Thanks, Heavens, for this chance I almost missed,
seeing them grown up and happy whom we raised.
It was no easy struggle, not at all,
but it was more than worth it, worth it all —
those moments of warmth, laughter and sweetness
that now fill my memories, will always.
They have made my little life meaningful,
yes, indeed they have made my life so full!
Now to far and foreign shores they have flown
to find meaning and live lives of their own,
yet in our ageing hearts we keep them still
for our children forever be they will.
Thanks, Heavens, for this chance I almost missed —
being a father to children we raised.
(Eric S.B. Libre is a Mindanawon freelance development consultant who has done some work in a number of conflict-affected areas of Mindanao and occasionally dabbles in creative writing. He lives in Digos City, and is proud to be a senior citizen)
