1521
Ay, we’ve seen so much in our life here on earth
of strange wonders, formed far from this land of our birth,
strange tongues, and manners— but we hadn’t yet seen
a foreign Prince come himself with his Mother, the Queen.
The pale strangers with them are spinning tales:
not the patter and palaver of a thousand previous sales
but news of their Hara, a virgin who conceived,
and their eternal Hari who was killed, and yet who lived.
Then spirit-touched Cristo and Maria in their turn
gaze at me: Ay, how their gazes burn!
We’ve come so far to see you, love, here at world’s end:
won’t you take us to your heart and home? Won’t you be our friend?
The strangers left so long ago. Some in battle died,
the rest ran to their fortress ships, sailing with the tide.
The Misa is forgotten, and fades from memory—
still Cristo and Maria came to build their home with me.
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Because I meant to write something for the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines last year, but never had any clear ideas until now 😀
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Be careful out there! 🙂
-A.O.
Aletheia Observatory 