The bell tolls for thee!

In 1624, English writer John Donne wrote his “Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions” which has been often quoted. Although some find it morbid, I don't. It is beautiful.

Wrote Donne: “No man is an island, entire of itself, a part of the continent… Any man's death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind, and therefore, never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

In 1940, American writer Ernest Hemingway who lived in Spain , wrote a popular novel “For Whom The Bell Tolls” the title taken from John Donne's.

It tells the story of an American Robert Jordan joining the guerillas during the Civil War in Spain starting 1937.

The novel covered only 72 hours while Jordan was to blow up the bridge with his sweetheart Maria and died for Maria and the cause of the guerilla.

The novel was made into a movie. I forgot the actors and actresses. This was sometime in the 50s or 60s.

* * *

Hemingway, John Donne, and the movie came into mind when I noted lately, the bell tolled for many of my friends and contemporaries who were, like us, involved in mankind.

There were cardiologist Ernie Namin, pediatrician Romy Sicangco, Governor Junior Montelibano, engineer Honey Galeno, BIR official Joe Ealdama, past Lions District Governor Pepit Escay, and retired La Carlota City College President and fellow mediator, Amelia Valera, among many others.

We did not ask for whom the bell tolled because, we knew, it also tolled for us.

* * *

The thought of death is called intimations with mortality.

Though we think of it, we try to make our every day living useful, fruitful, happy, and contended, not forgetting the reality that death is inevitable.

What did the great Persian poet Omar Khayyam write? The Moving Finger writes and after having writ moves on. That not all your wisdom or wit can cancel half a line nor all your tears wash away a word of it.

He also wrote in that same philosophy we call “Rubaiyyat” that the Wine of Life keeps oozing drop by drop and the Leaves of Life keep falling one by one.

Here's another thought from Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyyat: “Strange – is it not – that of the myriads who/ Before us passed the door of Darkness through,/ No one returns to tell us of the road/ Which to discover we must travel too.”

* * *

But another poet said, there is no death.

Here's John L. McCreery: “There is no death! the stars go down/ To rise upon some other shore,/ And bright in Heaven's jeweled crown,/ They shine forever more.”

Five years ago this year, my wife Fe died. I was so devastated. Then a year later, my son Butch died too. I thought it was the end of the world. Many noted it I lacked the pep.

But I sat down and philosophized. Life must go on. And I got into many activities that made me pretty busy. And found out there are many things to do.

Life is a thrill with so many friends and some foes. Here's Edna St. Vincent Millay, “My candle burns at both ends,/ It will not last the night;/ But oh, my foes and oh, my friends - / They give me a lovely light.”

Enjoying the company of friends sharing the jokes and the laughter reminds me of another poet: “Life is the game that must be played,/ This truth, at least good friends, we know;/ So live and laugh nor be dismayed/ As one by one the phantoms go.”

* * *

Heck! This is it. When there's no issue to take up, we dabble in poetry, literature, and such abstract subjects as death and life.

We left Bacolod early Friday for an out-of-town trip. So, I had to hurriedly do some advance writing last Thursday lest I do not get a nearby fax machine to send my column.

Almost everyday I receive letters and, if you are not acknowledged yet, it's because I am out of town.

I just hope traffic has now improved. With Councilor Jun Gamboa spearheading it and with the help of Bantay Banwa, I believe we can straighten traffic in Bacolod streets.

I strongly believe, all that we say here, all that have been aired in the radio and television, all that have been discussed in different forums, are nothing and useless to straighten traffic.

The only solution is traffic enforcers apprehend traffic violators strictly, fine them well to make traffic violation and apprehension painful, then do it consistently…

Even if nobody talks, traffic will flow on smoothly.*

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