Hafa Adai! As part of my commitment to continue to share cultural poems relating to our beautiful island of Guam and its people, here’s Korasón Poem #43 titled Boi Boi. Enjoy!

Boi Boi

Boi Boi was the name of our pet ga’lagu*
That we loved to play with
Day in and day out
From dusk ‘til dawn
In our little, yet loving house in Malesso.

We took him to the ranch to run and play with
And I remember how he looked graceful,
Yet cute as he swam swiftly in the river there
With his feet paddling in a rhythmic fashion.
I remember how we walked him for hours
All around the yard
Snuggling against him
First as a little, loveable pup
And eventually as a grown
And admirable dog we grew to love.

Though we fed him leftovers from all our meals
Many times we also prepared
A special family plate just for him –
Leftovers or not.
You see, he was part of our family.
He protected us from strangers
As he barked loudly without warning
To anyone who approached our home
Especially at night.
He was sensitive to the sirens
That went off in the village –
Poor Boi Boi –
I hated it when that happened
For I knew his ears were hurting from the sound.

And now that the years have gone by
And I’m all grown up with meaningful memories to share
I can tell you that there was one special pet in my life –
My first special pet that my family shared
And his name is the one and only, “Boi Boi!”
© mnrivera and ltgumataotao

*ga’lagu: dog

Source: Our Native Daughters’ Reflection of Guam and Its People by Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera and Lois Taitano Gumataotao