By Samantha Bertis
Poems, as we know, can portray many themes and many emotions but most importantly, they can depict love for our beloved teachers. And that was exactly what Jessamyn Guinanao depicted, a grade 10 student who managed to capture the hearts of the judges during the Spoken Word Poetry competition and placed first. Truly, such words written on paper and spoken filled with love and enthusiasm would definitely catch anyone’s heart. Just take the first few lines of her poem;
“ *school bell noise* Uy, magkaklase na maya-maya!
Teka, teka. Nadala ko naman yung homework ko, diba?
Hay, sana lang talaga madali yung quiz ni Ma’am ngayon. ”
The first two stanzas of the poem start out conversation-like, which is an amazing use of speech and storytelling! It’s easy to digest and gets the audience’s attention. It relates the speaker(her) and audience with the use of the topic of the feeling of panicking and urgently desperate to prepare for the teacher soon to arrive, which we are all quite familiar with. Furthermore, when we read these lines,
“Naaalala ko, bago pa ‘ko makapasok sa silid-aralan ay sobra na ‘kong luhaan.
Noon, isa ‘kong musmos na cuatro anyos, humahagulgol at takot sa guro. ”
What do you think? A story, right? Yes! This was very creative of Jessamyn and points back to my words of story-telling, it really feels like someone older was reminiscing and trying to remember those moments that gave significance to their life in school. As if they were telling you that yes, they were once someone like you, someone scared, terrified of a foreign place where they’ll be all alone with no one to rely on. It captures sadness and fear that relates itself to the audience, but a moment of spark erupts and of course, we are soon to arrive at the lines,
“Ngunit kahit gaano ako kabalisa,
may nagparamdam sa’kin na hindi ako nag-iisa”
This is the moment of truth, a moment of discovery if you prefer, a moment where we now see that no matter how scary school seemed and how hard we clung onto our guardians who brought us there, we soon realize that our teachers were not as scary as we made them out to be. We instead find comfort in them, feeling relieved at last. What an emotion to showcase.
“Isipin mo yun, umaapaw ang pagmamahal na kanilang handog
Paano kaya nila nagawang mahalin ang bawat isa sa halos kwarentang tao?”
And a question arises again, but this time it truly comes sentimental and reeks of curiosity, because really, how do teachers love and care for each and every one of their students when there are more than forty of them? It brings out not only curiosity but it provokes thought, a sentimental and deep one at that. Depicting a teacher’s love but also questioning it, and fascinated, we are forced to ask this question.
“Samakatuwid, hindi mo kailangangmagdalawang-isip sa paglapitsa’ting mga guro.
Hindi lamang sila tagapag-turo. Sila rin ay pamilya, kaibigan, at superhero.”
Teachers are not simply teachers; they are our second parents, our friends, our family, and our superhero. The poem continues to showcase teachers’ love not only through actions and words but also through personification, a trust and bond that forms when they are depicted as such. Because they are second parents, they are some of the people we spend most of our days with. They are our friends, for we can talk with them and share with them our dreams and interests. They are family, for we treat them now as such. And they are also our superheroes, for they are like people you would look up to and they inspire you, leaving us students a blueprint for our futures.
“Kaya kong ipagpatuloy ang paghahayag tungkol sa aking pagmamahal sa guro.
Gayunpaman, kahit kailan, hinding-hindi nitomatutumbasan ang pagmamahal ng guro.”
I thank this poem for reminding all of us students to love and care for teachers, for they not only lay the groundwork for our future selves but also for life as a whole. Students nowadays will definitely get inspired to show their love and appreciation for their teachers through this poem. Thank you to all teachers for everything you have done for all of us students so far! And as Jessamyn said at the end of the poem,
“Sa inyo – ako, kaming mga estudyante niyo po – ay saludo!”
Thank you for everything, dear teachers! Salute!
Written below is the complete poem:
SALUDO SA PAGMAMAHAL NG GURO
isinulat ni Jessamyn Guinananao
A SPOKEN WORD POETRY [THEME: PAGMAMAHAL SA GURO]
SCHOOL BELL
Uy, magkaklase na maya-maya!
Teka, teka. Nadala ko naman yung homework ko, diba?
Hay, sana lang talaga madali yung quiz ni Ma’am ngayon.
Ikaw ba, nakapag-aral ka rin ba sa Filipino?
Ah, may hindi ka maintindihan?
Ayos lang yan, pwede mo namang tanungin kay Ma’am.
Nako, wag kang mahiya! Alam mo, dati rin akong ganyan.
Oo nga, totoo. Tara, ikuwento ko pa sa’yo.
Balikan natin sa pinaka-umpisa.
Do’n banda sa kauna-unahang araw ko sa eskwela.
Naaalala ko, bago pa ‘ko makapasok sa silid-aralan ay sobra na ‘kong luhaan.
Noon, isa ‘kong musmos na cuatro anyos, humahagulgol at takot sa guro.
Napakahigpit ng kapit sa braso ng aking nanay.
Ewan ko ba’t pakiramdam ko na ako’y ipapamigay.
Ngunit kahit gaano ako kabalisa,
may nagparamdam sa’kin na hindi ako nag-iisa
Naaalala ko, hinawakan niya ang aking kamay at kasama nito, hinawakan ang aking buhay.
Binuksan niya ang kaniyang bibig at kasama nito, binuksan ang aking malay.
Isa siya sa mga patunay na hindi lamang sa bahay mayroong nanay at tatay na gagabay.
Sapagkat ang paaralan ay puno ng pangalawang magulang na tutulungan kang magtagumpay.
Para silang mga doktor. Kung ang doktor ginagamot ang puso, sila naman pinapatibay ito
Kawangis nila ang mga inhinyero. Mga inhinyero na nagtatayo ng mga tulay patungo sa ating paglago
Katulad rin sila ng mga piloto. Sa loob ng apat na sulok ng kwarto, pinapalipad nila tayo
Sa bawat espasyo ng mundo upang marating ang ating inaasam na destinasyon
Sila’y walang iba kundi ang ating mga guro –
kapangyarihan nila ang kanilang pasensya at dedikasyon.
Isipin mo yun, umaapaw ang pagmamahal na kanilang handog
Paano kaya nila nagawang mahalin ang bawat isa sa halos kwarentang tao?
Kwarentang mag-aaral na may iba’t ibang boses, pangarap, at pag-aasal
Lahat yun pantay-pantay sa loob ng kanilang puso na walang ginawa kundi ang magmahal.
Samakatuwid, hindi mo kailangang magdalawang-isip sa paglapit sa’ting mga guro.
Hindi lamang sila tagapag-turo. Sila rin ay pamilya, kaibigan, at superhero.
Kaya kong ipagpatuloy ang paghahayag tungkol sa aking pagmamahal sa guro.
Gayunpaman, kahit kailan, hinding-hindi nito matutumbasan ang pagmamahal ng guro.
Sa inyo – ako, kaming mga estudyante niyo po – ay saludo!