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There was once a farmer named Ferdinand
Who owned this barrio’s largest chicken coop
He proudly named it the New Motherland—
The Maharlika Domesticus group

Lolong Losilos was the main rooster
He’s a sly, portly, mean interloper
Darna Waray-Igat was the main hen
Her sharp talons ruled Lolong and their pen

She’d lay the large eggs to please the farmer
He’s up the coop belting the loudest crow
While the rest of the coop cannot muster
Darna’s beady eyes beat more than her brow

With every crow, Lolong’s wishes came true
Darna sniffs the first feed, the others queue
Lolong sides around with the ‘other’ hens
She spreads her wings at the younger cock’s dens

The brave query why these two are favored
Their chicks peck at the ‘others,’ young or old
While the restless coop starved, scrounged, and labored
Lolong and Darna worshipped and kept gold

Enmity grew, soon mutiny began
The ‘others’ staged a coup, the couple ran
New motherland ceased to exist, at last!
The ‘others’ rejoiced, cried, sighed, what a blast!

Ferdinand looked to see where the two fled
Lolong and Darna blenched in the tool shed
Wrested feathers, scarred chests, their clipped wings bled
Darna’s pride unscathed, ignored him for dead

The farmer culled for the town fiesta
Salt to taste, water, leaves of Moringa
Plantain, ginger and unripe papaya
Lolong and Darna equals Tinola 

The rest figured out pilfering inside
Stench of feed, detritus, feathers lay dried
Like a band of thieves, with lucre to hide
Probity, ethics, creed, and dictum died

Kindness is the hardest favor to repay....

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