Exodus of the brownmen [poem]

Title

Creator

Hortillosa, Llewelyn Navarra

Language

English

Year

1965

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

Sxodus of (ke 5^00 ion men Second Prize, USC Literary Contest The blood of the Patriarchs Stirred red in Moses When You opened his eyes from Adam’s sleep. He found his brethren grooping in Egypt’s darkness; So, dropping Pharaoh’s diamonds, And caring less for our gold. He led us out, — out to walk under Your Light. Through the desert of temptation we plowed a score of years times twenty. Though compassed on all flanks by Ammonites, Philistines and Chanaanites, Though whipped by the tempest of rebellions, bitten by the serpents of heresy, shaken by the earthquake of world wars, blinded by the sandstorm of time, We still stood gazing forward and up. Moses has long fallen asleep; Multi-masked general have led us. Pilgrims for centuries, we have filled the seven thousand islands and more, with thirty million strong. Yet, still today, our lips do not sip from a fountain of honey, nor our eyes see a river of milk flowing. Nevertheless, we are not lost, nor deceived, For amidst the frenzy of our journey We have You, our Manna, forever; We have amidst us the Arc of Your Covenant, a whirlpool of faith, love and hope, ever drawing us to the axis of Your grace. Through the centuries we carried it; We will keep on carrying it, in our minds in our hearts; Through our works and breath we will sing of You, Whose union is the promised eternal bliss. Earth, we know, only hazily mirrors heaven. Llewelyn Navarra Hortillosa kerne ^ietding. of ^JCumakon. Third Prize, USC Literary Contest Four hundred bountiful years The whole world is almost in tears Amidst the troubles of many nations-chaos Many came despite the rain, the crowd and the wind of the local scene Here and there, north and south, east and west The whole world is dead It’s only here, the pearl and the gem of the east Where faith continues day by day since the time The first Christian queen confided, When to the heavens she raised her eyes — To Him the Little Black Child 1565 Pagan innocence! Fear of Anito King and God of the trees She adores and worships him She follows scheduled rituals She bows down to his power With all her pagan love she would shower — Savage arrogance! Regal in native splendour A hardy conviction within it seems But for the queen of his heart And his carnal delight He can’t say no, no, never shall be bow down before him He who is called the son of the father The God of all things, supreme God The God on the cross. Brutal shyness! Sweet timidity Gentle meekness, tender and devoted wife That she is, without It is Anitos she worships King and God of the trees She followed scheduled rituals But she is the queen, queen of the heart of the king The real power on the throne The winkless goddess behind the hall and the wall of the empire If what she desires, he denies, Her eyes are like black gems afire For a man when he loves gives his woman anything she wants — March-April, 1965 THE CAROLINIAN Page Thirty-nine

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