The Blasts of Fury

[Poetry]
by Bai Fairuz B. Candao

Dread laid upon this little boy as the blasts of fury
lit the calm open air,
Like streaks of comets onto the land
it dispersed its flare,
Where he and his loved ones
endeavoured their peaceful retreat,
The flare cast its spell out
with fuming feat…

To the shrubs is where little Ali set out to hide,
With his tender body jolting hardly
it wasn’t a breeze to pace in stride,
Try as he might to flee off as swiftly as he could,
But his motion was slowed down
by a severed limb that was up to no good…

Yet he struggled some more and aided his way through,
He brought himself together like a grown man would do,
At last in the thistles, he covered for comfort and safety,
Where he gasped to such an extent with anguish
and surrendered his weak body…

He drew his eyes together and
held out his hands with open palms for a moment,
And called upon the Almighty
to summon strength amidst such a torment,
To endure the wrath of the beast
who came to wreak havoc,
And to survive and see his family and friends
who take joy in swaying with him in the hammock…

Only then he remembered and
his memory meandered its plea,
What has come upon those he was praying
to once again see?
“Oh please Allah spare them!”
He begged to the sky
And wiped his eyes that were no longer dry…

His heart mourned for them
on a sorrowful instance,
How far away from them
he felt in a distance,
He let out a sob and then a deep sigh,
And whispered to himself
“Oh why, Oh why?”…

He mustered his courage and
craned his aching neck,
With flooded eyes, he swivelled around
to search and check,
The fortress where he was showered
with love and protection,
A place where his mind was free of burden
and heart free of isolation…
Then a thick shrouding fog blurred his vision,
It was pitch dark and it headed his direction,
He waved the smoke off from left to right,
To catch a better glimpse of what was ahead
But only in fright…

What he saw next made him freeze and
dry in the throat,
He could not suddenly keep his balance
like an overloaded boat,
The fortress of love and protection
was torching in flame,
But no culprit was in sight
There was no one to blame…

He heard his family crying
And suffering in pain,
They called out for help
Again and again,
Poor little Ali couldn’t come to them for rescue,
With his left leg broken and energy oh so few…

Along with everything his family
burned down to ashes,
He was grounded in position
By fate’s awful lashes,
He yelled out in anger and grief
for he could not take anymore,
The terrible scene which confronted
His innocence and valor…..

Months have passed but the terror
Went on to live its tale,
In the heart of little Ali where
happiness had proven to fail,
In his mind’s eye, all details were all so clear,
About the beast that took everyone away
And caused mayhem and fear…

He went back to the fields
Which was no longer heaven-like,
The neighborhood was all black and gray
Even the tracks to his favorite dike,
Standing in the middle of the remains
With a crutch by his side,
He once again pleaded to the sky
His life for the Almighty to guide…

“Oh please Allah I beg you to give me peace!”
he whimpered,
“Please take my pain away
and let it fly like a bird,
To you alone I submit my destiny,
For I have nothing left, no friends or family…”

“Oh please Allah let me pass this test,
I will be good and be my very best,
And please I pray to you to shed light, too,
In the hearts of those who have done wrong
and heeded terror as true…

“May you lead them to the path
Of your holy declaration,
Or they will face the worst blasts of fury hereafter
Without your mercy and salvation.”

What is a little boy to do in recluse and confusion?
When horror has devoured his soul and fueled his frustration,
How is he to live a normal life?
On such a short notice of loss and strife…

How is he to grasp the promise of tomorrow?
When his hands have nothing to hold onto but sorrow,
How is he to walk life’s smooth path?
With his feet bereft of balance
And limped by the cruel aftermath.

Bai Fairuz Candao is the youngest daughter of former ARMM Regional Governor Datu Zacaria A. Candao with his late wife Bai Saada Bajunaid Candao. Her exposure to the Bangsamoro struggle for self-determination all through the years has inspired her to express her views through writing. As a creative writer, she aims to appeal to the hearts of her fellow Bangsamoro with her thought-provoking short stories, poetry, and essays. She also specializes in speech writing and public speaking. As a current employee in the interim Bangsamoro government, she hopes to impart her skills to the younger ones and convince them to express their valuable thoughts.