Ang Dalawang Uri ng Problema

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Problema ng iba’y kung anong ihahalo

Sa isang kilong karne

Samantalang ang iba…hapon na subalit

Hindi man lang nakainom ng kape.

Problema ng iba’y kung saan kakain

Sa Jollibee ba o MacDo

Samantalang ang iba…hanggang tanghod

ang magagawa’t laway ay tumutulo.

Problema ng iba’y ‘di bago ang celfon

Nahihiya sa mga kaibigan

Samantalang ang iba…isang pares na tsinelas

Ay naituturing nang isang karangyaan.

Problema ng iba’y saan magbabakasyon

Sa Hongkong ba o Amerika

Samantalang ang iba…malaking problema na

Ang baon at pamasahe patungo sa opisina.

Problema ng iba’y luma na raw ang kotse

Dapat palitan, at nakakahiya

Samantalang ang iba…wala man lang sapatos

Na magagamit sa pagpasok sa eskwela.

Problema ng iba’y wala daw laptop o tablet

Kailangan daw sa school nila

Nguni’t ang iba …ballpen man lang at papel

Pati notebook ay punit, ni textbook ay wala.

Bakit hindi muna tumingin ang iba sa paligid -

Silang nagsasabing kapos daw sa pera?

Bulag ba sila o manhid…walang pakiramdam?

O talagang sagad sa buto ang pagkaganid nila!

Ang Tsinelas

…sapin sa paa

By Apolinario B Villalobos

Maraming klase nito, saan man, ating nakikita

Kung mahal dahil imported, suot ito ng may kaya

Nguni’t kung goma, gawa sa Pinas, ito’y pandukha

Kaya sa katagalan, natanim sa ating isip ‘tong paniwala.

Pansapin sa paa, pang-proteksiyon ito wika nga

Kaya sa paggamit nito, bigay ay talagang ginhawa

Sa pagbago ng panahon, gamit para dito ay iba-iba na

Maliban sa balat, merong goma, tela at meron ding abaka.

Para sa mga kapos, kayaman ito kung ituring nila

Pag-iipunan pa ng matagal dahil sa konti nilang kita

Kaya kung nagkaroon na nito, ang kanilang ginagawa

Nililinis na mabuti, halos itabi sa kanila sa oras ng pahinga.

Para sa nakakariwasa sa buhay, tsinelas ay balewala

Subali’t para sa mga poor,  katumbas nito ay ginhawa

Para sa mga poor na mga bata, okey na ito pang-eskwela

Lalo na kung ang lalakarin sa pagpasok ay kung ilang milya.

Para sa mayaman, ang tsinelas ay may gamit din pala

Pero dapat ay yong klaseng mamahalin, ‘di basta-basta

Dahil ito pala ang dapat ay suot-suot upang madispley nila

Mga makukulay nilang kuko sa paa na inayos ng manikurista!

By Apolinario Villalobos

Better are those born of a simple family

            For later, they shall not wallow in sinful luxury.

Better are those who grew up on simple gruel

            For later, they shall not despise a meatless meal.

Better are those who grow clothed in simple trappings

            For later, they shall not be desirous of worldly things.

Better are those whose wants are simple

            For later, they shall not unnecessarily crave for more.

Better are those who earn by dints of hard work and honesty

            For later, they are assured of unquestionable integrity.

Better are those who are not exposed to the frivolous city life

            For later, they will not be swayed by even just a simple strife.

Better are those who pray to God with private sincerity

            For theirs is a voice, pure and not tinted with hypocrisy.

Better are those who give with honest intention

            For they do not expect anything in return.

Better are the couples who don’t flaunt their love for each other

            For they know that they need not be ostentatious, if they are sincere.

Better are those who readily admit their faults and failure

            For they know that doing so, lessons are learned for the future.

Better are those whose love for God is not defined by cults or religions

            For they know that God’s infinity is boundless as shown by his creations. 

Better are those whose love to others is unconditional

            For they know that they can only be just as such –

            Giving enough of what they have, and not so much.

                       

Cellphone: Man’s New Electronic Master

By Apolinario Villalobos

Unconsciously, man has enslaved himself to his own invention – the cellphone and its “siblings”, the ipad, ipod, telpad, etc. that keep on popping in the market, sporting new looks but still with almost similar attributes. So as not to make this ridiculous and glaring fact so obvious, the reason given for such so close an attachment, to put it lightly, is necessity. Or, is it?

The manufacturers in connivance with programmers have practically hooked the users to this gadget so that they never ran out of models in a span of a few months after the “latest” ones have hit the market, during which those issued earlier have virtually become outdated. The manufacturers have banked on the requirements of buyers with fashion statement to satisfy, and who compete with each other for the first ownership of the latest models with limited editions. Some manufacturers even go to the extent of coming out with weird designs to make their creations unique.

The young use the gadget to put forward their fashion statement, so manufacturers come up with different colors and shapes of housing. The vain use it as a status symbol, so manufacturers come up with expensive models, although, their attributes are not much different from the old ones. And, the overall winners in this show-offness among consumers are of course, the manufacturers!

It could be true that the cellphone has become a convenient tool, especially, when it has also got camera, voice recorder, music player, radio, calendar, calculator, international clock, flashlight, games, etc. And, with those attributes, man has indeed, justified the gadget’s necessity. But anything taken in excess means abuse, and anything abused is no longer nice. Food for instance, is a necessity but its abuse results to disease, and so does medicine which if abused could be fatal.

How about the ears on which are plugged the cellphone at least 14 hours a day? What will happen to the fingers that tick the keypad regularly within the same length of time? What about the brains that accumulates radiation at least 8 hours a day? And, most especially, what about the time wasted in useless chats and texting?

Before it’s too late, we should think twice before totally enslaving ourselves to this contraption which seems to be already in control of some people’s senses.

Fast Car

By Louie John M. Salda

Scarlet-red rays of sunlight in the late afternoon,

driving the long concrete highway alone.

As I look around the sides of that long and twining road,

I remember the memories of the past that have been withered and died.

Not looking at the speed, I am indeed driving a fast car,

minding only myself, driving like crazy, I’m reckless, I don’t care.

As I go meter by meter, tears fall down from my eyes,

I don’t know why it’s happening to me, until I find myself lost in space.

I ignore every momentum of silence,

continuously driving until I reach that certain place.

But it seems that destiny would not take me there,

Unless, I would lost sight of that place and reflect before getting there.

I stop, I went out of the car and gaze into the night,

Feeling the cold breeze and holding my hands so tight.

I stare and look at the stars that shine so bright,

Feels like I’m one of them that gives others light.

What a wonderful way to realize that the memories of the past had helped me,

In ways that sometimes my mortal heart and mind failed to conceive.

It is indeed me, someone who keeps on battling the roads of life,

Me as the real me who never ceases to appreciate and welcomes challenges that brought by this so called life.

Like a fast car, I was not able to appreciate life before,

For I think it’s easy and for I have everything I asked for.

Suddenly destiny took its flight,

And life itself had taught me lessons and reasons to fight.

Thinking of my life before that defines the meaning of sadness and melancholy,

I felt like giving up, but with faith and trust to myself,

 I fully understand the true meaning of bliss and harmony.

It is the true meaning  of life! Life,,, life,,, life,,,

I say hello now to the new me!

And now I will greet new mornings with confidence,

with good disposition, with brighter outlook and complacency.

It was indeed a long drive inside my car,

And I already reach that place from afar.

I promise not to drive that fast,

for its more relevant to be calm and steadfast.

Someday I will be in the place,

living in prosperity and peace.

I will now drive my way home with glee,

And I thank God for everything he gave me.