Bumangon Ka

came the call to action as cities awaken from the nightmare that was their reality…Ondoy had ravaged the Philippine metropolis and brought it under water.

But this cry displays the courage to continue on when ever last sinew screams in pain and weariness…As Rudyard Kipling reminds us…that which becomes a blueprint for Human Courage…

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;

So thus came the call …echoed across the whole land… by all who witness…

Rise Up!!!

We can meet this Challenge

nay … we will meet this Challenge

face to face

Not alone –

but together as One!

“After A While” by Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn
that love doesn’t mean leaning
and company doesn’t always mean security.
And you begin to learn
that kisses aren’t contracts
and presents aren’t promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of woman, not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow’s ground is
too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn…