A familiar figure in white “polo barong”
stood proudly on top of the stairs
he barely sees, as the sun shone brightly
Nobody knows what’s going on inside
his mind, but gallantly endures
the pain that he feels excruciatingly
Once more, he undergoes the same agony,
as if a ritual that goes on endlessly.
Will he again do this successfully?
With will power and determination
he descends the stairs bravely
But quite obviously, this is his last struggle,
as even he has to succumb eventually
Life with its beauty and serenity
has to end, albeit a sad reality
Farewell to you our friend, thank you,
you showed us how to withstand
adversity gently and with dignity
Your memory will linger forever . . .
(This poem is dedicated to Abraham M. Malli, the Philippine labor attaché in Jeddah, who died on July 5 at the age of 61, of illness. He was buried in Makkah the next day. The author is a consular assistant who attends to OFWs in jails and police stations and writes poems in his free time).