A Sonnet On Undying Love

This month, February, is universally associated with matters of the heart. Maybe it’s because of the cold balmy weather, quite conducive to courtship and romance. Or maybe because of Valentine’s Day falling on the 14th. Whatever it is, people – Engineers included and perhaps more so - are a little more passionate and a little more in love on this month.

Quite fittingly, we start the month with a Love Poem from one of my friends from Asingan, Pangasinan.

Sammy was my softspoken school mate from the Asingan North Central School. He was a year ahead of us but we were closely acquainted through Scouting. But even before that, I look up to Sammy because his passion and talent for the visual arts is something out of the ordinary. In those Art Corners of every classroom then were posted the outstanding artworks done by previous pupils who are already in the next grade. These are posted for us in the lower grade as samples to emulate. Seven out of ten of those works, maybe more, are by Sammy Antonio. How could you not idolize such a guy?

We parted ways in High School as we went to different institutions. Much later, I learned he was teaching design and drawing subjects at The Pangasinan State University. Then we lost contact completely. One day, I found him again in the internet. It turned out that he migrated to the States to fulfill his passion for arts to become the Exhibit Designer And Preparator, International Museum Of Arts And Sciences, Mcallen Texas. Definitely bigtime but still innately humble, Sammy has not forgotten his Asingan roots and remains charitable with, among others, his scholarship foundation for poor but deserving PSU students.

In the sonnet that follows, Sammy raptures about his Chrysanthemum, a lovely Nurse from Asingan who worked in Texas and whom he pursued and regaled relentlessly with his fine paintings and love-laced poetry. They eventually got married and were blessed with two charming sons. As fate would have it, she passed away from cancer some six years ago. But she lives on in Sammy’s immortal poetry...
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MY EVERLASTING CHRYSANTHEMUM

by sammy d. antonio

Let me refresh the foliage of thy mute yesteryears,
You were then a blooming flower I was young bee frail;
Roaming around your garden hoping that you may hear,
The whisper in my heart i cant even say it clear.

I felt sad when you went away, bound for a new place;
In my lonely world, i gazed at yellow daffodils.
Yet in my dreams my dear Chrysanthemum its your face,
Because of your everlasting qualities which the other flower fails.

Now that i found you, i can no longer conceal;
The whisper in my heart, it's a must i will now reveal;
I will even shout for the whole world to hear,
"I love you Chrysanthemum", it's no longer a whisper;

You may call me ambitious, a dreamer reaching you above;
Yes, because i have nothing to offer but my humble love.
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