Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Vengeance is not ours; it's God's
Hickory, dickory duck was a poem I learned from my mother. Vengeance was a declamation piece I learned in high school.
I'm not sure if many (or any) of you would remember this declamation piece. I searched unsuccessfully on who the author is of this wonderful piece. I remember memorizing this during high school, but never managed to perform it in public (thankfully, for I was timid in school; am actually still timid until now! :{
Sourced the piece from Takdang Aralin website.
Alms, alms, alms.
Spare me a piece
of bread.
Spare me
your mercy.
I am a child
so young,
so thin, and
so ragged.
Why are you
staring at me?
With my eyes I cannot see
but
I know that you
are all staring at me.
Why are you
whispering to
one another?
Why?
Do you know my mother?
Do you know my father?
Did you know me five years ago?
Throughout our lives, we memorize lot of things. Most of them I've already forgotten now; but this particular piece, I think, will always remain in my head.
Yes, five years of
bitterness
have passed.
I can still remember
the vast happiness
mother
and I shared
with each other.
We were very happy
indeed.
Suddenly, five loud knocks
were heard
on the door and
a deep silence
ensued.
Did the cruel
Nippon's discover
our peaceful home?
Mother ran to Father's side
pleading: "Please, Luis,
hide in the cellar,
there in the cellar where
they cannot find you."
I pulled my father's arm but
he did not move.
It seemed as though
his feet
were glued to the floor.
The door went "bang"
and before us
five ugly beasts
came barging in.
"Are you Captain Luis Santos?!"
roared the ugliest of them all.
"Yes," said my father.
"You are under arrest,"
said one of the beasts.
They pulled father roughly
away from us.
Father was not given a chance
to bid us goodbye.
We followed them
mile after mile.
We were hungry and thirsty.
We saw group of Japanese eating.
Oh, how our mouths
watered
seeing the delicious
fruits they were eating,
Then suddenly,
we heard a voice call,
"Consuelo...Oscar...
Consuelo...Oscar...
Consuelo...Oscar...
We ran towards
the direction of the voice,
but it was
too late.
We saw father
hanging on a tree,
dead.
Oh, it was terrible.
He had been badly beaten
before he died,
and I cried vengeance,
vengeance, vengeance!
Everything went
black.
The next thing I knew
I was nursing
my poor invalid mother.
One day, we heard
the church bell ringing "ding-dong, ding-dong!"
It was a sign for us
to find a shelter
in our hide-out,
but I could not leave
my invalid mother,
I tried to show her
the way to the hide-out.
Suddenly...
bombs started falling;
airplanes were roaring overhead,
canyons were firing
from everywhere.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"
Mother was hit.
Her legs were shattered
into pieces.
I took her gently in my arms
and cried...
"I'll have vengeance, vengeance!"
"No, Oscar. Vengeance...it's not our's...
it's God's," said mother.
But I cried out vengeance.
I was like a pent-up volcano.
"Vengeance is mine, not the Lord's".
"No, Oscar. Vengeance is not ours,
it's God's".
These were the words
from my mother before
she died.
Mother was dead and
I was blind.
Vengeance is not ours?
To forgive is divine
but vengeance is sweeter.
That was five years ago,
five years...
Alms, alms, alms.
Spare me a piece of bread.
Spare me your mercy.
I am a child so young,
so thin, and so ragged.
Vengeance is not ours,
it's God's...it's God's...it's...
The next thing I knew
I was nursing
my poor invalid mother.
One day, we heard
the church bell ringing "ding-dong, ding-dong!"
It was a sign for us
to find a shelter
in our hide-out,
but I could not leave
my invalid mother,
I tried to show her
the way to the hide-out.
Suddenly...
bombs started falling;
airplanes were roaring overhead,
canyons were firing
from everywhere.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom!"
Mother was hit.
Her legs were shattered
into pieces.
I took her gently in my arms
and cried...
"I'll have vengeance, vengeance!"
"No, Oscar. Vengeance...it's not our's...
it's God's," said mother.
But I cried out vengeance.
I was like a pent-up volcano.
"Vengeance is mine, not the Lord's".
"No, Oscar. Vengeance is not ours,
it's God's".
These were the words
from my mother before
she died.
Mother was dead and
I was blind.
Vengeance is not ours?
To forgive is divine
but vengeance is sweeter.
That was five years ago,
five years...
Alms, alms, alms.
Spare me a piece of bread.
Spare me your mercy.
I am a child so young,
so thin, and so ragged.
Vengeance is not ours,
it's God's...it's God's...it's...
ako una, ako una, syempre, 1am na heheheh!I am back! natapos na ang aking Takdang aralin, isa pa lang, hehehe marami pa naiwan.
Naalala ko yung (pretty) younger highschool mate ko sa declamation piece na'to. Eto yung winning piece nya sa talent portion eh. Hehe.
Yeah, I think I've heard this one before. Hindi ko lang maalala kung sa school o sa boys scout.
i remember this piece, its a declamation that the best student in my elementary class performed and won first in the declamation competition.
I have a vivid recollection of this piece in sophomore high. A freshman girl won the english declamation contest yun nga lang kapansin-pansin yung kapal ng laway na namumuti sa magkabilang dulo ng bibig, panay din lunok hehe.
This is a very good declamation piece wherein it was paraphrased from the bible as it was written -
"I will get revenge and pay them back at the time their foot slips; for the day of their disaster is near, and the impending judgment 1 is rushing upon them!”."(Deuteronomy 32:35)
I heard this before but we never had this in high school. It was so weird when I clicked the speaker of your odiogo nand I was laughing listening to the audio hehehe there should be an option if you want to hear the audio in declamation format LOL. While writing this comment the audio hasn't finished yet, ang haba pala nito grabe! First time to try your odiogo, kewl!
I remember that piece because my Mom, former Elementary School principal used to be the declamation coach of her school. Meron pa nga akong hinahanap iyong 'Hinagpis ni Sisa'. I just want to put it in my archive. I've searched everywhere but nada.
tumpak kasi I remember my high school days circa...hmmm never mind...kasi yan ang piece ng classmate ko sa declamation exam namin sa room...kakatuwa kasi binabaril siya ng classmate naming saksakan ng kulit during her moment....acting na acting hangga't bigla siyang huminto at naiba ang dialogue because she forget her piece...the good old talaga pero thanks nebz for reminiscing the past...keep on writing again.
i reelly love this piece.. i used to declaimed this in public when i am in high school and had the chance to win the competition.. til now i can still declaim some part of it and remember its awsome message..
first time q mag declaime and i pick this piece becoz when i reading it. tlgang na touch aq. i hope mapili aq. hehe godbless
This is my college declamation piece. I won, first prize.