THE ANGEL, TOO, HAS A SPEAR

Taylor Lauren Kwan, 16, Grandchild #4

THE ANGEL, TOO, HAS A SPEAR

 

(A POEM FOR TAYLOR KWAN, GRANDCHILD #4)

 

Unlike Megan, you would rather paint on small spaces.

Like finger nails. Your abuela’s toes looked easy to kiss
With those curlicues you laboured on: Hearts on toes?
But that is who you are: Tough as nails, smart alecky.
All putty and tender and gentle and soft, killer dimples
Allowing all aches to zing through your unfading grin.

What will it be like when next you find yourself hurt?

Will anyone dare crush your armour of tough charm?
While you have the easy and languid grimace of dad,
You, like your mom, can warn fools with a steely smile,
A counterpoise of loving and contempt in your smirk.

To abuela, you are a toddling sweetly-burbling baby

On the phone; to your Tati Jing, you have true method
To your smug, impregnable, hard-to-cut-and-hurt mien;
To your abuelo, like it or not, you are still his beauty
Fiend and regal clown, who could paint a broken heart
On a nail that could be nullified by a laughing face
On another on a hand that has just quickly wiped tears
From your eyes, unseen by anyone, away from the sneer
Of one who would not know you.  An angel with a spear.

---ALBERT B. CASUGA

Not in picture, Grandchildren #1 (Diana Casuga Dy)

and #2 (Daniel Anthony Dy), busy at university.

L-R: (Front row) Birthday Cake. (Second Row): Sydney #7, Marie #10, Lola Veronica, Chloe # 8, Louis #9. (third row): Megan #5, Lolo ABC, Taylor #4, and Mikey #6. (Back, all by his tiptoeing self---Matthew #3)