Angel of the Cross, Our Angel, Our Cross

This is how it is and really so,

Brother, comrade, friend in exile.



We don an orange garment surrounded

By our armed foe. They demand of us life

And liberty, faith and food

Of the daily kind, the same ones

You seek in the enemy's land.



Go away, they say, take up your cross.



Give my body back, you say,

Send back this body as a remembrance.

My wife will agonize over my coming home

Too soon, my children will panic

For not bringing home some bacon

But they will learn to wipe their tears

And carry Mexico's morning moon.

Just send back my body to where it belongs.

I will join the three others that came home

In sealed boxes and sealed songs. Ay, ay,

Angel of the Cross, our angel, our cross.





Aurelio S. Agcaoili

2004