Manong in Hendersonville, NC

(Author’s note: Manong–A term of respect when addressing an older Filipino man. It means older brother, or elder; one that has lived through the hardships of life)

No matter where I go

or where I move, a manong

will always find me

No matter where I’m working

or what daydreams creep behind

me

he is there

with legs slightly bowed

Swaying with each step

like a tree rooted

to all the earth

and on the thick bark of

his skin are stories

and names of medications he

takes and a date marking an

aortic aneurysim

And other things like

Filipino words that I don’t

know

You were born here,

that’s why you don’t know

he says

And he gives me

an instruction:

Take one orange and

peel it

Take one cinnamon stick

and some ginger

Boil and drink

Its good for your

blood pressure

I’ll make you some,

I’ll put it in a thermos

he says

And I thank this

manong, and am thankful

he found me

He will find you too

Posted

in

by

Tags:


Please participate. Say something about this and be heard.

  • to belong
    i know i go i flow i see i free i me part of whole a soul
  • Shame Game
    he covers her cage with his rage, takes her song, tells her she’s wrong, weak, shouldn’t speak. she waits long for dawn.
  • Good morning
  • Children in the Caribbean and Tribes in New York
    Martha Cinader speaks with Opal Palmer Adisa in Jamaica, author of Pretty Like Jamaica, published by Caribbean Reads. Martha also speaks with author Chavisa Woods, Executive Director of A Gathering of the Tribes in New York City. Tony Robles reads poetry from Issue 16 of A Gathering of the Tribes Magazine.
  • good morning
    one little muscovy
  • he chose me
    fresh with still-wet hair spit on my pubescent idea of fair, a wad on my head to add to my dread that he might lash out about a girl as wrong as a protest song
  • Pretty Like Jamaica, a Story Especially for Caribbean Children
    We talked about how the role of provider has changed in Jamaica, gender violence, Jamaican National language and English in the schools, choosing to live in Jamaica, and her plans for at least ten more children's books...
  • what is tomorrow?
    what is tomorrow? does memory make me? can it break me? am i what was said? was i led to dread? what’s in my head?
  • Review: A Gathering of the Tribes–The Black Lives Matter Issue
    Memory is honored, the names of those slain by police held up in a light of poetry, the fire of strength raging from our streets to the page...
  • Warehouse
    A poem by Tony Robles
%d bloggers like this: