Kamay ng Birhen (Hands of a Virgin)

Virgins Hands (1929) is beautiful, touching Tagalog poem by Jose Corazon de Jesus about how his love

for a woman changed him for the better. It has been said that the hands of a virgin have the power to

transform even hardened criminals into good men.

KAMAY NG BIRHEN

Mapuputing kamay, malasutlat lambot,

kung hinahawi mo itong aking buhok,

ang lahat ng aking dalita sa loob

ay nalilimot ko nang lubos na lubos.

At parang bulaklak na nangakabuka

ang iyong daliring talulot ng ganda,

kung nasasalat ko, O butihing sinta,

parang ang bulaklak kahalikan ko na.

Kamay na mabait, may bulak sa lambot,

may puyo sa gitna paglikom sa loob;

magagandang kamay na parang may gamot,

isang daang sugat nabura sa haplos.

Parang mga ibong maputit mabait

na nakakatulog sa tapat ng dibdib;

itoy bumubuka sa isa kong halik

at sa aking pisngi ay napakatamis.

Ang sabi sa kwento, ang kamay ng birhen

ay napababait ang kahit salarin;

ako ay masama, nang ikawy giliwin,

ay nagpakabait nang iyong haplusin.

Ang Pamana Ni Jose Corazon de Jesus
Isang araw ang ina koy nakita kong namamanglaw
Naglilinis ng marumit mga lumang kasangkapan.
Sa pilak ng kanyang buhok na hibla na katandaan
Nabakas ko ang maraming taon niyang kahirapan;
Nakita ko ang ina koy tila baga nalulumbay
At ang sabi itong pyano sa iyo ko ibibigay,
Ang kubyertos nating pilak ay kay Itang maiiwan,
Mga silyat aparador ay kay Tikong nababagay
Sa ganyan ko hinahati itong ating munting yaman.

Pinilit kong pasayahin ang lungkot ng aking mukha

Tinangka kong magpatawa upang siya ay matuwa,
Subalit sa aking matay may namuong mga luha
Naisip ko ang ina ko, ang ina ko na kawawa;
Tila kami iiwan nat may yari nang huling nasa at
sa halip na magalak sa pamanang mapapala,
Sa puso ko ay dumalaw ang malungkot na gunita
Napaiyak akong tila isang kaawaawang bata
Niyakap ko ang ina ko at sa kanya ay winika.

Ang ibig ko sana, Inay ikaw aking pasiyahin

at huwag nang Makita pang ikay Nalulungkot mandin,
O, Ina ko, ano po ba at naisipang hatiin
Ang lahat ng munting yamang maiiwan sa amin?
Wala naman, yaong sagot baka ako ay tawagin ni Bathala
Mabuti nang malaman mo ang habilin?
Iyang pyano, itong silyat aparador ay alaming
Pamana ko na sa iyo, bunsong ginigiliw.

Ngunit Inang, ang sagot ko, ang lahat ng kasangkapan

Ang lahat ng yaman dito ay hindi ko kailangan
Ang ibig koy ikaw ina, ang ibig koy ikaw inang
Hinihiling ko sa Diyos na ang pamana koy ikaw
Aanhin ko iyong pyano kapag ikaw ay mamatay
At hindi ko matutugtog sa tabi ng iyong hukay?
Ililimos ko sa iba ang lahat ng ating yaman
Pagkat di ka maaaring pantayan ng daigdigan
Pagkat, ikaw O Ina ko, ikay wala pang kapantay.
 Nothing is Impossible to a Willing Hand

- Could anyone balance himself

on one foot for 34 hours? Impossible?
But the Guiness Book of World Records tells us
that N.Ravi of Tamil Nadu, Indian,did just that in 1982.

- Could more than three people ride a bike together? Impossible?

Sixteen Japanese cyclists did in 1984.

- Could somebody write the names

of forty-four countries on a single grain of rice? Impossible?
Tsotomu Ighil of Tokyo did in 1983.

- Could a deaf man write music or conduct an orchestra? Impossible!

Beethoven did!

- Could a woman who was blind, deaf and dumb

from the age of six, be an author by the age of twenty
and get an honourary degree by twenty-four? Impossible?
Helen Keller did!

- Could a scantily-clad, weak old man with poor

eyesight challenge the worlds greatest power, and win? Impossible?
Mahatma Gandhi did!

I read of these people and I marvel.

I think of these people and I wonder.
Why do our dictionaries carry the word impossible?
Someone always seems to prove that the impossible is indeed possible.
All that is needed is a willing hand.
All that matters is the will!

I recollect the old poem:

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you dont;
If you like to win but you think you cant,
Its almost certain you wont!

All feats remain impossible only as long as

people think them to be impossible
believe them to be impossible.

So impossible is only a thought; impossible

is merely a belief. But neither thought nor
belief can be as strong as our will.

Nothing can possibly be impossible if

we are willing if we have the will to succeed.
And succeed in any field depends on our will to conquer that field.
Which means three things?

First, we must have a clear vision of what we want to achieve;

Second, we must believe we can achieve it; and
 Third, we must start doing it now!

For the willing hand there is no tomorrow only today.

No later only now.
It is now that the willing hand begins, however great the task.
For a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Only by willing ourselves to begin can we fight the unbeatable foe,

And run where the brave dare not go.

Only a willing mind will dare to dream the impossible dream.

Only the willing hand will reach the unreach-able star.

Only the will.

Nothing but the will can make the impossible
possible