Alay-Diwa (Spoken Word Poetry)

(A beat drops, a low, resonant hum underlying the spoken word)

Sino sila? (Who are they?) The question hangs in the air, a challenge, a mystery whispered on the wind.

Tagapagtaguyod? (Supporters?) Their hands, unseen yet felt, steady us on unsteady ground. Tagapag-aruga? (Caretakers?) Their gentle touch, a balm on wounded souls. Tagapagsakripisyo? (Sacrificers?) Their silent sacrifices, the bedrock upon which our lives are built. O baka sila 'yung tinig sa ating isipan, (Or perhaps they are the voice in our minds,) Na kahit wala sila, ramdam pa rin natin ang kanilang pagmamahal? (Even when they're absent, we still feel their love?)

(The beat intensifies slightly, a subtle shift in rhythm)

Sila ang haligi’t ilaw ng tahanan, (They are the pillars and the light of the home,) Hindi lang nagbibigay, kundi nagsasakripisyo, (Not just giving, but sacrificing,) Hindi lang umaalalay, kundi nagtutulak palayo sa dilim, (Not just supporting, but pushing us away from darkness,) Hindi lang nagmamahal, kundi nag-aalay ng buong sarili. (Not just loving, but offering their whole selves.)

(A pause, a breath, a moment of reflection)

Sa bawat hakbang na aming tinatahak, (With every step we take,) May mga luhang lihim nilang pinapahid, (There are secret tears they wipe away,) Mga pangarap na isinantabi para sa amin, (Dreams they set aside for us,) Mga gabing nag-alala, habang tayo’y mahimbing. (Nights spent worrying while we slept soundly.)

(The rhythm becomes more urgent, a building crescendo)

Pagmamahal n’yo’y walang katumbas, (Your love is immeasurable,) Tulad ng hangin—di nakikita, pero ramdam, (Like the wind—invisible, yet felt,) Tulad ng araw—walang kapaguran sa pagbibigay liwanag, (Like the sun—tirelessly giving light,) Kayo ang tunay na bituing gumagabay sa dilim ng buhay. (You are the true stars guiding us through life's darkness.)

(The beat softens, a gentler, more contemplative tone)

Kahit ilang ulit kaming madapa, (Even if we fall countless times,) Kayo ang unang humihila sa amin pataas, (You are the first to pull us up,) Bilog man ang mundo, di kami mawawala, (Though the world may turn, we will not be lost,) Pagkat kayo ang tahanang hindi kami iiwan. (Because you are the home that will never abandon us.)

(The intensity returns, a powerful declaration)

Sa bawat sakit, tinig n’yo’y aming sandigan, (In every pain, your voice is our support,) Sa bawat tagumpay, kayo ang dahilan, (In every success, you are the reason,) Sa likod ng bawat pangarap na aming tinutupad, (Behind every dream we fulfill,) Kayo ang ugat—ang pundasyon ng aming pag-asa. (You are the root—the foundation of our hope.)

(The beat slows, a sense of resolution)

Kaya ngayon, kami naman. (So now, it's our turn.) Kami’y magpupunyagi, magpapahalaga, (We will strive, we will cherish,) Hindi lang magmamahal, kundi mag-aalay, (Not just love, but offer ourselves,) At sa huli, kayo’y itataas— (And in the end, we will lift you up—) Hindi lang sa salita, kundi sa gawa. (Not just in words, but in deeds.)

(A final, lingering beat, a sense of quiet strength)

Dahil kayo ang dahilan, kung bakit kami naririto. (Because you are the reason we are here.)