UP THERE When I was a little boy, My father left me alone;* I often and often cried, Nobody answered me. So, I cried, cried and cried, Yet nobody answered me; But, only the gentle voice of an Angel, Telling me that my father was UP THERE. *Left me alone: I was five years old when my father died at a fairly young age of 34 years soon after the close of the Second World War. He left behind a young wife and seven children -- two sons and five daughters. From the eldest to the youngest they are: Olympia “Pening”, Fe “Aping”, Gloria “Loly", Oscar “Dodo”, Lydia “Balid”, Phoebe “Baby”, and Pedro, Jr. “Pedy”. A Gentle Notation: Even in the days of my single youth, I had to assume a fair share duties expected of a diligent and caring father. To a great extent, meeting the living needs of myself and of my brother and sisters, and only just or barely enough financing my and their high school and college education were heavy responsibilities that feel squarely on my shoulders. Times were exceedingly difficult. But by the grace of God, I was empowered to single-mindedly persevere in my diligent efforts to attain the goal of a brighter future for me and my silblings.
Poem composed and caricatured by: Oscar Bonotan Avila --- Carrollton, Texas, United States of America
 |
||||
