Patay na Ang Tandang ni Abdon Balde Jr.

Patay na Ang Tandang
ni Abdon Balde Jr.

Lipas na sa tandang ang mga panahong
Palaging palaban saan man isabong;
Wala na ang lukso ng dugong mainit
Na kung bumubulwak masarap, masakit;
Wala na ang tapang, wala na ang lakas
Tamad nang bumangon kahit hinihimas.

Nasa bahay na lang itong sabungerong
Gustuhin ma’t hindi’y sadyang retirado;
Pahilot-hilot ng binting nangangalay,
Pasungkit-sungkit ng mga kukong patay;
Papisil-pisil ng butong nanlalambot
Pahaplos-haplos ng ugat na natuyot.

Tuwing susulyap sa butihing asawa
Ay dalagang mukha ang naaalala;
Mapupulang labi’t mapintog na pisngi
Ang pesteng tukso sa pagmumunimuni;
Aastang para bang gusto’y pintakasi
Subalit wala nang ipagmamalaki.

Kung gabing malamig ay naghihimagsik
Itong sabungero sa kanyang sinapit;
Habang naninigas sa lamig ang tuhod
Ang alaga nama’y lalong nanlalambot;
Ang di malaman sa pinaglalamayan:
Anong patay itong ni walang libingan?



ANALYSIS:
The poem is about a man who has lost his youth. The man is a retired cock fighter. He reminisces his enthusiasm, as he once was someone who is up for anything. Now that he is old, he is getting weaker by age. Every time he looks at his wife, he remembers the younger version of her. I think he misses his younger days. The way I understood the poem, the poet basically describes him as a dead man. He’s stagnant, and doesn’t have anything to look forward to in life so he does nothing but drown himself in the memories of the past.