POEM 2: Masinloc

Today, I see waves kissing the shore

Timid then, stronger now

Washing over the mud slung

Over garbage strewn for strewing's sake

Yet amid the smear and disguise

More villagers cheer for the waves

For they never sunk a sailboat

Or stung onlookers with whips of foam

The waves touch with grace

But with will enough to lift you

Out of the quicksand and into tomorrow

A glimmer of hope so rose-colored

I can only hope it's real, but I trust that I know.

Written 15th April, 2022.

Poem copyright © 2022 by Peter Ryuken B. Hermosura, “Masinloc”

Author's Annotations

I got the idea to write this poem during my stay in Zambales last Holy Week. On our way to Anda, Pangasinan, I encountered lots of pink posters along the roads surrounding Masinloc, Zambales. Inspired by the beachside and the intensifying presidential campaign of a certain candidate, this short poem metaphorizes the waves on the beaches of Masinloc into a symbol of hope for our country's tomorrow.