Nelie Bautista, Bontoc-Singapore
Noong ako'y bata pa, saksi ako sa tubig na pangunahing ginagamit sa araw araw. Buong nayon nakikinabang sa mahiwagang batis malapit saaming lupang sakahan, napakalinaw at napakalinis.
Araw araw halos maghapon walang tigil sa pagsalok nang tubig ngunit hindi nauubusan, nakakamangha ang tubig na iyon ay karugtong sa puno ng kahoy na sailalim ay may bukal.
Lahat nang nakatira sa pook na yun ay kasalukuyang doon naglalaba nagdadala lamang nang kani-kanilang batya upang mapanatili ang kalinisan. Napakalinaw ng tubig parang krystal.
Kapag nakadungaw ka, tila nakikita mo ang iyong sarili. Sa sobrang linis doon narin kami sumasalok nang tubig nang aming iinumin. At pang gamit sa lulutin ang lasa ng tubig at manamis tamis.
Mahiwagang batis ang tawag namin dahil yun ang nagtataglay nang pangunahing tubig saaming nayon hindi nauubusan. At ang tubig ay nanggagaling sa kabundukan na dumadaloy sa mga ugat ng puno, na tanging nagproprotekta nito.
Spring Water (English translation)
When I was a child, I witnessed how water is used every day.
The whole village benefits from the mysterious stream near our farmland, where the water is clear and clean. Every day, almost all day, without interruption, we drew water that never ran out. Water extending from the trunk of a tree, and underneath, a spring.
Everyone who lives there brings their laundry and washes their clothes in their respective tubs to maintain cleanliness. Clear water like liquid crystal.
When you look into it, you seem to see yourself. Clean water that we scoop into our palms to drink. Sweet water we cook with.
We call it a mysterious stream because it is the main source of water in our village that never runs out. Water flowing from the mountains to the roots of the tree, protecting it.
Note: Poem translated by the author.
Nelie Bautista is from Bontoc, Southern Leyte, Philippines, and has been working in Singapore for the past seven years as an elderly care helper. Bautista is a member of Carnival of Poetry and Migrant Writers of Singapore, and has read her poem at Sing Lit Station. She is a Diamond team leader and social media correspondent at Uplifters.
