through the air.

And as flowers spread cheerfully so do we.

Casting glimpses into the monochromatic past, but now a colored future.

VI.

The sorrow of our hearts vanished

Euphoria spread through the city

Our hands were tarnished, yet our hearts grew happily!

Let that catastrophe subside in our minds

VII.

Our hope and resilience will never fade.

Remember those we lost and those who were saved

like a rose, our thorns grew sharper.

We learned from yesterday and here after.

STANZA 1

In a quiet and quaint town down South,

People have been celebrating a festival that’s always a word of mouth.

The quiet and empty streets become busy,

The whole atmosphere is adorned in festivity.

STANZA 2

A popular festival we all know;

We always hear “Let’s enjoy the show!”

A festival near to our heart

That no one can tear apart.

STANZA 3

A gift-giving rite by the people of Lucban,

Celebrating the harvest and labor of man.

Locals and tourists commemorate this thanksgiving event;

They praise and honor San Isidro Labrador with merriment.

STANZA 4

Amidst the harvest of hues,

We stumble upon something seemingly painted on canvas.

And amidst the whispers not only giving cheery cues,

We hear shouts of the thousands saying, “Pahiyas!”

STANZA 5

A festival celebrated every 15th of May

It’s been a tradition in Lucban, they say.

Where different bands and musical instruments play,

Of course the colors would want to make you stay.

CHORUS

“PAHIYAS!” It means precious offering.

“PAHIYAS!” Let’s adorn our homes with kiping.

San Isidro Labrador, we thank you for a bountiful harvest!

San Isidro Labrador, we will always pray for what’s best!

STANZA 6

It all started centuries ago as an offering,

Then turned into the townsfolk gathering

With them shouting and thanking

San Isidro for giving his blessing.

STANZA 7

Pahiyas honors San Isidro and his generosity,

And a bountiful harvest through his guidance and ability.

Houses are adorned with fruits and vegetables with variety,

With the bright and colorful kipings as the core of the ceremony.

STANZA 8

What a joyful and colorful season in Quezon

Where the people gather for one reason –

To flaunt the fruit of one’s labor

And continue to ask for San Isidro’s fervor.

 CHORUS

“PAHIYAS!” It means precious offering.

“PAHIYAS!” Let’s adorn our homes with kiping.

San Isidro Labrador, we thank you for a bountiful harvest!

San Isidro Labrador, we will always pray for what’s best!

STANZA 9

It’s a celebration of a hearty thanksgiving

And gratefulness for such beautiful blessing!

Every decoration made is eye-catching

Kilometers of colorful kipings are mesmerizing!

STANZA 10

Pahiyas is a celebration that heaven has bestowed;

It’s a feast of color and life for our abode.

As the music and festivity fills the streets,

The Pahiyas festival is a treasure that’s up for keeps.

Verse 1

Tragedy after tragedy, another teardrop falls into place

The screams, fights, and grumble of the hungry stomachs in pain

A cacophony of deafening misery as they succumb to its embrace,

Of endless suffering and agony, where hope all ends in vain

Verse 2

Masses troubled with unsought price drop economic crisis,

In the wink of an eye, the land of sugar canes was no longer an oasis

The ship's demise mirrored the downfall of the city,

Prompting Don Juan to cause another casualty

Verse 3

With the recession of economic activity

All hope was lost, quite the tragedy

Through all these trials, they yearned to smile once more

Thus the masskara festival was born

Verse 4

Sa syudad sang Bacolod, may festival ginsilong

Usa ka pagdayeg sa kinabuhi, aron mapugngan ang daw

Sa usa ka diri madugay nga panahon, sa diin nahurot ang ila mga pananim sa asukar

Apan, indi sila ginapahinay ang ila espirito, indi sila ginapahinay

Chorus - ALL

Masskara, Masskara, a beacon of light

Masskara, Masskara, a beautiful sight

Masskara, Masskara, a joy to see

Masskara, Masskara, a festival for you and me 

Verse 5

The masks are the stars of the show

Each one unique, with its own glow

They smile and laugh and dance in the streets

A sight that's sure to make everyone's day complete

Chorus:

