Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Mang Romy

Mang Romy, aalis ka na pala?
Hindi pa tayo nagkwewentuhan. Di ba
Halos gabi gabi, tuwing alas siete.
"Anna. Uuna na ako. Ikaw na bahala dine?"
"Hwag muna, Mang Romy, hintayin mo na ako."
Ngiti. Talikod. "Goodnight, Mang Romy."

Nguni't Mang Romy ...


Paano ka aalis nang di ko pa arok
Kung ano ang nakakasaya sa 'yo? Ang nakakakirot?
Paano ka magtampo? Mainis? Malungkot?
At aling pangarap pa ang di mo pa abot?
Mang Romy, aalis ka nga ba?
Marahil sa yong paglisan makikilala na kita.


Rough translation:

How can you go, Mang Romy
When we haven't talked?
Remember, every night, around seven --
“Anna, I will go now. Lock up when you leave?”
“No, not yet, Mang Romy. Wait for me?”
But you turn your back with a little smile.
“Goodnight, Mang Romy.”

Mang Romy, how can you go
When you haven’t told
What makes you laugh? What gets your goat?
What drives you, irks you, makes you bleed?
Which of your dreams are yet unreached?
Are you really going ? Are you done?
Perhaps I’ll know you better when you're gone ...


(Written in tribute to our all around, well-liked, trusty Mang Romy on his retirement.)

35 comments:

ScroochChronicles said...

Who is Mang Romy? Seems like a nice fellow.

exskindiver said...

any time a person that has been a part of your life leaves, whether bit or major role player, good-byes are always difficult.
it always makes you wonder whether your paths will ever cross again.
Good-byes also make you ponder whether you were able to make a difference in that person's life--and also makes you realize the importance of that person's life in yours.

Anonymous said...

oh wow! this is one of those things i wish, tsk, sana ako na lang ang nakaisip. ang galing!

oo nga pala, best wishes kay mang romy!

Princess said...

Enjoyed the poem. Mang Romy must be happy to read that tribute.

Forever59er said...

Scroochie cookie!

Mang Romy is cool -- the silent, unassuming, reliable type.

He did small carpentry and maintenance jobs in the office. He was also in charge of locking up doors, pulling plugs and generally closing up the "joint" after work hours.

Forever59er said...

Intsik!

Aaah yes. I wish I tried harder to connect with Mang Romy. But ....

Forever59er said...

Ex-skindiver!

As usual you're so on target with your analysis of my post. And then some.

Forever59er said...

Lady Cess!

Thanks. I was just going over some of the past issues of our office newsletter. Found this. I am glad so many of you can relate. :)

Forever59er said...

Princess!

Yes, this poem was published in our newsletter which was distributed during the retirement party for Mang Romy. I think I recited it during the program. I do not know for sure now as this happened a couple of years ago. :)

Anonymous said...

This is a fine and fitting tribute and goodbye to a co-worker who has done his work quietly but excellently.

raqgold said...

i am someone who gets to sit and talk with those mang romy's :D they do have stories to tell. one time we celebrated the birthday nung aming photographer, who's been in the company for years and years. we bought him, a cake, aside from pansit and drinks. you know what, he cried. kasi pala that was his first bday cake, and he's in his 60s na ha.

Anonymous said...

Happy retirement to Mang Romy.

People come, people go. Such is life. :)

Forever59er said...

Jerry!

That's true and that poem was such a measly tribute. Too little too late, in a sense.

Forever59er said...

Racgold!

Oh what a touchng little story.

I guess I don't have the gift of connecting with Mang Romys -- especially those as retircent as our Mang Romy. May aura yata ako na nakaka-ilang eh. :)

Forever59er said...

Rhodora!

People come in and out of our lives and they make a difference. Mang Romy made my work-a-day life so much easier. I just hope that our nightly ritual of "Anna, uuna na ako - Mang Romy, hintayin mo naman ako" which I enjoyed somehow he also enjoyed somehow. :)

Wenchie said...

What a very touching tribute to Mang Romy. I hope he is now enjoying his retirement and the fruits of his labor...:-)

vernaloo said...

awwww...so sweet Anna..galing mo naman. Mang Romy will appreciate this poem you know :)

Anonymous said...

hi! musta na?

Nag comment ako sa post moo na "Mang Romy" pero di ako sure kung pumasok.

Anyhow, ito yon:


Similar (konti) to what I have told you before, marami sa buhay natin ay tulad ng hangin. Di nakikita pero nararamdaman. Minsan soft, minsan harsh at kung minsan parang wala lang.

Naalala ko tuloy ang tula ni Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo na nagsasabi:

Kung ibig mo akong makilala,
lumipad ka hanggang utak,
sumisid ka hanggang buto,
umilanglang ka hanggang kaluluwa,
hubad ako roon mula ulo hanggang paa.

If you wish to know me,
fly up to my brain,
dive deep into my bone,
soar till my soul,
there I am naked from head to sole.

O di ba?
From: Di ako si Mang Romy, http://myepinoy.wordpress.com

Ang galing ng tula.

Salamat

Forever59er said...

Rowena!

Man Romy's son is a driver in our office and I got to as about him through the son. He's okay though living a sedentary life. He is not as active as before when he was keeping fit not only through his manual toils but also through constant walking. :)

Forever59er said...

Vernaloo!

Thank you Verns. Sus pa poem-poem lang ang trip ko. Sana I could have bonded more. Eh ganyan ako, sa bandang huli nagsisisi.

Forever59er said...

Mywpinoy!

