AM I TO BE BLAMED ( declamation)

AM I TO BE BLAMED

They're chasing me, they're chasing, no they must not catch me, I have enough
money now, yes enough money for my starving mother and brothers.

Please let me go, let me go home before you imprisoned me. Very well, Officer?
Take me to your headquarters. Good Morning Captain! no captain, you are
mistaken. I was once a good, just like the rest of you here. Just like any of your
daughters. But tome was. when I was reared in slums. But we lived honestly, we
lived honestly in life. My father, mother, brother, sister and I. But then poverty
enters the portal of our home. My father become jobless, my mother got ill. The
small savings that my mother had kept for our own expenses was spent. All for our
daily needs and her medicine.

One Night, my father went out, telling us that he will comeback in a few minutes
with plenty of foods and money but that was the last time I saw him. He went for
another woman. If only I could lay my hand on his neck, I will wring it without pain
until he breaths no more. If you were in my place, you'll do it , won't you captain?

What? You won't still believe me? Come and I'll show you a dilapidated shanty by
a railroad.

Mother, Mother I'm home, Mother? Mother?!

There captain, see my dead mother, captain!

There are tears in your eyes? now pack this stolen money and return it to the
owner. What good would it do to my mother now? She's already gone, do you hear
me? She's already gone. Am I to be blamed to the things I've done?
THE VOICE OF AN ORPHAN (declamation piece)
THE VOICE OF AN ORPHAN

I am an orphan; my age was 16 last June.

Happy? No, I am not.

I am lonely because at the age of nine I am parent-less, penniless and even future-less.

But they say i am beautiful. This beauty would lead me unto the galaxy of stardom.

In the world of modeling or singing for instance. Yes, I could be a fashion model or a singer. But I
disgrace all of them because of the memories. The past serves as desperation not inspiration. Believe it
or not at the age of eight I saw my parents murdered.

It was a beautiful day in November when we were on our way home from harvesting rice. Smiles on our
lips when we were on our way. When suddenly a group of armed men halted us. Without any warning they
drove us into a nearby secluded place.

And while we were on our way, I could see the tears from my mother's eyes begging the men to set us
free.

Are you Macario Santiago? You are responsible for the capture of commader Reyes so you ought to be
punished.

Commander Reyes? That name is familiar to me I said. Yes. . . yes. . . he was the hulk leader which father
gave an information for his capture. No. . . no. . . don't hurt father, he is an ideal father.

Please. . . please. . . for the love of God spare my husband.Then they tied father into a bulky tree and
started whipping him. Then father shouted as he saw mother being hurt.

No. . . no. . . don't do that to my wife. Kill me if you want but not my wife.I knelt down and prayed then
bang. . . bang. . . bang. . .

I lifted my head and there lay before me the dead bodies of my parents. Inay. . . itay. . . inay. . . itay. . .
how could I live without you? But I placed myself to God. I know he will not forsake me. Yes, God will not
forsake me.
THE LOST GIRL

The Lost Girl

by Dhang

I am a girl, young in heart and in mind… I am carefree, I enjoy doing nothing but play,play and play…I
seldom go to school but hmp! nobody cares! Instead,you will see me roaming around standing at the
nearby canto, or hanging around at the sari-sari store standing beside the jukebox stand…

One day I asked I asked my mother to teach me how to behave,to live, and appreciate all the beautiful
things in life.

Would you like to know what she told me?

She said…

" Can’t you see, I have to hurry up for my majong session! "

So I turned to my father to console me. But what a wonderful world word he did tell me…

" Child, I have to finish my overtime work…Here’s 500 pesos, go and ask your teacher about that
question…"

Sadly,I attended my class… But I heard nothing but the echoing voice of my teacher,torturing me with
her words…

" Hey yo lazy girl! Why waste your time studying those things? When up to now you can’t even multiply
seven by nine? Go home and don’t bother me!!!"

I am lost…confused…I don’t know what to do with myself…

Where are my parents to guide me?

My teachers to give me inspirations?

My friends, when I play? I’m lazy and irresponsible.

When I try to study, I get punished for not being able to answer.

Where now…I’m confused… Somebody, please help me…

You say that the world is beautiful, why is it treating me this way?

Hear me please! Help me please! Help me… I am lost

Bad Girl (DECLAMATION)

Hey! Everybody seems to be staring at me..

You! You! All of you!

How dare you to stare at me?
Why? Is it because I’m a bad girl?
A bad girl I am, A good for nothing teen ager, a problem child?

That’s what you call me!

I smoke. I drink. I gamble at my young tender age.

I lie. I cheat, and I could even kill, If I have too.

Yes, I’m a bad girl, but where are my parents?

You! You! You are my good parents?

My good elder brother and sister in this society where I lied
Look…look at me…What have you done to me?

You have pampered and spoiled me, neglected me when I needed you most!

Entrusted me to a yaya, whose intelligence was much lower than mine!

While you go about your parties, your meetings and gambling session…

Thus… I drifted away from you!

Longing for a father’s love, yearning for a mother’s care!

As I grew up, everything changed! You too have changed!

You spent more time in your poker, majong tables, bars and night clubs.

You even landed on the headlines of the newspaper as crooks, pedlars and racketeers.

Now, you call me names, accuse me of everything I do to myself?

Tell me! How good are you? If you really wish to ensure my future…

Then hurry….hurry back home! Where I await you, because I need you…

Protect me from all evil influences that will threathen at my very own understanding…

But if I am bad, really bad…then, you’ve got to help me!

Help me! Oh please…Help me!

FAKE (declamation piece)
FAKE

I got this smile, I skip and I play like a kid.

