Friday, May 16, 2008

Lolo & Bataan by Julianne Soria


It all happened in the Philippines

Back in the nineteen-forties.

There were many scenes.

My lolo falling in love with my lola begins the story.

They met each other when he got hurt

And was taken to the infirmary

Right next to a battle’s skirt.

They fixed his injured knees,

But then he had to go to Bataan.

They didn’t know if they’d see each other again

And he wasn’t going to be the only man.

A group soon left with many men.

It was a three-month battle.

He was taken prisoner and taken to Mariveles.

The idea of being with my lola gave him mettle.

These were times of great distress.

Soon he had to go to Cabanatan by foot.

The deadly march was ninety miles.

Injured, dying, or covered by soot,

Many had already died in the trial.

He saw many killed trying to drink from the streams.

Many collapsed and died on the road

And many men died—screaming.

But the march still flowed.

He couldn’t take it anymore and fell

As a result of fainting.

He felt as if he were in a spell—

Those roads were tainted.

He woke up in the dark of night

And crawled to a pond of water,

Then tried to get to the nearest town in sight.

He had escaped the slaughter.

He found a town and stayed for six weeks.

And left and thanked the people

When he recovered from fatigue.

With help, he was taken to Manila.

Riding a carriage,

He went to my lola’s house in a villa,

Hid with her,

And in nineteen-forty six—

Had that marriage.





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