The Ilocos Times

She's a woman of grace and class Who possesses charm and wit Her love and dedication immense Her sacrifices boundless She went through leaps and bounds Undeterred by countless snags She was selfless but unyielding Their offspring her most valued jewels Each ones’ well-being and happiness Ahead of her own Her concerns, always her pickneys As she clashed her own demons Her nestlings’ welfare came first Loved, nourished and comforted Brought sunshine and easement in their growing pains Shared them much passions and wisdoms Prepared the innocents to stand the tests of times Stuck till all her eaglets were weaned Once they were silly, awkward, goofy but adorable Now all grown building nests of their own Her four eagles finally soaring high, with inspiring awe Enjoying with their fledglings’ zoo She's a proud but grounded Mama Eagle A nurturing Grandmama too! Cynthia Fonacier Capunitan California, USA

Like a dizzying maze So complex, so paradoxical Hard to figure Where it's going Never an easy way out Does she really want out Or rather find her safe haven Inside, whereby she can curl up Like an unborn child Safe in tacked In her mother's womb Where nothing can go wrong Sometimes she wants to scream To the God of the Universe Why me, why me Don't you think I had enough But she won't dare For He has been kind She keeps her faith Unbroken and stalwart She would rather weep Hoping her tears reach the Heavens She's a Rock But she opted not to fight Instead she embraces death Her choice to escape The chaos of the mind and heart She welcomes impugning energies To freely run through her being Thrashing deep She preferred to bleed Allowing everything to flow Till she's drained and empty Purging every grain of memories To a deep slumber Perhaps never to wake Her untended heart A runaway, she

nagimnas a darepdepen dagiti banag a kayat a pasudien ta ti tarigagay a mapalugodan nga agbariw-as. adu dagiti madalapusna iti langalang adda baresbes a palalo't litnawna a mangdepdep waw ni karayo. adda rangkis a masapul a kalay-aten agingga a magteng iti pantokna anian a kinapintas ti aglawlaw; maidarnap ti darepdep a kayat nga ikutan nawada, awanen dagiti batbato ken gabat nainayad a pannagna ti naannayas a darepdep. sika ken siak nagtengtan iti kinaimnas pateg ti dayaw a kinalikagumanta a magteng. ni Elizabeth Madarang Raquel Brgy 3, Laoag City