I'm happy. People think i'm optimistic, talented and smart. I am religious. I have many friends.
Do I look like that? Do I? I hope you're convinced by this synthetic, this fake smile of mine. Most people
envy how perfect my life is. How I don't have problems and how I seemed to be fine with everything.
But am I?

I always smile and agree to everything request. To be fine with everything my so called friends wanted.
Do they know that all they're seeing is fake?

A mask of fake happiness and glee. That the only reason is, I cannot say no. have they thought of my
feelings? are they even my friends?

That every time I see them, I have this smile that no one ever dared to disbelieve.
This sense of optimism everyone envies? It's all superficial. In fact, all I think of is sadness, despair,
hate, and often I just can't go on anymore. Does anyone know that? Once I told my mom to cut the
afternoon church club meetings, Guess what she bladed?

No God will be disappointed to you, she said.

I wanted to reply "Well if you put it that way" or "Sure make me feel guilty. Do I have a choice?" but all
I can do is agree and pretend I didn't ask anything.

The Saddest part is with all the masks, my disguises, my covers. . .all the lies. . .Everyone seems to
believe. No one knows how gloom, how depressed. . .unhappy I am. No one, none of you people.
None of you dare to doubt
I don't know. . .I if I still know who I am beneath.
Is it even there? I don't know.
VENGEANCE IS NOT OURS, IT'S GOD'S (declamation)
“Vengeance Is Not Ours, It’s God’s”
Alms, alms, alms. Spare me a piece of bread. Spare me your mercy. I am a child so young, so thin, and so
ragged.Why are you staring at me? With my eyes I cannot see but I know that you are all staring at me.
Why are you whispering to one another? Why? Do you know my mother? Do you know my father? Did you
know me five years ago?

Yes, five years of bitterness have passed. I can still remember the vast happiness mother and I shared
with each other. We were very happy indeed.

Suddenly, five loud knocks were heard on the door and a deep silence ensued. Did the cruel Nippon’s
discover our peaceful home? Mother ran to Father’s side pleading. “Please, Luis, hide in the cellar, there
in the cellar where they cannot find you,” I pulled my father’s arm but he did not move. It seemed as
though his feet were glued to the floor.

The door went “bang” and before us five ugly beasts came barging in. “Are you Captain Luis Santos?”
roared the ugliest of them all. “Yes,” said my father. “You are under arrest,” said one of the beasts.
They pulled father roughly away from us. Father was not given a chance to bid us goodbye.

We followed them mile after mile. We were hungry and thirsty. We saw group of Japanese eating. Oh,
how our mouths watered seeing the delicious fruits they were eating,

Then suddenly, we heard a voice call, “Consuelo. . . . Oscar. . . . Consuelo. . . . Oscar. . . . Consuelo. . . .
Oscar. . . .” we ran towards the direction of the voice, but it was too late. We saw father hanging on a
tree. . . . dead. Oh, it was terrible. He had been badly beaten before he died. . . . and I cried vengeance,
vengeance, vengeance! Everything went black. The next thing I knew I was nursing my poor invalid
mother.

One day, we heard the church bell ringing “ding-dong, ding-dong!” It was a sign for us to find a shelter in
our hide-out, but I could not leave my invalid mother, I tried to show her the way to the hide-out.

Suddenly, bombs started falling; airplanes were roaring overhead, canyons were firing from everywhere.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom!” Mother was hit. Her legs were shattered into pieces. I took her gently in my
arms and cried, “I’ll have vengeance, vengeance!” “No, Oscar. Vengeance, it’s God’s,” said mother.

But I cried out vengeance. I was like a pent-up volcano. “Vengeance is mine not the Lord’s”. “No, Oscar.
Vengeance is not ours, it’s God’s” these were the words from my mother before she died.

Mother was dead and I was blind. Vengeance is not ours? To forgive is divine but vengeance is sweeter.
That was five years ago, five years. . . .

Alms, alms, alms. Spare me a piece of bread. Spare me your mercy. I am a child so young, so thin, and so
ragged. Vengeance is not ours, it’s God’s. . . . It’s. . . . God’s. . It’s…
MEMORIES (declamation)
"MEMORIES"

Nothing compares to having a family, a complete, happy family. I am proud to have had one.
Unforgettable memories of a sweet childhood, growing up with pure love and affection, so many people
wanted to have. I was nourished with hope, that someday I'll have something more than I've expected.

My parents gave me everything. They wanted me to have the best of endless possibilities. I owe my life
to them. I am nothing without them. They are the reason why I have a fighting spirit, to finish what I've
started, to give my best everytime and never give up in times of troubles.

It was my time to serve them. I am young and free, but why should I push myself to this responsibility?
Why?.....because in this life, you can never tell when your closing ceremony is about to arrive. But it was
over before I've started.

"God, why did you take them from me?"

"You're so unfair!"

"Why them?"

"Take me instead!"

They were gone. I am now alone. I can honestly say, I am nothing. I don't have them anymore.

"God, please give me a chance to embrace them for the last time."

But I know it isn't possible. I've had a lot chances. I just didn't make the best of it. Life is really full of
surprises, not always good ones, some are worth tears. Deep inside my heart, I am longing. But I should
move on with my life. Nothing could bring them back. If the stairway to heaven is for real, I would use it
no matter how far it would take me. If that's the only chance, then I am ready.

I salute those parents who have given their all. The most selfless people you would ever know. Nothing
compares to the love you have given. The perfect friends, there's nothing less.

One day, we shall meet again. Excitement fills my broken heart. Only you could complete me. So, when I
see you, I know you're holding the missing piece.