Hershey Story History Writing Contest Winner
May 2, 2018
Congratulations to Bea Ricafort, current 7th grader at SMS. She recently won second place in the Hershey Story History Writing Contest. Students from all over Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry or York County submitted entries to the competition. As a second place winner, she won a certificate, a one-year family membership to The Hershey Story Museum, two one-day tickets to Hersheypark and a one pound bar of Hershey’s milk chocolate bar. The poem Bea wrote was inspired by the life of Jose Rizal who called for peaceful reform of Spain’s colonial rule of the Philippines. He was actually a writer himself writing several books and articles on creating equal treatment for Filipinos. Even though he was executed at the age of 35 for his resistance, he is credited with helping the Philippines take steps toward independence.
Below is her poem:
The Country Where He Once Lived
The peace beloved
Of a young child’s eyes,
A yearning
So deep and warm.
Born to a country,
Where the fruit,
Ripe and fresh,
Were Mother’s sweet treasure.
Born with the land
Of swaying trees,
The Philippines.
His land.
His hands,
Tainted with callouses.
His thoughts,
Filled with the pride of his country.
A simple Filipino,
True to his word.
Much to say,
Much to write.
A Spanish conquest,
Leading to colonization.
Power
To the people.
Time was of essence
In the Spanish’s rule.
“Go on! Go on!”
Yes, yes.
It seemed as if
Torture was something
To turn a blind eye to.
Power to the
People?
A child with dreams,
With love.
Learning was…
Mahalaga.
Rizal.
Learning for his family.
Jose.
Writing for his country.
Magnificence called to him,
His beliefs
Whispering in his ear,
“Go on! Go on!”
If only,
It was not the case.
If only,
He was not a “criminal.”
The books face
Sideways, countless.
The hours spent,
Unimaginable.
His fingers tightened
Around a pen.
His mind afixed on the
kalagayan.
He brought a stark reality
To the oppressed,
Shedding light
With a pencil unsheathed.
A dove’s cry.
A lover’s hand.
The love of a land.
Mahalaga.
Whispers between the ranks,
“Who is this man?”
“Exile him!”
“His texts shall be no more!”
A passive savior,
Arming those
Those who cry for their rights,
“Glory be!”
“Go on! Go on!”
Yet, a soul dead
On the streets.
Patay.
His books,
His words, sparked a flame.
Yet,
His death seemed to let it burn.
Thus, the child whispered
Once more,
“I have to believe much in God
Because I have lost my faith in man.”
Bibliography:
Jose Rizal [Philosophies in Life], www.joserizal.ph/ph01.html.
“José Rizal.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 2 Apr. 2014, www.biography.com/people/jos%
Rizal, Jose. Noli Me Tangere. 1887.