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Sunday, November 30, 2014

Supremo


SUPREMO
To Andres Bonifacio

Your bones may be lost forever,
But we are possessed, fortunately,
Of your photograph, in which
You glare—proud, sullen,

Belligerent, yet also brave, staunch,
Inspired—Supremo indeed.
I do not doubt your genius,
Testified by, for one,

Your marvelous capacity
For self-education, though
You must admit that
Your keenness is blunted

By your weakness
In the aspect of strategy:
Your inability to ride
Rapidly transforming events

So that they instead
Rode you, shamefully,
To your wretched execution—
Unjust, no doubt,

Still, result of your failure
To play your cards well.
Unyielding to a fault,
Prickly, reckless,

Flawed by fatal hubris,
You forecast your own fate
In the red and black flags
Of the Katipunan.

Now, standing in dust and smoke
Beclouding your monument
By the illustrious sculptor,
Guillermo Tolentino,

I see the Great Plebeian
Brandishing bolo and gun
And wonder about the message
He purportedly signifies.

Is there wisdom in violence?
Behold, the sword that liberates
Is the selfsame weapon
That tragically destroys!

Originally published in Anak Sastra (October 26, 2014), pages 80-81



Andres Bonifacio, c. 1896, only extant photograph

2 comments:

  1. November 30, 2014 is Bonifacio Day in the Philippines.

    Gonzalinho

    ReplyDelete
  2. BONIFACIO: A SHORT LIFE DEDICATED TO THE FILIPINO

    On Nov. 30, we celebrate Bonifacio Day. One should not only treat this day as a pleasant day off, but also to think about Andres Bonifacio and his honorable goals.

    Bonifacio fought against colonial rule and exploitation of the Philippines. Revolutions aim to bring about changes that improve the living conditions of the people and give the country freedom. I am not a Filipino citizen but of German-French origin; should I, as a foreigner, comment on Bonifacio? What I have to say is a message of hope and pride from the Philippines, there is no negativism here.

    Bonifacio loved books about the French Revolution and the 1871 Commune in Paris. He was highly intellectual and, to this day, a pride of this nation. And rightly so! He had the courage to found the Katipunan in a time of oppression—this deserves respect. He also faced difficulties among his own ranks, but he fought on. He was 33 years old when he was shot. A short life but a life dedicated for Philippine freedom. He is rightly considered a national hero.

    He also had many domestic enemies because as president, he wanted to enforce the distribution of wealth and land holdings. Bonifacio, full of idealism, was too naïve to see through political maneuvering. Before he could leave Cavite, he was convicted and then executed for treason. What a loss for the Philippines!

    The Filipino-German production “Bayani (The Hero)” (director: Raymond Red, music: Alan Hilario) was produced in 1992. It was shown at the Biennale. Bonifacio deserves to be honored because he was a “child of the people.” If I were to meet him today, I would say “Thank you for being here with us.”

    JÜRGEN SCHÖFER, Ph.D
    biopreparat.schoefer@gmail.com
    Philippine Daily Inquirer, November 28, 2022

    https://opinion.inquirer.net/159095/bonifacio-a-short-life-dedicated-to-the-filipino#ixzz7sgoCx6mD

    Gonzalinho

    ReplyDelete