Unearthing my native words

Kay Gat Andres Bonifacio

mula sa isang Hudas



At kung magkikita tayo

balang araw

sasabihin mong

ako’y taksil

dahil lumaki ako

sa wika at lahi

ng mga dayuhan

at hindi man lang ako

lumaban.

Nilulon ko

pati ang pagbigkas

ng bawat

salita,

pati pagsuot

ng damit,

pati

pagsulat.

Nilulon, minahal,

inangkin.

Sinusugatan kita,

kadugo ko,

kapatid.

Turuan mo akong

masaktan,

magalit.

Gisingin mo

ako.


This poem won 3rd place in the Pandaylipi, Ink. and NCCA sponsored contest on Gat Andres Bonifacio back in 1996 or 1997(Prize was P2000 at the time). I felt like such a fraud because I usually don’t write in Filipino. But I’m glad I tried my hand at it and succeeded at writing a poem worth publishing. Anyway, a recent e-mail correspondence with a Peaks (a group of local poets) moderator allowed me to resurrect this poem. A language that is not sustained with literature will die. Here's to all our Filipino writers who continue to write in their native language.