- Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Robbery
By Justine C. Tajonera
We got robbed in April,
after a wonderful meal
in a restaurant in Tagaytay*.
I felt a cold shock
emanating from
my gut,
thinking of possessions,
things,
broken glass,
the violation
of my privacy.
They took away
my purse
with no money
but with irreplaceable
photos of
my mother.
In one blow
my identity floats
in limbo:
government issued
cards, ATM cards,
credit cards,
all gone.
After the initial
fear subsides,
I see that they
have not taken
anything
important.
I have nothing
but my arms
to hold
my son,
my hands
to comfort
my husband.
My heart continues
to beat,
my soul
has sloughed off
the trappings
of the life
before this
loss.
The rest are all
illusions.
(Sept. 19, 2009)
*A city in South Luzon, Philippines
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