IN FLIGHT (Poem 43)

Erle Frayne Argonza y Delago

Dwindling verdant environs sadden me.
Will I in flight be rest assured
That tempestuous over-exploitation shall spare
The last remaining flora of endeared Mother Earth?

Our dream of finally containing
The mad urges to fell woods and ravage flora
Is fading like flickering flames of a candle.
‘Twas refurbished as part
Of the bizarre landscape of obscurantism
That has been deviously superimposed
Upon the benign canvass of civility.

O! Green leaves and all the myriad
Colorful flowers in your company
You are all starry jewels before my eyes!
My heart is filled with enjoyment
Over your untarnished affection.
Do you not long for one like me
Who’s almost trapped forever in the cages
Of mortal man’s edifices?

O! Dearest plants, you who make me sober,
Give me solace in times of torment
Add vitality to my being,
Deserve the undying care of all mankind
Even as you kept your pledge to Mother Earth
That you shall nourish all creatures alike.


[Writ. 24 Sept. 1987, Univ. of the Philippines, Quezon City, M.Manila.]