Skip to main content

Credit good but we need crash

ALAHOY! Alahoy! Narito na naman
Ang Sisong Kantanod ay ating binuhay
Taludtod ay uyam at kagat ng guyam
Igkas na bibigkas ng katagang punyal.

Maiksi ang kumot—dapat mamaluktot.
Sawikain nating hindi sinusundot…
Nakup, nagkamali… hindi nasusunod
Kaya kalagayan: nagkahindut-hindot!

Baka raw umabot sa one trillion dollars
Itong gagastusin upang makaiwas
Sa tuluyang meltdown of the banking system
Nitong sumambulat iyang Lehman Brothers…

So plunk down good monies to chase those that went bad
Upang manumbalik ang tikas at tatag
Pati kabuhayan muling mamayagpag
Kaya pakanang Bush dapat daw ilatag.

Pero teka muna… nakakapagduda
Itong ilalargang planong salbabida.
Dagdag na pabigat—uutang pa pala
Dambuhalang utang lalong aalagwa!

Indeed, a little leak can sink a giant ship
Kapag lumubog na’y kayhirap masagip
Sa banging malalim naman ibubulid
Those U.S. taxpayers, sila ang sasabit.

Tonto at Loan Ranger itong Amerika
Ay, utang na nila, doon nabihasa
Kaya nang bumagsak lalong nataranta
Lubog na sa utang ay mangungutang pa.

No bit of dust admits its part in a landslide
No whit of snow owns up its role in avalanche…
Damay pati tayo sa gawaing bankrupt—
May herpes ang U.S., nagkamot ang ‘Pinas

Credit card in the dumps but we all need some cash
Lukbutan at tumbong tahasang natastas
Dahil pinairal mga gawing waldas
Asal-balasubas ang pinalaganap…

Ako po’y mapalad nakasalamuha
Si Sisong Kantanod, isang manunula
Diskarte’y ganito patula’t patuya
Nang makapaglahad ng isyu sa madla…

Paumanhin na po’t kami ay nangahas
Talas ng taludtod muling inilabas
Taga sa kataga ay iwawasiwas
Talim ng balisong itong itatarak…


Kay Sisong Kantanod ako’y magpupugay
Ang pitak na ito’y aming iaalay
Sa kanyang gunita na lalaging buhay…
These days rhyme does not pay, ah, kawawang bayan…

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ALAMAT NG TAHONG

SAKBIBI ng agam-agam sa kalagayan ng butihing kabiyak-- at kabiyakan, opo-- na nakaratay sa karamdaman, ang pumalaot na mangingisda ay napagawi sa paanan ng dambuhalang Waczim-- isang bathala na nagkakaloob sa sinuman anumang ibulwak ng bibig mula sa bukal ng dibdib. Pangangailangan sa salapi na pambili ng gamot ng kapilas-pusong maysakit ang nakasaklot sa puso ng matandang mangingisda. 'Di kaginsa-ginsa'y bumundol ang kanyang bangka sa paanan ng Waczim. Kagy at umigkas ang katagang kimkim noon sa kanyang dibdib: "Salapi!" Bumuhos ng salapi-- mga butil at gilit ng ginto-- mula papawirin. At halos umapaw sa ginto ang bangka ng nagulantang na mangingisda, walang pagsidlan ang galak, at walang humpay ang pasasalamat sa mga bathala. Nanumbalik ang kalusugan ng kabiyak ng mangingisda. At lumago ang kabuhayan, naging mariwasa ang magkapilas-puso na dating maralita. Nilasing ng kanyang mga dating kalapit-bahay ang mangingisda-- na hindi ikina...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cal y canto con camote

FENG shui (literally, wind water flow) lore has it root crops embody a hidden store of treasures. Say, a local food conglomerate needs yearly 35,000 metric tons of cassava for livestock feed-- the available local supply falls short of 13,000 tons. Cassava granules sell for around P9 a kilo. Demand for the same root crop to be used in liquor manufacturing is hitting above the roof. Why, raising cassava is a no-brainer task— this is one tough crop that can grow in the most hostile patches of earth, providing sustenance for ages to dwellers in sub-Saharan parts of Africa. While the hardy cassava is nearly pure starch, the lowly sweet potato or kamote is considered by nutritionists as a super food, the most nutritious of all vegetables— kamote levels of Vitamin A are “off the charts, rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.” A fist-sized kamote can supply a day’s dose of glucose to fuel the brain, muscles, and organs, so they claim. Count the country lucky...
Post a Comment
Read more

Wealth garden

‘TWAS CRUEL as smashing a budding green thumb: some years back, an abuela warned me about letting any clump of katigbi (Job’s tears or Coix lachrymal jobi for you botanists) from growing in our homeyard. That grass with rapier-like leaves that smelled of freshly pounded pinipig supposedly invited bad luck and sorrows—why, that biblical character Job wailed and howled a lot, didn’t he? (But was later rewarded with oodles of goodies, wasn’t he?) Then, I came across some arcane text that practically goaded folks to grow katigbi in their gardens—why, there’s a starchy kernel wrapped shut in the seed’s shiny coat. A handful or more of kernels could be cooked as porridge. Too, one could whisper a wish upon seven seed pods, throw ‘em pods in running water—a river or stream—and the wish would be granted! I was warned, too, about planting kapok or talisay trees right in the homeyard—these trees form a cross-like branching pattern. Pasang-krus daw ang bahay na kalapit sa puno ng kapok, tal...
Post a Comment
Read more