Ayaw Pagpudla an Tuog / Don't Cut the Tuog

Poetry by | September 4, 2011

Ayaw
Pagpudla an Tuog
Didto sa ligid san bingalog
Kay punod san tuna nga naaanas
Tikang sa bukid, balay san tutulihaw
Nga pirme nahapon sa Halawihaw,
Tigaman san giutan san
Katakip nga tuna.
Ayaw
Pagpasipara
Pagpulod
San
Tuog
Dida sa
Igbaw
San sapa.
Kay tugon
Ni.Apoy
Nga iton
Atamanon
Sugad san iya saad
San naistar nga diri sugad sa aton.


Don’t
Cut the Tuog
Along the stream trench
For it stops soil from eroding
From the mountain, home of the tutulihaw
That always perches on the Halawihaw,
Marker of the border
Of the neighboring lot.
Don’t
Ever try
To cut
The Tuog
Rooted
By the
Creek.
Grandpa
Told us
To take
Care of it
The same way he promised
Its unseen dweller.


Phil Harold  L. Mercurio is a faculty member at the Northwest Samar State University (NwSSU) in Calbayog City and an NCLA Coordinator for Eastern Visayas. 

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