 |
| PHOTO taken from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 2, 2010. Caption reads "A GIRL looks at the charred remains of her house, one of at least 50 which were razed when a fire hit Agham Road in Quezon City." Photo taken by Raffy Lerma. |
As I was reading an issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer dated September 2, 2010, a photo from the Metro section caught my attention. The photo had a girl standing under what was left of the door frame. She stared further to the horizon, subdued and forlorn. In front of her was the carcass of what looked like the wooden beams of a room, or probably another house. Remains of burnt slippers scattered along with some clothes and ashes. I doubt she will be able to hug the stuff toy that looked as if it was tipped over in surrender. I wondered what it was in the horizon that she was staring at. Whatever it was, she will have to carry it along with her dreams.
This picture reminded me of a poem I wrote two years ago. The inspiration happened in Malibay, September 12. We attended a christening, and the day was deplete of sunlight. Thick smoke rose at least 10 blocks away. I did not ponder at the disaster because the day was reserved for celebrating a child's entry into Christianity. It was only when we passed by the neighborhood four hours later when I was able to survey the extent of the fire. Pails were left on the streets. Neighbors tried to console themselves about certain things they might be able to scour. Firefighters complained how hard it was to negotiate their fire engines through the cramped streets. A mother and her daughter sat at the sidewalk. They stared further to the horizon, the same way the little girl on the picture did.
I added lots of liberties in the poem, trying to make a picture of a scene that might have happened while the fire razed and that no camera was able to take.
Malibay, September 12
The day a lit cigar consumed their house
the sky was purple and heavy with clouds.
The pails were flying. The water was wasted.
The fire engine was two miles away and stuck in traffic.
Her mother held on to some salvaged photos.
Her father was drinking somewhere with the neighbors.
She tried to burst what the others cannot hold back
as their memories danced away with the embers.
And finally, someone began to pray
and wished everything would still be well.
The wind grew colder, and the thunder threatened,
but that day the rain did not fell.
