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.
