Para kay Alex *

Pinasulat kita
ng magasing pambata
pasimplehin mo lang 'kako
nang malaman nila
ang ating rebolusyon,
gawin mong dahan-dahan
hakbang-hakbang,
baytang-baytang
nang matutunan nilang marating
ang kasaysayan.
Subalit pinili mong
maging makata,
at iguhit ang dusa at pasakit,
isabog ang kulay ng poot at paghihimagsik,
sumungkit ng mga pangarap
at gawing buhay
ang ating pakikibaka.
Lampas man ito
sa pang-unawa ng mga paslit,
nag-iwan ka ng bagong henerasyon
ng mga makata para sa bayan
na patuloy na malikhaing
maglalarawan
ng ating mga hangarin.
Di ka man nagsulatpara sa mga bata
nag-iwan ka ng inspirayon,
at heto ako ngayon,
parang bata uli, gusto kong tumula.

* Alexander Martin Remollino worked for a while with IBON Foundation. He was assigned to write journals for social studies for grade school and high school students - Sibika, Hekasi, Philippine Currents, Asian Currents, World Currents, Ekonomiks. He did not pass the evaluation. Alex did not have the pedagogy and writing style for children - he was an angry young man. "Alex, you have to tone down for the kids," his editor would admonish him. "Ma'am gusto kong tumula," he would say. Alex thus left IBON after six months - a mutual decision that up to this day IBON does not regret. Alex's writing had developed so rapidly that only two years after he left IBON, when the institution launched the book "At Home in the World with Jose Ma. Sison" by Ninotchka Rosca, Alex was one of the reputable writers who gave their critical reviews.