LOL!!! To those who have seen this and don’t understand what I’m saying in this poem, my apologies. I had scheduled this as today’s “U” challenge for the A-to-Z Challenge and promptly forgot about the draft! Had the full intention to write something about it but obviously,…I’ve been a bit behind schedule for the challenge as I am supposed to be posting my “R” writeup. This came out because I scheduled it when I was planning for post themes.
I was thinking about UNIVERSITY. You see, in the Philippines, March and April are graduation months. I graduated April 24 from college and, if I’m not mistaken, on the same date from high school. Had wanted to post on the 24th but couldn’t think of a related “S” word. My full intention was to write about several tips for new graduates, you know, what to expect, but I guess that will have to wait till another day.
Meanwhile, this poem was written some years ago as a kind of joke, I think, back in circa 2008 or 2009. The University had its centennial year and I thought this would be a funny way to celebrate it my way.
Carillon is actually the title of the newsletter the Uni sends its alumni (come to think of it, I haven’t been receiving any for years already). In it, you read about the school’s achievements, successful alumni (read: business people, politicians, award-winners, inventors, the likes), board top-notchers, news about this and that group from here or abroad donating tons of moolah to the university…You know, things that most alumni like me are generally not a part of.
Well, that’s life. And I guess that’s what I wanted to impart to new graduates, what is Ideal vs. Reality in the adult world. You may graduate from a school like UP but what happens next is totally up to you.
As said, that specific post will have to wait. For now, I share this poem to you. Translation below. Forgive the quality of the translation. I don’t really consider that one as a poem.
Karapatang-Ari © J.Gi Federizo
“DEAR CARILLON”
Sometimes
when I read you,
I wish to be
in your pages.
But I don’t know
how to do this,
when I’ll be famous
or if I’ll ever be.
I am not rich.
I am not a doctor.
I am not a lawyer
nor a senator.
Not a professor
nor even title-holder,
no awards for me,
not even a board topnotcher.
I have no money
to donate to you.
Of prestigious groups,
not even a member.
I don’t want to go abroad
and add to brain-drain.
Staying here already
has my brain drained.
No reason whatsoever
to update my records.
Nothing new at all
and I’m still single.
And there are many other things
to be more concerned about
like clothes, house
medicine and food.
Ooh, Carillon,
my dear Carillon!
When will I ever
be in your pages?
Only one possibility
I do know:
To finally be
in the obituary…
Copyright © J.Gi Federizo
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Hope you enjoyed that one and sorry that this post kept coming out while I was editing. BTW,,,,
CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES OF 2014!!!
This post is a part of the…
The End Justifies the Journey 