Landscape of a Challenged Life

By Xlibris US

Landscape of a Challenged Life is the fifth book authored by Dr. Enriqueta c. Mayuga. She started writing at the age of 60. With her fourth book, "Splintered Dreams, Blades of Truth, Shafts of Sunlight," and her fifth book, "Landscape of a Challenge Life" garnering Honorable Mention in the Southwest Festival of Authors competition in 2012. The book defines the author as a woman who left her homeland to find a country and later settles the argument between love of homeland and loyalty to one's country: "In the end- a country is my country when it opens its vistas; a home is my home where I am nurtured and welcomed- and as for me, I chose America.'' She paints her narratives as a Philippine lass' who arrives in an uncertain world where she reflects her medical career and shares a woman's soul painted on a canvas of everyday life. Landscape of a Challenged Life begins with exultation and exhilaration, humiliation and degradation with experiences as a newly arrived immigrant before civil rights was in place. It is both poetry and prose an anthology. It ends up with an epitaph to an authentic life, sublime in its simplicity. It tells the realities of life and accepts them as the realities of her life. It illustrates the sensitivity of a woman who cares and who loves whether she is praised or belittled. It is a word of truth about the reality of life lived to the fullest in the world as it is, not as it should be.

The anthology is with sketches and prints Included for visual enhancement to vivify her message and as she mentions, "Our lives are both rain-drenched and sun-drenched and each of us is capable of dipping into the forbidden prisms and tunnels of this cluttered universe."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781503523180

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Enriqueta Cartagena MAyuga , M.D.. 695340

ISBN: EBook 978-1-5035-2318-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 12/10/14

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Preface

Review

Chapter One … … . .My America

America – At Last! Circa 1963 – New York City

America Is Not for All

Latino Is In

My 47th Christmas

Circa 2010 – Washington State

I Chose America

Chapter Two… … … .Philippine Innocence

Post World War II —Looking Back

Once a Winsome Filipino Lass

In My Youth

My Papa’s Canoe and Me

Chapter Three… … … .Challenges, Reverses, and Denials

The Battle

Neverland

I Know My Place

The World Is Not Safe

He Will Be Back—My Son

Contemplating Tsunami

Chapter Four… … …Panoply of Transitions

Alma

A Transplant

The Awaited

Am Ready for the Bloom

Born Free

Never Too Late for a New Bud

Birthday Thoughts

Chapter Five… … … .Celebratory: My Soul’s Sustenance

Let the Day Begin: Life’s Amalgam

Isabella

Our Son Is Back —It Is Harvest Time

My Grandchild Reminds Me

The Gilded Life of My Imaginings

Life Is Good

Into A Planet of Lost Innocence

My Papa Would Be Mighty Proud

Endless Love

Life Is Beautiful

My Soul’s Sustenance

Chapter Six… … … .Life’s Odyssey: Endpoints

At 25, At 68—And It Ain’t Over Yet

At 69 —Beyond the Enfeebling Past

At 72—Why Not?

Life’s Performance

Growing Old

He at 80

The Final Romance

When I’m Gone

Dedication:

To Blessed Virgin Mary, my Heavenly Mother

—Mother of all Mothers

To The Holy Spirit, Dispenser of all Graces

—The Ultimate Comforter

Acknowledgement

Each book like each child requires a village for its completion. This volume, an anthology of selected writings from my four previous books with newly penned short stories and essays, involves an array of contributors and supporting casts. I am very fortunate that my erstwhile editor, Tanya Becker, is still with me as coordinator, facilitator, and analyst. Although I have morphed, she is there for me to balance some of my literary excesses and imaginative outreach. I am perpetually indebted to her. I am very touched by the involvement of Dr. Gloria Johannessen. When I asked her to write the book’s Preface, she enthusiastically agreed to do so and also provided me a more in-depth analysis. She gave me invaluable insights so that the readers would have a better discernment of my journey. I have basically tweaked this book to reflect her premise. I also thank Reverend Charles Skok for agreeing to do a review of this volume. Who else can have a better acumen to approach this book as a well-known Theologian-Philosopher who wrote the Preface of my last three books. Thank you again to Gail Vanderschoor who initially helped me select the prose poems from my four written volumes, to Elizabeth Tran who diligently tried to transcribe the rest of the writings and rewritings; she also provided me a special photo to compliment, I Know My Place. I have spent countless hours transmitting to her my comments and critical advice to Xlibris’ graphic artist. To Roxanne Wokejance – my journalist friend for her balance perspective. Special gratitude to Geline and Henry Lim, both engineers and artists who provided me five of their original sketches to complement the following poems: Neverland, Never Too Late For A New Bud, Latino is in and When I Am Gone. I consider my bonding with these fine artist – friends serendipitous. I feel very fortunate. To Joel Gonzales, designer and architect, for reviewing some of the sketches and to all the parents who provided me the photos of their children. My deep appreciation to the office staff: LaDonna Vollmer, Phyllis Leonard, Gloria Cartagena-Go, Rose Bosley, Ashley Paloma Gonzalez, Sophia Morrison and many loved ones for their invaluable contributions; Maclaughlin Thomas did the most of the scanning; to David Morrison for capturing the tropical flowers with his exquisite photo contribution aptly complementing the poem, "Am Ready For The Bloom; to David Marty of Sound Design who spent many hours trying to get the right book cover for my needs. He designed the book cover for my first book – Immigrant At Peace – in 1997. I feel very honored that he accepted the cover book assignment this October. I thank my husband who never tires of my literary pursuit and has supported me all the way. Finally, I thank Joe Blanco – Glenn Bryce, my conduit to Xlibris who ably stepped up to the challenge, to Claire, to Jack, to Jane and to the graphic staff of Xlibris. This pictorial book took months to finish and the many processes of coordinating the graphics were particularly vexing. Inspite of many delays and frustrations, I feel the efforts and attritions in the mechanics of completion