KARASAKAS

Maykan kadwa agkuyog ta a magna

Nasipnget a lubong napno't uleg ken buwaya

Dimo ipangag dagiti karasakas bayat iti inta pannagna

Baka maladaw ta, napateg a biag dagiti masa

nawatiwat ti dalan kasla awan patinggana

ket adu ti matnag ken maigalis nu dika nakasagana

taraonan ti pakinakem iti tunggal agsapa

Balon ti bagi ket nalawag a sirmata

Ti panagbutbuteng ken karasakas dagiti saka

Maysa laeng nga rupa ti kinatakrot ken pannakaiwawa

Panangtungpal iti linteg nga awan kaes-eskanna

karasakas laeng dayta dagiti saka nga awan papananna

Iti nasin-aw a panagserbi iti umili di na koma abaken

Ti bannog iti bagi ken tured ti pakinakem

Tawid dagitoy kadagiti inna ken amma, saan di pay nagsardeng

Agsipud ta ti karasakas iti agsapa ken sardam di na kaya nga abaken.

Ni Manny

Ika -18 iti mabilang ti Oktobre 2008

My daughters and I were walking on the pavements full of fallen leaves from the trees as it was the beginning of Autumn, 2008. The youngest girl said: "dad, there is sound on the leaves on the ground!" This reminded me quickly about the lives of many filipinos back home who continue to fight against human rights violations by the state authorities. The Iloko word for the sound created by our footsteps is KARASAKAS. This also made me to think and wonder how do James Balao and other victims of abductions and unexplained disappearances feel whenever they hear of any sound or karasakas approaching them wherever they are being detained! This poem was composed to remember them and to all men and women who continue to live dangerous lives. Karasakas will continue to haunt them but they will never stop until together with the people, they will finally triumph against the evils of society.