TO THE YOUTH
By Maria Lourdes Sereno
June 12, 2021
I see a river whose waters lead to the city of God
They say it makes glad this city
Beloved of God, men and women
Who for some reason, some sad unfortunate reason
Forgot He who loved them first
These are the brave ones
Asking questions of beloved Pilipinas
Saan na tayo patungo?
Meron pa bang bukas
Kung sadlak sa hirap at dahas?
And yet they ask, for in their hearts
Hope springs
Not for them the sarcasm of the smart
Nor the tricks of the flattering tongue
But the sting of antiseptic truth
Hurt they must, in asking
Yet they will not flinch
For they must know what lies ahead
What went before
All these dread things
So gingerly they dip a toe or two
Not knowing whether this river
Tis of the mighty Jordan or some other
Generic raging waters that sweep away
Men, memories and time
But these brave youth
Will not flinch for theirs is the future
Tis what they feel, tis what their heart tells them
To own, not hide from
Whatever truth brings
Then plunge they a calf, half a calf
Till all their nakedness is plunged
Into the river Jordan
Pain, ache, cold, shivers, wound
Washed away, washed away
Till what remains is the unseen
The life that counts for worth, that lasts
Not in the I, but in the we
Not in shame or guilt but in love
Washing over everything that seems wrong
The river is glad for it is made of blood
Of the purest form
Shed to make whole what was broken
To pick up shards of broken dreams
And create new prisms of light and beauty
It shouts forth joy and in its depth is peace
This river of boundless love
Offering once again itself
To make all life renewed
In Inang Pilipinas
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