Argosy S. Nazareno

The atmosphere is tense in these dark times. People panic and tend to become selfish for their survival. The situation brought the best and worst out of people. But beyond all this, mother earth is healing.

In the midst of the quarantine, people express their boredom through social media. Netizens jest in sharing humorous images (memes) while others express dissent towards certain policies they don’t understand. In this arena where dread turns into panic, we should be mindful of our thoughts and actions as not to worsen the state of affairs.

Let us contemplate our own situation. Be thankful if you are at home with your family& loved ones. Think of the OFWs who are afar, homeless people, and others who are assigned at the frontlines. We should show compassion to all the people we interact with to alleviate their situation.

While we practice social distancing, we should never socially isolate ourselves with our fellow humans. There are a lot of ways to reach out to anyone who needs help. We need each other in repressing our greatest fear – the unknown future.

I want to share with you a Father’s sense of compassion towards his son. Let this be an example for all of us that we shall express the same not just to our family but to the whole community.

COMPASSION (for Argosy)

Nine months we waited for him.

In the season of rain and thunder

We conjured his quiver, our balm.

He was alive.

Nine hours after the Holy Rosary

We only had to dream of his

Breaking the darkness over our hills.

He was sure to dawn.

Now that he has arrived

We hear his first earth-shaking cry;

We feel the warm rays of his smile.

We christened him Compassion,

After the sun, whose eye

Feels the cold heart,

Warms it, and accompanies us-

The anxious.

By Clovis “Dodong” L. Nazareno