Baro a Tawen, Baro a Nakem*

*An Ilokano composition of mine first published in www.iluko.com in 2008. The poem simply speaks of New Year, New Thinking. The message is still relevant today.

Baro a Tawen, Baro a Nakem

Baro a tawen, baro a nakem

panangbaliw ugalitayo a di rumbeng

tapno napintas a gasattayo dumteng

manipud taaw ni biag a mangliwengliweng.

Baro a tawen, baro a nakem

padatayo a pinarsua intay' laglagipen

andingayen, linglingayen, tarabayen

tapno biagda-biagtayo sumayaaten.

Baro a tawen, baro a nakem

guran-gura intayo kadi lipaten

kabusortayo agbalin koman a gayyem

tapno langeb-manto ti lubong mapukawen.

Baro a tawen, baro a nakem

salun-at, sanikuatayo, intayo ilalaen

bagi ken panunottayo intay' taripatuen

tapno biagtayo umattiddog ken rumangen.

(c) 2013 by Chris A. Quilpa