I hope you don't mind ako na ang nagpasok ng napagandang comentaryo mo. May problem ba with my comment box? I hope my buddies would somehow let me know if there is a glitz in posting.

Sino ba si Mabanglo. Tila ilang beses mo na siya sinipi (ikin-quote). Napaganda nga ng tula nya.

Masarap nguyain ang tinuran mo tungkol sa mga bagay otaong nararamdam nguni't di nakikita. Kasama ba dito ang mga online friends na kung minsan ay mas matindi pa ang pagconekta natin kaysa mga kaibigan natin sa tunay na buhay. Masasabi ko na ang ilang sa aking blog buddies na wala pang isang taon kami ngkakilala, halimbawa, ay mas arok ang
mga lipad at sisid ng aking diwa kaysa aking mga kaibigan sa tunay na mundo (offline) na nagbilang na ng taon ang aming pagkakaibigan nguni\t di pa alam ang kalahati ng alam ng kaibigan ko sa online.

Pasensya na kung magulo ang aking pananagalog. ahahaha.

Heart of Rachel said...

This is a wonderful tribute to someone who must be respected and well loved by many.

Anonymous said...

Si Ruth Mabanglo is a Poet, Playwright, Journalist, Textbook Writer, Teacher, Coordinator and Professor of Filipino and Philippine Literature Program Department of Hawaiian and Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures University of Hawaii-Manoa

Ito maganda rin, related ito sa post mo:

Pamamaalam

Maraming anyo ang pamamaalam
Alin dito ang sa inyo, mga kaibigan

Una

Pagkulimlim ng liwanag sa mga sanga ng kawayan
Hanggang makapagtago ang araw sa lilim ng buwan

Silahis niya'y kayraming nilalakbay
Sinusuyod ang dagat, ang bundok sinusukat

Niyayakap na mabuti ang lawak ng siyudad
Saka hinahaplos ang sanggol na umuusad

Nguni ang araw, ang liwanag, ang silahis
Naglalatag ng anino, nagkakampay ng bagwis

Saka nagbabalik, lalong matiim, lalong maningning
Binabago, hinuhusay, bawat bagay na datnin

Pangalawa

Paglisan ng alon sa tahanang baybayin
Matapos yayain ng kalaguyong hangin

Agay-ay niya'y maaaring mabinì
Parang masuyong halik o magaang na dampi

Maaaring marahas na gaya ng pangahas
Idinadaluyong ang tubig paitaás, paitaás

At maaari rin namang tahimik na tahimik
Ikinukubli, inililihim ang pagkawaglit

Subalit bumabalik sa nilisang pampang
Nagsisisi wari sa pamamaalam

Pangatlo

Pagkaway ng araw upang magbagong-anyo
Pagkalapat ng bintana at libu-libong pinto

Ang gabi'y inihuhudyat ng kanyang paghimlay
Saka ang mga bituin, isa-isang binubuhay

Humahabi siya ng laksang panaginip
Habang ikaw at ako'y nakahiga, nakapikit

At saka sinisindihang unti-unti
Ang dito sa puso'y sinimpang lunggati

At kung sa paglimot ang diwa'y mabuyo
Mawala sa landas, timbula'y maglaho

Humaharap siya sa bagong liwanag
Isang bagong araw ang pag-asang aalab

Alin dito ang anyo ng inyong pag-alis
Nagtatanong kaming kasukob ng layon at bihis

Malulumbay kami sa inyong paglisan
Huwag sanang mamaalam nang labis, tuluyan

Forever59er said...

Rach!

Thanks. You're quite right, Mang Romy is well respected and well liked. A man of few words. Trabaho lang nang trabaho. He's a gem of a co-worker.

Forever59er said...

Hi. Alam ko, di ikaw si Mang Romy hahaha at matagal ka pang magretire at hindi ka tahimik na bigla lang tumatalikod. :)

Kay ganda naman ng tulang ito. Si Ruth Mabanglo din ba ang may akda?

It covers much of the philosophy of saying goodbye. But most of the examples are cyclical, meaning, the goodbyes would surely turn into hellos later. Meron goodbyes na sobra ang pagkafinal. And that is what hurts.

Anonymous said...

very well said. only a few words but fraught with meaning, seems like a fitting tribute to mang romy.

i didn't think one's retirement was anything special until it was my dad's turn. his officemates were crying, sad to see him leave. their thoughtful manong would no longer be there in the office to give advice oe show concern, they said. it was so touching.

Anonymous said...

Happy retirement to Mang Romy, I'm sure he'll be missed... and it's so nice of you to write about him :-)

Forever59er said...

Monaco!

Of course, when one is as young as you are, one does not know yet that retirement can be one form of drying ... and yet, it might also be one form of rebirth. TY!!

Forever59er said...

Pining!

You might say it is in the job description. Being in chrge of publictions and communictions, I see to it something is printed in black and white by way of goodbye and tribute to all staff who leave. But having said that, I still have to admit Mang Romy is kind of special.

Anonymous said...

Happy Retirement to Mang Romy. I hope he finds time to visit you now and then or vice versa.

Anonymous said...

What a great tribute.

Magaling ka rin pala sa tulang makata.

I like the English translation too.

Forever59er said...

Belle!

Yes, as a matter of fact, I have seen him once or twice since he retired two years ago. He seems fine although he had plans that didn't push through. :(

Forever59er said...

Leah!

I am not really a makata. But it is fun to restring words into rhyme or something that lilts. Try it some time.

Jap said...

It's never too late to know someone better. Very thoughtful tribute and a prudent foresight for the rest of us. Sweet =)

Anonymous said...

bakit hindi:)

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