Ili-Ili of the One Left Behind

By
Alex de los Santos


I am the land you left behind.
After you have plowed, combed,
Pulverized, sweated and planted it
With your pure seed,
Here I am alone.
You parted from me
To plow other’s land.

Our young child
Is looking for the dripping sweat
Of your strong fingers
And your brawny shoulder
That carries him
No matter how hard you try to stop him from crying
When he gets hungry.

My breast has dried up
Because of a long draught
It’s not enough that I just feed him fully
With a song: “Ili-ili sleep for the time being,
Your father is not here.”
Pretty soon, he will learn
To ask: “Why, Mother?”

Translated by Melchor F. Cichon
May 29, 2004