The Ballad of Old Narra Tree

Down the river by the valley,

Gruesome death seized old narra tree;
By the flood, 'twas swept ragingly,
Left at the mercy of the sea.


Hit and tossed by the angry waves,
It badly broke all of its limbs;
In the heart of the ocean's realms,
It was buried with all its dreams.


Old narra's woeful destiny,
Was man's responsibility.
He trampled very heedlessly,
Each big and little living tree.


He ruthlessly burned the forests,
And cleared the hills and the mountains;
All these, he did until the rains,
Came swiftly rushing down the plains.


Roaring wildly, the waters ran,
Towards the farms of the lowland;
Covering every blade and strand,
With silt and mud from the highland.


Even the slumbering bamboo,
By the current, was carried too;
Its creaking screams seemed to echo:
"Stupid man, I blame none but you!"


Then when came the season of heat,
The red sun glared in rays the seethe;
Scorching poor Mother Earth that writhe,
As she nurses her burns with spite.

She suffered and endured with gripe,
The grave disaster and the plight;
Brought about to the utmost height,
By ignorance and dim foresight.

Rain sulked too, for it couldn't find,
Friend narra in the vale enshrined;
Whom it used to call in the bend,
On its way to the rainbow's end.

And so, drought spelled over the range,
Fields died, from dehydrated veins;
Through man's blunder old narra was gone,
And spared from Heaven's wrath was none.










by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Listen to My Lovesong

Listen to this love song,
Which my heart is singing;
Because you came along,
With your tender feeling.
Listen to my lovesong,
Wherever you may be;
Let its endearing notes,
Make you feel you're near me.
When you're with me dear,
The skies seem always clear;
I need not shed a tear,
With you, I have no fear.
Listen to my love song,
Let it aflame your heart;
With song strains of splendor,
That make love's magic start.
Darling, hear my heart singing,
The romance and symphony made just for you;
Wherever you may be,
May you keep this within your heart,
I love you.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero-Torrento

Your Music and My Song

Lift the soul of my song to a spire,
Let it ride on the wings of your lyre;
Let each note of your melody bring,
Lilt and grace to my poetry's fling.

A song, long been awaiting for you,
Aches to live and not fade in the blue;
It's a rapsody wove in fine words,
Come, breathe ecstacys into the chords.

My song slept in my memory then,
Now, the symphony wakened again;
My song throbs with the strains of your heart,
When you strum your sweet music to start.

Then, your music and my song remain,
As you sing its undying refrain;
And will tenderly live in our dreams,
Among angels' most beautiful hymns.




by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Lamentation by a Graveside

So many words I left unsaid,
I closed my mind and sulked instead;
And when at last I breathed each word,
My voice just waned on air,unhead.

So many tears, my eyes withheld,
The anguish, clothed with will unfelled;
And when I freed the pains untold,
They drenched your grave so numb and cold.

So many faces, sight has skipped,
With it, the chance to see you, slipped;
And when I searched for you around,
Alas, you're nowhere to be found.

Now, though beside your grave I weep,
Releasing all the grief I keep;
I languish mournfully in vain,
Because in silence, you remain.

I should have deeply loved you so,
When you were here to feel and know;
I should have fondled or caressed,
While time, from flight, was still at rest.



by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Boracay

When on that first of May afternoon,
We had to leave Boracay so soon;
I felt so lonely as one forlorn,
For the time that passed can't be reborn.

Petty memories that deck my mind,
Are but precious tokens I can find;
Of the blissful place we left behind,
With images in my heart enshrined.

The clean, white sands clinging to my feet,
Sunset where the sea and the sky meet;
Sand castles by the shore proudly greet,
Welcoming sightseers to a treat.

I shall always fondly remember,
Those fun-showered moments of summer;
And cherish through the changing weather,
The hours of communion with nature.

The morning mist that shields the sun's rays,
The evening fog that enshrouds the trees;
The blue water glimpsed from a terrace,
Boracay is blessed to have all these!





by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

It's Time to Say, Farewell

We were once little kids that stuttered,
The little ones who played and chattered;
Now we have grown a bit older,
And we've grown a little bit taller.

Busy school days swiftly rolled over,
With one season after the other;
We clutch the moments sweet and tender,
As we depart from one another.

So now, it's time to leave with a sigh,
For now is the time to say goodbye;
To our beloved Alma Mater,
And to every schoolmate and teacher.

As we descend the stage proudly decked,
With laurels of triumph and honors;
Place those bright garlands around our neck,
And give the sweetest bouquet of flowers.

To far horizons we may travel,
But still in our hearts will always dwell;
Petty memories we loved so well,
So farewell to everyone, farewell.





by: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento

Once There Was a Mother

Once, there was a mother,
A gentle, jolly mother;
Each day I loved her better,
To me there could be no other.


Like merry birds that sing,
Her mellow voice would ring;
Pep songs in the morning,
Lullabys in the evening.

Each early Christmas night,
She's light the lanterns bright;
Then a verse she would recite,
While I listened with delight.

But one lonely afternoon,
My young heart she left to mourn;
She was gone like silent moon,
That stalls away at break of dawn.

By: Maria Luisa Tejero Torrento