A Many Splendored Life
Elementary Days
Enrolled in an Elementary School
Took writing, reading, and music
Pictures are posted on a wooden wall
Watched the baton: that's the music trick,
It's fun to be small, agile, and smart
In Boy Scouting, you are at the top
Pyramid building is where you start
To excel that no one can stop.
High School Years
Looming ahead is the high school years
You find yourself taking the P.M.T.
For discipline and to erase the fears
But lessons learned will forever stay.
Catholic school: freshman to junior
Senior: Ateneo all-boys school
And last night high school at this juncture
Another step in life to endure.
College Education
Med-Tech was poised to be in Manila
But circumstance altered the plan
Took drafting instead at Zamboanga
School of Arts and Trades was near at hand.
Then work for a Captain's persuasion
To maneuver the Pilot's tugboat
So foreign ships anchored by the ocean
Be given a berth at Zamboanga's port.
From the ocean to Bukidnon's heartland
Nestled a College far from the highway
A meatless diet and discipline are grand
Work, study, and temptation held sway.
Adventist baptism in a river
Announcing salvation to the barrio
But realized this was hard to adhere
And what I learned changed the scenario.
Back home a parish priest came to visit
To offer a Seminary study
Pending on the Bishop to submit
The transcript to the Seminary.
Of the three, two pursued on the offer
With two days of stay at Dumaguete
Hope Bishop Surban may help and muster
Graces and mercy to let me be.
And the ship was docked at Manila's port
Two Jesuit priests welcome us on their Jeep
But my Seminary days were so short
Those lessons learned were for me to keep.
Despite the good offer from the school
Of a Vatican scholarship
But there's a writing on the wall
And indeed this is a strong relief.
To Sweet Home via Cotabato
First class by M/V Filipinas
Compliments of just a passing through
In finite life's many arenas.
Back to the greenfield where air is fresh;
Rare, strong connection is everywhere
And life and beauty are in the flesh
Yet Love matters: Home of lasting care.
