How do I describe the man who just died?
His family were by his side
When he breathed his last
His widow wailed and his orphans cried
His relatives prayed and his friends grieved
His young grandchild was outside playing all the while
His neighbors streamed in
Through the kitchen door they came
The womenfolk swept the yard
And found where the pots and pans were kept
The neighborhood barber gave him a bath
A shave and clipped his nose hairs
The menfolk gathered bamboo poles and put up tents
The man who lived at the edge of the barrio
Donated firewood to boil coffee and cook food
The village chief gave a sack full of rice
His young grandchild was outside playing all the while
Phones rang and his relatives said
“Wait for us please. We’ll be there soon to see Nobling”
For six days and nights the house filled
Mourners spilled out into the streets
Both the boisterous and the infirm
Came to pay their last respects
To the man who just died
Many strangers arrived to offer prayers
They have heard of the man who served them well
The village’s gay person adorned his coffin with flowers
While the drunkard remained sober.
Outside his young grandchild kept playing
It seemed the entire town came
When we buried the man who died
The church singer sang his favorite tune
While his younger brother gave him a salute
His young grandchild kept looking around
Wondering why everyone was crying
And when will his grandfather wake up
From his long sleep
-- Quezon City / 23 February 2007 / 4:21 pm
