Little Pussy Cat

by Florita R. Matic

I am a little cat
They call me Pussy Cat
This cute little cat
Gives a lot of love

The love that I give

Brings real happiness
Uncertainty and loneliness
Are out of my interest

Eagerness and excitement

Are the feelings I get
Each time I meet
A new playmate

All Things Bright and Beautiful 

~Cecil Frances Alexander

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,

Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,

The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning,
That brightens up the sky;
The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one.

He gave us eyes to see them,

And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.
Psst…..
Come here! Yes, you! I want you. Don’t be scared, it’s just you and me now.
Besides, you’re already paid.
It’s 4am, and I’m walking pass the blinking lights of shattered freedom, trying to figure out my
worth.
With eyes wide open, I can’t seem to think.
As I approach the sanctuary of guilt, my body just turned ice cold.
Psst…..
It’s that sound again. Please make it stop!
For the past 2 years that I’ve been doing this, nothing seems to make sense.
That musky scent that makes me shiver, suddenly covered the air.
I’m done for the day.
Looking back on the days when my soul was pure, I can’t help but smile.
I still remember the sweet memories of my younger days, when all that I have is free.
Oh, those were the days.
I guess the truth is, I can no longer go back.
But, did I really have that liberty?
I guess i did, cause it still hurts.
Psst….
It’s 4am, and I’m still here, trying to stop what I can’t.
I’m paid, yes I am.
This would suddenly end.
I’ll just close my eyes until it’s over.
At last, it is.
As I brush off the stains of a filthy life that doesn’t seem to get better, it just gets worse.
Sitting here with drops of water over my head, a series of unfortunate event flashed.
Starting to realize the mistakes that I’ve made, I closed my eyes.
It just gets worse. It really does.
And you’re telling me that it’s my fault?
How could you blame the judgment of an innocent soul who’s only wish is to love and be loved?
Do you think it’s easy to go through the day thinking that you’re soul is burning in every second?
You don’t know who I am, and what I’ve been through.
So, don’t say a word.
If only guidance was present in my past, it would’ve been different.
If only lessons were learned before mistakes were made, this wouldn’t be me.
I guess, I just have to deal with it.
Choice is nowhere to be found.
Psst….
It’s 4am, and I’m home, a totally different view.
I was just called. I guess I should go.
It’s 4am, and I’m here again.
Psst….
It’s that sound again.
-Mando
Vengeance is Not Ours, It’s God’s
(Another winning declamation piece. It's good to memorize and good to recite. You will really cry when you will
deliver this piece in front of the audience. Find out why.)

Alms, alms, alms. Spare me a piece of bread. Spare me your

mercy.  I am a child so young, so thin, and so ragged. Why are
you staring at me?  With my eyes I cannot see but I know that
you are all staring at me. Why are you whispering to one
another? Why? Do you know my mother? Do you know my
father? Did you know me five years ago?
Yes, five years of bitterness have passed. I can still remember
the vast happiness mother and I shared with each other. We were
very happy indeed.
Suddenly, five loud knocks were heard on the door and a deep
silence ensued. Did the cruel Nippon’s discover our peaceful
home? Mother ran to Father’s side pleading. “Please, Luis, hide
in the cellar, there in the cellar where they cannot find you,” I
pulled my father’s arm but he did not move. It seemed as though
his feet were glued to the floor.
The door went “bang” and before us five ugly beasts came
barging in. “Are you Captain Luis Santos?” roared the ugliest of
them all. “Yes,” said my father. “You are under arrest,” said one
of the beasts. They pulled father roughly away from us. Father
was not given a chance to bid us goodbye.
We followed them mile after mile. We were hungry and thirsty.
We saw group of Japanese eating. Oh, how our mouths watered
seeing the delicious fruits they were eating,
Then suddenly, we heard a voice call, “Consuelo. . . . Oscar. . . .
Consuelo. . . . Oscar. . . . Consuelo. . . . Oscar. . . .” we ran
towards the direction of the voice, but it was too late. We saw
father hanging on a tree. . . . dead. Oh, it was terrible. He had
been badly beaten before he died. . . . and I cried vengeance,
vengeance, vengeance! Everything went black. The next thing I
knew I was nursing my poor invalid mother.
One day, we heard the church bell ringing “ding-dong, ding-
dong!” It was a sign for us to find a shelter in our hide-out, but I
could not leave my invalid mother, I tried to show her the way to
the hide-out.
Suddenly, bombs started falling; airplanes were roaring
overhead, canyons were firing from everywhere. “Boom, boom,
boom, boom!” Mother was hit. Her legs were shattered into
pieces. I took her gently in my arms and cried, “I’ll have
vengeance, vengeance!” “No, Oscar. Vengeance, it’s God’s,”
said mother.
But I cried out vengeance. I was like a pent-up volcano.
“Vengeance is mine not the Lord’s”. “No, Oscar. Vengeance is
not ours, it’s God’s” these were the words from my mother
before she died.
Mother was dead and I was blind. Vengeance is not ours? To
forgive is divine but vengeance is sweeter.  That was five years
ago, five years. . . .
Alms, alms, alms. Spare me a piece of bread. Spare me your
mercy. I am a child so young, so thin, and so ragged. Vengeance
is not ours, it’s God’s. . . . It’s. . . . God’s. . It’s…
A PIECE OF BREAD
It’s been long years of sufferings and now I stood at the bar

of justice with my pale young face.

“Am I guilty or not guilty?” It’s a question that always lingers on my mind.

“I will tell you just how it was. My father and mother were dead.

My little brothers and sisters were hungry and asked me for bread. At first I

earned the bread by working hard all day. But somehow, the times were

hard and the work fell all away. I could get no more work.”

“That night, the weather was bitter cold and my little brothers and

sisters were crying, shivering and craving for food. My brother and I

hurriedly rushed and asked a piece of bread from the saleslady but she

pushed me, scolded me for I am nothing but jerk.

 
So, I got a piece of bread and we ran away but … Bang!

The gun went off and my brother fell dead.

“Dino, …no…,Dino, don’t die.. here’s a piece of bread ..

I got it for you and our sisters… Please don’t die…hu.hu.hu…”

 

I dried my tears in a moment then looked at the judge’s eyes.

“Am I guilty for stealing a piece of bread?”

“What about you? Are you not guilty for killing my innocent brother?

Everyone in the courtroom sprang theirs tears for they knew

that I spoke the truth. May God forgive me for stealing a piece of bread.