Saturday, April 18, 2015

No to Domestic Violence!

As a former Senate legislative staff officer, I had the great opportunity to not only do library work but talk to stakeholders directly concerning issues about the youth, women, and children, to include domestic violence. Focusing on children's development and education for the past years, I haven't talked about domestic violence in quite a long time until yesterday when I heard about the sad news about the senseless death of a relative of mine, who apparently used to stay with us when she was younger, in the hands of her common-law husband. She was six months pregnant and the baby died, too. It gave me chills thinking about how she was battered to death by that one person who was supposed to love her and protect her and how she was apparently hit in the abdomen so hard that their baby died in her womb as well. How could someone human do that? This prodded me to write this poem in Hiligaynon to express my indignation to such horrendous act by such a soul-less person. No woman, most especially pregnant, should be subjected to this kind of treatment, ever!

Huo, Kusog Ka Ya
Jorvelyn Jaruda-Espinosa, April 18, 2015
Written as a tribute to a relative and to all victims of domestic violence

Wala sang pangduwa-duwa
Huo, kusog ka ya.

Mataas ka kag mabukod,
Pwersado kag mabaskog.
Huo, kay kusog ka ya.

Tagahatag ka sang kwarta sa imo pamilya -
para makakaon,
para may panapton.
Huo, kay kusog ka guid ya.

Nagabaka-baka ka obra para katibawas
pero nagakakapoy man gali ang imo lawas.
Huo, pero mas kusog ka guihapon ya.

Kaya mo pa magpahubog
Kaya mo pa gani mag-droga
Kaya mo magwaldas sang kwarta
Kay man, huo, mas kusog ka guid ya.

Ti, nga-a kinanlan mo guid sakiton
ang maluya mo nga asawa?
Nga-a bugbugon sang tuman
nga bal-an mo gabusong pa?
Nga-a? Tungod mas kusog ka ya?

Huo, mas kusog ka na gani.

Ara na gani ho; lantawa.
Nahamyang ang imo asawa
kay mahina sya ya.
Kaupod sang inyo tani nga mangin puya.

Ti, kay mas kusog ka ya mo!
Ikaw na lang da ah. Daog ka na.
Huo, kay mas kusog ka ya.