Rain - for the Victims of Typhoon Ondoy

It was monstrous and it prematurely swallowed the last helping of light. It belched ungraciously a deafening rumble that sent ashen clouds behind the shadows, struggling to hold back terrified tears. Gloom blankets the heavens, a black velvet drapery drawn to signal an end.

Or perhaps a beginning.
Of what, the audience may not know.

Then comes the drum roll. Softly at first, then progresses loudly into deep trance. A rhythmic pounding against the roof, the ground, the windowpane, the heart, the mind, the soul… As a sort of backstage performer, this is my cue to start pounding the keyboard…

Rain.

You invade my privacy. What is it in you that set me off to write? Is it the way you taunt me to fall into a mood swing the way you mock the sky and clouds to brood and display their childish tantrums across the skies? Well, I am in no mood to be moody right now. Or is it the way you license the sky to passionately express its fury in thunder and lightning? I am not furious about anything now. Or is it the way you allow the clouds, darkly masculine they may be, to shed tears, be it as little teary-eyed drizzles, or a weeping torrent of emotions? So you coax me to express myself…

You shield my privacy. What makes me seek your refuge? Is it in the way you drench and cool down a fiery angst or your means of soothing a parched broken spirit, tenderly caressing and blowing kisses in the wind? Perhaps it is in the way you hide my sobs and mask the tumbling sorrow streaming down the windows of my soul. Or is it your non-judgmental sympathy with the heavy-hearted, soaking the clouds in heavy emotional baggage? So you think you can mask and camouflage this wet sorrow called tears by drenching us in yours? But I do not need to conceal anything right now.I do not need a tantrum buddy or crying partner right now. So why this needless outburst?

A flash of fury!!!
An awkward pause…
Roaring and rumbling!

Oh!!!
It’s you? It’s you! You need a shoulder to cry on because the shoulder of the mountains has turned cold and lifeless, stripped off of its dignity, shamed and molested by the shameless? The outstretched arms of the trees are no longer there to embrace you.

You have nowhere to go to because the streets and its intestines are stuck in their own personal rubbish? So you literally fill our empty lives, causing us health and sanitation problems.

My shoulders are small against the enormity of your grief. And my arms will not be able to wholly embrace you and console your cascading anguish. But I will share with you this outburst just as you had mine.

We weep for the molested Mountains, undressed Forests, orphaned diminishing Creatures and the massacred Trees. We wail for Air whose purity is stained by the filth of apathy. We sob for Ozone whose very essence is afflicted by cancerous careless consumerism. We whimper for Water whose generous abundance has been abused. We moan for Mother Earth whose children shamed and dishonoured Her. We cry for the future Children of the World who may not get to know the things we cry for.

And we cry for today’s Children of the World so that they may get to know the things we cry for, and that they may cry too. Or better, to recompense for our blunders that will stop us crying…

We sob, we cry, we weep, we wail, we whimper, we moan.

Yes, Rain. Let it rain.

This was my post last July 11, 2009, written for my more personal blog. Little did I know, this rain I was invoking would come in the form of Typhoon Ondoy. The Philippines really has to start taking seriously giving respect and consideration for the environment, for Mother Earth. It should start from each of us, Filipinos, in our own little ways like throwing garbage properly. But the Philippine government has the huge responsibility in taking the lead towards this pursuit by means of proper urban planning, correct waste disposal management, strict enforcement of the anti-smoke belching and anti-illegal logging laws, among other things. Or it could be too late. Meanwhile, let us help out and donate for the victims of typhoon Ondoy. As I have mentioned in my previous post, to help, please check Manuel Quezon III's blog on How to Help. Let your generosity rain down on them.

After Typhoon-Ondoy-Caused Flood, Another Phenomenon Floods the Country

The effects of the wrath of typhoon Ondoy have been strewn all over the capital of the Philippines especially the eastern part of GMA, and in some other provinces like Bulacan and Rizal. The grim picture has been mirrored in the news on TV, the radio, and online, and in social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and in many blogs.

One of these very useful and informative blogs is that by Manuel L. Quezon III. If you need information and updates regarding hotlines, donations, how to help, or if you want to announce your need for help, or if you have some useful information to announce, etc., please check out his blog by clicking this link How to Help

After typhoon Ondoy submerged many parts of the GMA in flood, many kind-hearted Filipinos flooded the dreadful tableau with selfless voluntarism and generosity, some of whom even heroically died in the process of helping others.
While a handful of Filipinos (I think they should be disowned by the Filipino nation) had acted insensitively by posting insensitive comments about the disaster, and taking opportunity at the expense of the victims for their personal gains (politicking, over-pricing(some taxi drivers), and stealing from flooded houses), a great number of Filipinos and companies selflessly extended help for the flash flood victims. Many in the GMA volunteered to help in the rescue, distributing and organizing relief goods, sharing their resources, skills, etc, while many in other provinces who were not affected sent relief goods and donations.

Typhoon Ondoy invoked the Filipino Bayanihan spirit which seem to be a scarce commodity these days. I hope that we, Filipinos, learn from this devastating event. And I hope that the Filipino Bayanihan spirit is alive not only during extreme tragedies like this, but in our everyday Pinoy lives.