Solitude

Solitude

By   Apolinario    Villalobos

 

In    solitude      you    hear    your    mind

Choked       with    voices   –

Some      gruff,    some       nice

You    are   not   yourself

While    adrift    in   silence

That   seems    to    tear    you    apart.

Clouds    you    see

Even    with   closed    eyes

Wafting   in    the   gentle   breath

You    let    out    with    a   heavy    sigh.

In     solitude     you     see    yourself

With    an   aura    of   colors   –

Some     dense,     some   calm

You    are    not   yourself

While   shrouded     in     hues

Which     seem    to   melt   you   down.

The    breeze    you   feel

Though    with   fingers    numbed

Caressing     your    soul    that    quiver –

But    keep      from      breaking    apart.             

 

Surviving in a Harsh Environment

Surviving in a Harsh Environment
By Apolinario Villalobos

For every step that we take, an effort is exerted, and the degree of difficulty in doing such depends on our outlook in life. Those who are positive in their outlook, have less effort for every step they take, while those with apprehensions make strides with heavy steps.

There are many factors that hold us back, such as the lack of self-confidence, people who can’t bear to see others succeed, and the environment. One stimulus that can somehow deter those is the desire to survive for the sake of an ideal, a loved one, or pride. When this happens, one’s adrenalin is pumped up,pushing him to do even what is seem to be impossible, giving substance to the immemorial life’s simple compendium summarized in the reminder : survival of the fittest.However, there are still some who are complacently without desire to improve their lot.

It is important that we employ resourcefulness in all our efforts to survive, but as to what extent of contentment, another issue cannot be disregarded – morality, because while there are some who are satisfied with “just enough”, others want more than they need. The desire to be more affluent than the rest becomes the virus of greed that destroys society, as it breeds exploitation of the weak and humble.

There is no more glaring showcase of this immoral exploitive craving, than in the world of politics that has become synonymous to corruption. In that world, the general norm is how fast a politician and government could amass wealth at the most discreet way.The constituents are haplessly left with the morsels of what are supposed to be theirs.

Stories of corruption are the same anywhere in the world just like survival efforts. Images are similar, too. It is sad that the world we are living in today is far from what the Creator intended it to be. In order to survive, the downtrodden with still enough courage have learned to fight back, resulting to pockets of war, rallies, banditry, or remain lax and just be contented with insignificant favors from corrupt government officials and politicians that need to be paid back making them modern-day slaves of gratitude.

Discipline

Discipline

By   Apolinario    Villalobos

 

Generally,   it    takes a   strong   will    power    before   we   can    take    control    of    ourselves    to    instill   even    a    grain   of   total    discipline   in   us.    Not    even    those    who  have    gone    through    strict    military    training can   proudly   declare    thatthey     are    well -disciplined. Even   canonized    saints    are   not   100%   disciplined   in   all    aspects    of    their    lives.    Not   even   Jesus   who  lost    his     temper      as     he cursed    a  poor   fig   tree    for   not   bearing   fruit,    and   let  out   his   pent    up    anger    when   he   drove   the“ sinners”away     from   the    temple.    This imperfection,   should   not    give    us    an   excuse    in   violating    the   rights    of   our    fellowmen   or   break    the   righteous   Law   again    and   again.

 

Unfortunately,   we   have   to   accept    the    fact    that    being   undisciplined    is   more    of    a        habit      than      anything      else.    Man    by    nature    is    prone    to   do   what     form    him      is      the     easiest      thing.   For    a    drug   addict,    chain    smoker    and   alcoholic,  for    instance,     it    is   better    to   go   on    with    those    vices    than    suffer    from    the    death-like    withdrawal   seizures.   A     person     who    loves     foods        would    rather    suffer    from   the   consequential    dialysis    and    chemo  or    radiation    therapies     later    on      than    put    a    stop       to        his    regular    uncontrolled      binges.     A     highly –  urbanized     person     who    looks    at    herbal    concoctions    as    strange,       unpalatable, colored    and   odorous     quack    remedies,    would   rather  fill    his    guts   with    synthetic     drugs     and    suffer     from    kidney,    heart, and    liver    failures    later   on    due    to        undigested chemicals    that     are     components    of    the    “medicines”     in    different     forms.

 

Parents    cry    their    hearts    out    for     their    “well-loved”    kids    who    are    languishing    in     drug   rehabilitation    centers    and    worse,   penitentiaries.    Tearfully,    they    ask    the   Lord,   where    they    have    gone   wrong.     Such    act    is    tantamount    to   passing    on    the   blame    to   Him,   because    these    “loving”    parents    have    never    missed    an   opportunity       tosmother        their   kids    with    things     that    would    satisfy    their    cravings    for    material comfort,    and     most     especially,      they      never      miss      a     single     day      of       worship     service     during      which      they        implore     Him     for     more     financial       security     for     the  sake      of     their      children     who     need     it.

 

If    we   have    to    go    back   to   the     stories    that    are    written    in    the    Bible,    the    loss    of    discipline    started    with    Adam     who    was    unable    to    restrain    himself    from   partaking    of   the   “fruit    ofknowledge”       that      Eve     offered       him,     who,    on    her    part,blamed    the   serpent,   and      eventually,     made     God     drive       the       three out    ofparadise. Currently,      We     have     this    kind     of     blaming      act  – in      “courts      of     justice”    and        legislative      houses         where      lawyers,    politicians,     and     government     officials      point     at    each     other     with    accusing     fingers     during     case     hearings.   

 

Today,  for  anything     unfortunate    that    befallsman,    he    is    ready    with    his    forefinger     to    point    at    something    or    somebody.    For    coming   in   late   to    work,       for     instance,       there’s    the   traffic,      not     the     waking    up     late;       for   falling    off    a    stair,    there’s    the   structural    defect    of    the    steps,     not     the      carelessness;    for    vehicular    accidents,     there’s      the    defective brake     mechanism,     not     the    drunk     driving;    for    failing    grades,    there’s    the   bitchy    teacher,       not      the     laziness     to     study     lessons;   for     the     flood     that     brings     back     garbage     to      streets      and     houses,       there’s     the     clogged     drainage     system,      not     unscrupulous      disposal  ;   even    for    calamity,    there’s    God,      not    the     systematic      devastation      of     nature  .      If    only    the    accusing    person  will        take    note    of    his    fingers    while       doing    the   act,    he   will    notice    that    while    pointing    the   lone   forefinger   to     somebody       or     something,    the   rest     of     the      fingers  –   middle,   ring   and   pinky     are   pointing    at    him    and    seemingly    restrained    by    his    thumb.

 

Belatedly,       we     realized    that    it   is    the    lack    of    discipline    that causes    most    of    our    sufferings.   Practically,     everyone    has    a    share    in    the    deterioration    of     our    so-called    habitat.     The    degree    of     our  participation    varies    according    to    the    intensity      of     our      selfishness    and    lack    of    concern.   Take    for    instance    the   unscrupulous     logging,     mining,    dynamite     fishing,    plundering    in   the   government,    accumulation of  garbage     in    city    waterways,    and     polluted    atmosphere.    Everything     boils    down    to    our    self-annihilation,    toward    which    even    innocent    lesser     creatures     are    dragged…