.jbi Seed '96 Poem by Rommel Mark Dominguez Marchan

Once he was the seed
a young and innocent seed
not the cream of the craft
but one of great dreamers, tagged as crank
for his quick - out-of-the-box reasoning
early sprouted in Bethelian seed bed -
a sectarian soil anchored his roots
Firmly hold with dreams and hopes.

Above the said fertile bed
blinding dust
most of the times whirling around
his paling leaves
Entangled within weeds
vines and dirts
That most thought I wouldn’t grow without aid

Learnings are his rain
Knowledge is his stem nourishment
Imparted from gardeners' wisdom
books and lessons are still his my shelter.

The then seed had grown up
with now a promising twigs
and healthy buds had sprouted
facing of tragic winds

The seed no more but a sapling tree
its branches bending humbly
unbreakable like bamboo shoots
despite criticisms and storms

now hes is a tree
whose gigantic trunk can be
leaned on by anybody
but remain by heart as a seed
sowing inspiring deeds

a deep gratitude
to all my noble mentors
by calling
who nurtured me unselfishly
who once accepted my crank thoughts
and seemed unorthodox radical visionary





as inspired by the then Jimenez Bethel Institute principal Sir D. Vale, Sr.,
4th yr - section narra, our garden and history instructor;
my then high school mentors, Ms M. Banque, english subject,
Ms. L. Tilao, social science and Ms. L. Vale-Sabacahan in biology,
now the JBI principal