The Measure of A Man

Jonathan Aquino

By Jonathan Aquino

I.
Any fool can carry a weapon
and even a coward can kill.
I told the warrior as he rose,
drawing his sword as I sat still,
unmoved as death draws near.
II.
He told who he was and how dare I,
I did and there is no need, said I,
to say what I already knew, and he,
as he raised the blade, saw I wasn't afraid.
III.
My eyes, steady in gaze, are cystal-clear,
and he saw it, he whose weapon is fear.
Am I not afraid to die, he asked me.
And then I spoke, and he listened closely.
IV.
Death arrives as the dawn brings out the sun
and courage is to face it when it comes.
And yet the measure of a man is more than valor,
for it is empty without decency and honor.

Setu, August 2018

Poetry Collaboration: Elizabeth Castillo & Jonathan Aquino

Elizabeth Castillo

Metamor-Phoenix

Elizabeth:

An enchanting, mysterious metamorphosis
Sets the cocoon to become a beauteous butterfly,
For its spirit to rise from the ashes
And soar high into the sky.

Jonathan:
All your life you yearned to reach the top,
And one day you’re on the summit, finally,
And you seek the prize, but all you can see
Is another mountain to climb, so you climb
Because life can be funny sometimes.
Elizabeth:

Jonathan Aquino

This winding road which leads me to my destination,
Showed me mazes, down hills and upturns
But I won’t readily succumb to every trial,
For I can see behind the labyrinth, the end to my journey.

Jonathan:
And then we look back the way we came,
And, we see, in pristine glory, the valley,
The hills and forests and rivers,
And, we missed it all, most of all the flowers.

Elizabeth:
I have known joy and had my share of life’s inevitable sorrows,
But each time I was tempted to quit, my angel appears
I know that my path is what Destiny has in store for me
And that each struggle is bound to change me for the better.

Jonathan:
So, we stopped and thought awhile, and we see,
That, the road never ends even when the road ends
And, we go on, wiser, knowing that life is a journey,
A small thought, but it makes all the difference.
Elizabeth:

I have battled my inner demons and even defeated my own self
To save my soul and let the phoenix in me arise,
That moment shining through my door like a thief in the night
The magical catalyst in discovering my true self and my Divine Purpose.

Setu, April 2018

Poetry: Divine Comedy

Jonathan Aquino

Jonathan Aquino

Jonathan Aquino is the author of "Fisherboy," "Why The World Needs Heroes," "A Celebration of Life" and "The Way To Inner Peace," all published by Smashwords. His stories, essays, articles and poetry have appeared in various international anthologies, literary websites, citizen journalism websites and various major newspapers and magazines. His plays have aired on national radio in his home country, the Philippines.

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Divine Comedy

By Jonathan Aquino

I.

"This is a ghost town."

So said Satan at the top

of the stairway to heaven.

Cool as a breeze he came in, 

and saw the sign: "No Smoking!"

“What the hell is this?”

he said as he rued:

Only fools create rules!

II.

Near the gym, a choir was in practice.

A cherubim was singing "In My Life"

and the others follow acapella.

“The Beatles,” a seraphim said to him.

He smiled and deadpanned:

“I hate rock and roll.”

But nobody knew what he meant.

III.

He saw The Almighty in the courtyard,

“Hey Bruce!” he crowed, waving, 

innocently humming

"One Of Us" by Sheryl Crow.

“Don’t call Me that!” God snapped.

“What's wrong with Thou, anyhow?” he asked.

God ignored him, looking at Jonah drowning,

and tugged at His left earring

and a sperm whale ejaculated from the sea.

IV.

“You what?” asked God later

as he heard the scheme over

hot choco and corned beef sandwiches.

“That’s the most ridiculous thing,”

said the Lord, “since Vatican!”

The Devil cannot be distracted,

he’s in debate: “Look,” he said,

“feed a dog and he won’t bite you,

but feed a man and he will.”

And for no reason he added:  “Rabies!”

“You stole that idea from Sam Clemens!”

scolded the Lord.

“Who?” the devil asked, floored.

“Mark Twain,” God explained,

and conceded with His voice low:

“Sounds more elegant though.”

V.

"Wait," God cleared His throat.

"Let Me get this straight:

you want Me to let you

do that thing you wanna do?"

And the Devil replied:

“What are we in power for?”

God shrugged and said: "True."

He squinted and asked:

“Did you ever realize

you’re the only politician in Paradise?”

He was silent for a moment.

"This doesn't make sense," he said.

He mused more and added:

"But I wonder what will happen?"

Setu, January 2018

Jonathan Aquino

Jonathan Aquino is the author of "Fisherboy," "Why The World Needs Heroes," "A Celebration of Life" and "The Way To Inner Peace," all published by Smashwords. His stories, essays, articles and poetry have appeared in various international anthologies, literary websites, citizen journalism websites and various major newspapers and magazines. His plays have aired on national radio in his home country, the Philippines.

Books: Smashwords
Blog: 2Rivers
Portfolio: Jonathan Aquino
Facebook: Jonathan Huggybear

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