TO AN UNKNOWN KUYA*
By Marlon B. Raquel
*This poem was originally written in Filipino. This was translated into English by Jonathan Estrada, whom I consider to be one of my friends who is close to my heart.
Pain and hardship come your way
But if God be your guide
He will take away the hardship and turn them into victories
In each chapter of life
People come for different purposes and reasons
Others bring pain and sadness
But there are those who bring joy and will lead you to God
It is such a sweet and wonderful thought and feeling
When you have someone whom you can trust
Someone who understands your mistakes
Above all, someone who will love you without any reservations
O this friend whom I just came to know,
In the short time we were together
Through tears and laughter, he was always with me.
I earnestly pray that he not go away.
Whenever this friend of mine enters my thoughts
I cannot help but to shed a tear.
I treat him as my friend who is there to give me good advice.
Best of all, he became my true Kuya.
I call him my Kuya.
Affectionate, generous and loves to laugh,
I truly miss his hugs
That is why I shed a tear, whenever I remember him.
I would also like to thank another person
Who also became part of my life.
If not for him, I would not have been able to meet my Kuya.
It is also because of him that I learned many things in this world.
Life is indeed playfully unpredictable.
Undesirable events bring anxiety and fear.
Thanks be to Jesus, who is Pastor and Head.
Giver of joy and strength, His Holy Spirit is.
I pray to Almighty God
That He provide strength and vigor to him.
Even if my Kuya and I are apart for a long time,
I pray that nothing will hinder the desires of his heart.
My mind and my heart will never forget
The memories that my Kuya left
Though it be painful that I go away
I am ready to accept this circumstance because it is truth.
Kuya, if you go away, what will be left of me?
My childlikeness, when will it change?
Thank you so much
For coming into my life this early.
O God, our Guide on all things
I offer you our lives, us three
Your gift of love, brotherhood, and friendship
I will never forget, even in the life hereafter.
