Ava Marie Santiago Poetry

I’ve gone to a place far away from home;
Where disciplined people roam,
No traffic jams, honking of horns,
A place that has just been reborn.

Tall trees sway along the streets;
Singing welcome to many tourists,
A place that is spick- and- span,
Enjoy the sights and have some fun.

Majestic edifices stand so high;
Gigantic soaring up in the sky;
The tallest wheel where many ride,
The fear of heights I cannot hide.

A global competitive thru the advancing technology,
Where waste water becomes potable and is now drink-ready;
So amazing how a place not so much gifted with natural resources,
Could be so progressive compared to other places.

The values and culture of people in that distant land;
So different from what I’ve been taught and had in hand,
I come to realize that each one is unique,
Individual differences we can’t remake.

When I went back to my native land;
The pearl of the ocean seas where beauty bound,
The vast vegetation seen from high
With a heavy heart I gave a big sigh!

A place gifted with God’s tremendous graces;
So rich with so many natural resources,
I closed my eyes and have seen how great
God’s love for the people in the place where I live.

We may not be as rich as other countries in the world;
But in the culture and values we embrace and hold;
Are far more greater than silver or gold
Those are treasures we can uphold.

To the places that I’ve been through,
Fame and fortune might be shimmering aglow
I still believe that hope lies ahead
In the land where God’s favor is laid.
When that time comes, with heads high I can say…
I am proud to be who I am, and will always be!

Poet: Ava Marie Santiago