Masskara, Masskara, a beacon of light

Masskara, Masskara, a beautiful sight

Masskara, Masskara, a joy to see

Masskara, Masskara, a festival for you and me

Verse 6

So let's raise a cheer for the Masskara Festival

A time for fun and joy, a true spectacle

It brings the people of Bacolod together

In a bond that will last forever and ever

Chorus:

Masskara, Masskara, a beacon of light

Masskara, Masskara, a beautiful sight

Masskara, Masskara, a joy to see

Masskara, Masskara, a festival for you and me

Verse 7

The Masskara Festival is a celebration of resilience and determination

It was born in a time of hardship, but the people of Bacolod didn't let it shatter their spirit

They came together to chase away the darkness, and bring in the light

A time for joy and unity, for all to unite

Chorus:

Masskara, Masskara, a beacon of light

Masskara, Masskara, a beautiful sight

Masskara, Masskara, a joy to see

Masskara, Masskara, a festival for you and me

In a vast land, how does a narrow creek begin to flourish?

Unbelievable! Only a mere ripple is needed to nourish?

Ripples to belief! To art! To culture! To history! To fate!

How can one ever explain such a mystery? A mystery? Mystery?

One single ripple, disturbance, is all it takes to create a change,

Just a gift for her majesty. Strange. Isn't it?

There were beliefs blooming and born, 

History begins to grow roses without thorns

Swift, easy, silent (shh) movements of the current

World is made aware of a new °°festival’s descent.

You've crept into the crevices of this burning town

Eager to grasp the creation of empires of all holiness

In bosoms of which sacred weepers cracked the dawn

Kneeled to arouse the throne of an eternal embrace!

An entrancing song seeps beneath the blazing ground 

Sparks of harmony wanders the spell Almighty!

Dimension of rhythms that were beyond compared

Sounds from the mob, audible, not impaired

Intruders! You! Deceivers! Believers?!

with lies been told, heard! believed? we did not wonder

Blinded by the glitter, we no longer pondered

Then lies were told, heard and believed, but not carved for eternity

now caught by the deceit, will it deliver good to you?

when lies were told, heard and rejected, but carried by history

we're changed by teachings, moved by the beliefs

lived with the culture we have learnt

tradition from centuries worth history, celebrated, not quietly

Fragments of pasts tied together in endless borders

Your world- our world- this world, in the united, augurs

If I were to kneel behind the grace of an altar,

Am I seeking the pestle of a broken mortar?

I glance through the forest of luckless faces

What lies will fool me if I am who she chases?

Her every stride, her every step, pursued by stained glass and wine 

What kings can bribe one who refuses brilliance that shines?

Hues of jubilee brought by travelers afar

Picking up the shattered glass leaving scars

Scars from hostility, engraved into history

Back in the day when it was all misery

The pursuit is over! how would I feel?

The pain is gone, but not my hands with nerves of steel

Oh, to paint with these hands, to color the streets

Illuminating light to a nation without defeats

In the act of demonstration from a provincial Christian votary,

Perdition, to fear or a path to a sanctuary

Devoutness extensive enough to forlorn polytheistic doctrine,

And honor the child Christ instead 

Establishing the first street dance performance to tread,

Forming the distinct parade of the festivity therein

As it upholds the religious beliefs' sovereignty

Showcasing the community's cultural abundancy

And the carriage of the changing culture, So perilous, so nimble 

Can you see past it? What awaits? Are those minerals? 

A gulf! A gulf very prosperous, connecting the sea and community

Get ready for the shades of the glistening festivity

The future, the past, the thing we envisage

In the dead of night, heavenly bodies we follow to rivage

Observe! The flamboyance of the esplanade, the yields we have formed

Through unchanging devotion, all is made within reach

A single ray to disperse a reflection of a country

Gushes in the streams forming ripples abruptly

Through a creek that widens as one travels

History opens and the story unravels

Dressed in glory, a child reigns

Come! Join! Shout! Together, We'll daunt the rain

Dance, dance, and prance, to the antiquity of a feat

Stand! Take Pride! Rejoice! Follow the rhythm and the beats