But The Western Stars

One Beautiful starry night

Set me adrift on the bay tonight,

Tonight when the gray winds blow

Over the waves to the western stars

My banca and I must go

You would have built me an altar here

Where lingers the wave born dew

And I would have taken the silver dusk

To gather young dreams for you

But the western lagoons and the lonely stars -

They whisper across the sea

And I must go to a misty shore

That calls through the dark to me.

Then set me adrift on the bay tonight,

Tonight when the sad winds blow

And over the wave to the western stars

Evening and I will go

The poem entitled "But The Western Stars" is a classic Filipino poem that was written by Angela Manalang - Gloria, a Filipina poet in English Language. The story that was describe by the poem is pretty sad, but that was one of those factors that make the poem beautiful and nostalgic.

Traditionally, this poem is read as a meditation on death. In traditional English Language poetry, "journeying west" is a symbol for death. The speaker, which is a woman, and her fiance or boyfriend or lover have so many plans for their life. But fate have other plans for them.

She have plans on settling down with the man she loves - all that stuff about "altars and weaving dreams" she wanted to fulfill all those things, but death is calling her, and it doesn't give her any choice.

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