By Jose Maria Sison

I wish to be taken for granted
Like the wind that you breathe
Like the sunlight on your face
Like the ground at your feet
Like the water that you drink.

I wish to be taken for granted
Like birdsong lofted by the breeze
Like wood on fire for your comfort
Like the grass greening the field
Like the silent swan afloat on the pond

I wish to be taken for granted
Like the workers in the factories
Like the tillers in the farms
Like those who dwell in schools
Like those who recreate the world.

I wish to be taken for granted
But I shall smile with satisfaction
If some people sometimes remember
That I did what I could in my time
To add to what is now commonplace.

One new generation after another
Shall create new ideas and new things
To surpass the feats of the past
There are no limits but the sky,
The sun, the earth and the waters.

July 25, 2012