All Over Again

by Vincent R. Pozon

INTRO:

DEMOCRACY isn't something you launch and let be. It is a tug-o-war, one that is relentless.

Here is a lesson to Filipinos from the people of Germany through its embassy in Manila: "Due to our dreadful experience of dictatorship in the 20th century, Germany today places significant importance to studying the past, learning from it to ensure a better future, keeping memories alive and doing everything to prevent that such dark periods of history will happen again... It takes continuous and committed work of every citizen to ensure that democratic values are upheld and that a backslide will not happen".

Democracy should be tended to, watched over, nursed when ill, defended when threatened, and it should be bequeathed to guardians and believers.

Are we back to square one? Then we pull our end of the rope harder, and we campaign to enlighten more to join our end of the rope.

Words and voice by Vincent R. Pozon; photos, music and sounds from Pixabay

Isn't the sea a fist with the earth inside?
When capped with white outrage and egged by roars,
waves can corkscrew through breakwaters with ease.

After the frothing, it disappoints though,
the roar vanishes, apologetic,
it cedes the sea to ship horns and seagulls.

We forget what we fought for, to march anew
is new, not remembered, but we will roar
once more, we are capped again with outrage,

there are ships to upend, dictatorships,
islands to reach, children to feed, after
the end of every ebb, like the sea, we heave,

we hope to win a beachhead, perhaps an inch
more of the shore, with every wave, open
a few more minds before we have to do it again.