“DEAR CARILLON” #atozchallenge2014

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!!!

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