BAYAN-USA’s Tribute to the Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan on the First Anniversary of Haiyan’s Landfall
The Bamboo CurseResilience is the curse of the bamboo.Suffer the storm,swim through the floods.Bear the stench of corpsesand the hungerthat does not go awaywith praise.Forget the greedthat levels mountainsand changes wind and seas.Forget the presidentwho walks out,Forget the aidthat crawls sloweras we wait.The bamboo bends and swayswith the wind.We are human, only human,All flesh and tears and bone and blood.Forgive us our angeras we seek for justicein our grief,in our inconsolable grief. ~By Joi Barrios LeBlanc
On the first anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan, BAYAN-USA salutes the resilient survivors of the supertyphoon in your quest for justice. While President Aquino coldly abandons his responsibility to you and the nation, you persevere in rebuilding your homes, your farms, your communities in the face of government corruption and repression. We commend your resolve to hold Aquino accountable for his criminal neglect and militarized response to the tragedy of Haiyan. We add our voices to your righteous cry for justice. Your courage inspires us to continue believing in the power of the people to create genuine change, so that we rebuild both for today and for future generations.###(Following is the Filipino version of the above poem)Sumpa ng kawayanMatibay ang kawayan.Iyan ang sumpa.Hayaang ipaghampas-hampasanng unos,lumangoy at magpaanodsa baha.Pigilin ang hiningaat baka malanghapang bangkay na naaagnas.Tiisin ang gutom ng sikmurana kahit sa papuri,ay hungkag na hungkag.Kalimutan natin ang kasakimanna sa kabundukanay nagpapatag,at nagbabago sa daloyng hangin at dagat.Kalimutan ang pangulona mainit ang uloat sa sariling pulongwalang pakundangang lumalabas.Kalimutan ang ayudana higit na bumabagal,sa ating paghihintay.Yumuyuko at umiindayogsa hangin ang kawayan.Ngunit kami ay tao, tao lamang,Balat at dugo, luha at buto.Ipagpaumanhin ang galitat pusong nagpupuyos.Naghahanap kami ng katarungansa gitna ng dalamhati’t pagluluksa,sa aming di matapos-taposna dalamhati’t pagluluksa. ~By Joi Barrios LeBlanc[Author's note: This poem was inspired by Soleil David’s piece “Resilience is a Dirty Word.”]