Friday, January 4, 2008

Joe's Birthday

Today, Joe Burgos Jr, Jonas' father, would have turned 67. If he were still with us today, we would have had a simple yet joyous celebration with friends, colleagues and relatives. Joe always remembered to thank The Lord for the gift of life. (His daily ordinary 'living' was itself an expression of this gratitude.) His way would be to gather family and friends around him and share whatever blessings he would have at the moment.

During lean times, Joe would still celebrate and share memories and laughter with everyone.

This year, in keeping with this tradition, we celebrate -- and share. We celebrate not only the gift of family which has been a solid anchor in our search for Jonas, but also the gift of relatives and friends who have rallied behind us in these trying times.

We celebrate the gift of strangers who have expressed sympathy wherever we met them. We celebrate unnamed, faceless people from our beloved country and from other distant lands whose hearts wept with us, and who have offered prayers pleading with The Father that Jonas would be alive and well.

You have shared part of yourselves and for this we are truly grateful.

It is, indeed, a rare opportunity that we are blessed with the company of people whose very presence makes us aware that the Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us in a special way. We are reminded that even as Jonas remains missing, he is being taken cared of by Our Father. And that care given by The Father can never be outdone. We share this joyful thought with you.

We firmly believe that when we are ready, all will be revealed to us. We share this belief with you.

On Joe’s 67th birth anniversary and as we start the new year, the Burgos family
offers a prayer of gratitude for all of you. We commend all of you in a special way to the Lord. We pray that you will continue loving others in the way that you have loved Jonas' family.

As we pray for you we also ask you to pray for those who have been responsible for the abductions and the killings. We appeal to all to ask The Lord to give them new hearts. The way of peace can only start when there is forgiveness. We can all start by praying for them.

It may help if we remember that " When the heart is ready, the harvest will come. . . . Don't worry about all the unspoken, the unnamed, the undelivered. . . . Yearn for the yielding, but be patient. . . . Talk to the restlessness. . . . Sit with confusion. . . . Dance with paradoxes and sip tea and smile while you wait."( Joyce Ruppy)

May The Lord keep you and bless you always.


Edith and Peachy, Sonny, Jayel and Ann for Jonas

Dalawang Tula kay Jonas Burgos, Desaparecido*

TINIPON AT INILATHALA NG BULATLAT
Vol. VII, No. 39, November 4-10, 2007

ODA KAY JONAS
ni Axel Pinpin**

Malaya kang lilipad-lipad, palipat-lipat
sa pumpon ng dampa naming maralita
upang tipunin, simsimin ang tamis ng pawis
nang namumukadkad naming ngalit mula sa pagtangis;
na noong buwan ng Abril na iyon
ay kasinglapot, kasingpula ng dugo.
Sa gitna ng parang
ay namasdan namin ang iyong gintong pakpak,
narinig ka naming pumapagaspas,
nakikigapas at nakikiaklas.
Ikaw ang paru-paro naming magbubukid
at ang paroroonan mo ay walang nakabatid
nang patiyad, marahas kang lapitan
at hulihin ng lalaking salbahe at matapang ang hiya.

MAKUPAD ANG BATAS KAY JONAS BURGOS
ni Raul Funilas

Bawat pangyayari sa Metro Manila,
O karatig-lugar, aktibong probinsya;
Ang hinala nami’y pawang ipininta
Ng Bruskong Militar sa poder ni Gloria.

Tulad nang makidnap si Ka Jonas Burgos,
Sanga ng militar, “Tumalon sa ilog
At doon nagtago sa daloy ng agos
Upang di maamoy ang utot-mabantot.”

Subalit maraming testigong tumindig,
“Sa gobyernong hangal sasakyang ginamit.”
Diskarte at kilos militar ang kisig
Kaya kay Ka Jonas walang nakalapit.

Sa’n ka man naroon O, Kasamang Jonas,
Kami’y di titigil sa pangangalampag;
Sukdulang ang buhay ang sukling katumbas
Makita ka lamang sa tuwid na batas.

Inilathala ng Bulatlat

*Ang dalawang tulang ito ay parehong inihanda ng mga may-akda para sa kauna-unahang buwanang Protest Poetry Night ng Artists’ ARREST sa Mag:net Katipunan, na ginanap noong Oktubre 29.

**Si Axel Pinpin ay kabilang sa tinaguriang “Tagaytay 5” – kasama nina Riel Custodio, Aristedes Sarmiento, Enrico YbaƱez, at Michael Masayes – na dinukot ng mga pulis at militar noong Abril 28, 2006 sa Tagaytay City, pinaratangang mga “rebeldeng komunista” at ngayo’y mahigit sa isang taon nang nakakulong sa Camp Vicente Lim ng Philippine National Police (PNP). Naging fellow siya para sa tula ng UP National Writers Workshop noong 1999