Photo source: moviemandu.blogspot.com
Today, August 21, 2014 marks the 31st anniversary of the assassination of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr., a former long time political opponent of the former President of the Philippines, Ferdinand E. Marcos. He was shot in the head on the tarmac of then Manila International Airport, now Ninoy Aquino International Airport aptly named after him. He was returning home after a 3-year self exile in the US.
To commemorate that unforgettable event, which shaped the landscape of a new political scene in my beloved country, I am re-publishing my poem:
YELLOW: COLOR OF BLOOD
Yellow became the color of a nation
when one of its favorite son was slain
Shot in the head, body on the tarmac,
never given a chance to have his voice heard
Conspiracy theories abound from within,
as to whom the real trigger man was
Controversial investigations produced
no definitive results, only scapegoats.
Yellow ribbons tied on trees and houses
kinda reminded me of a popular song—
only to show love of the whole nation
Miniature yellow ribbons on buttons
became favorite car emblems, as well
Yellow tee-shirts flooded the market
carrying the slogan of the times:
“Ninoy, you’re not alone!”
So you see, the color yellow means a lot
to every freedom loving Filipinos;
It was blood and guts of our beloved martyr
who knew beforehand he was going to be killed
yet, defied the odds--despite of his heart condition,
insisted on returning to his beloved motherland.
His assassination was pivotal—
to a despotic ruler’s downfall
eventually restoring democracy
to a nation which was formerly
under a decade of martial law!
Engr.VV - D' Poetic Engineer
Please check out my other poems at: http://www.amazon.com/author/engr.vv
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