Plain Citizen Juan De La Cruz
he thinks he is part of the government,
correct,
he is part of the people whom the government taxed
taking his money
and later some of his property, his chicken, his pig, his carabao
his plow,
then the government enters into war
plain juan de la cruz becomes the soldier
killing another soldier
in the killing fields in the mine fields he will soon lose his arm
if not both his feet
plain juan de la cruz
then the rebels come, the insurgents, the belligerents
juan de la cruz is not in his house
his wife and children are now the pawns
the victims
the servants
the wife cooks for the comrades the child runs to the nearby store
to buy cigarettes and liquour
then they too will ask for the chicken, the pigs, the carabao,
the rice and some vegetables and beans and
a little money to support their cause
plain juan de la cruz
plain citizen, will he survive the war on both sides?
let us have a sandwich
for a metaphor, this poem looks like it,
plain de la cruz is in between
and he has no choice.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Added by Poetry Lover
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