DAnny SillaDA surREalitY

The Last Photographs of Lee Bernardo

(In memory of Jose Leandro T. Bernardo)

By Danny C. Sillada

"Every unpunished murder takes away something from the security of every man's life."
~Daniel Webster~

“We were neighbors for long, but I received more than I could give. Now the day has dawned and the lamp that lit my dark corner is out. A summon has come and I am ready for my journey…”

- Tagore, Getanjali, # 93

Here is another moving story of last multiply blog and photographs of Jose Leandro "Lee Bubuekak" Bernardo who was killed by a robber last January 11, 2007.

Lee is the closest friend of JC Perez, my friend photographer who is currently taking his master’s degree at the University of the Philippines.

Browsing through the pages of Lee pinched my heart deeply when I came across his mother’s messages at the guest book.

I could not contain my tears from flowing as I read one of her poems. 

“…And though you are gone,

Though you are not here with me,

The cord is still there, but no one can see.

It pulls at my heart, I am bruised...I am sore,

But this cord is my lifeline, as never before.

I am thankful that God connects us this way,

A mother and child--Death can't take it away!”

(Excerpt from Lee’s Mom poem, May 23, guest book)

           Perhaps, a mother’s grief is the most painful experience of all… Ironically, the last entry of Lee’s blog is titled “Let it Go” by By T. D. Jakes:

“LET IT GO!!! If you are holding on to past hurts and pains

LET IT GO!!!If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth.....

LET IT GO!!! If someone has angered you

LET IT GO!!! If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge"

(Excerpt from “Let it Go”)

His last photographs are magnificent Landscapes of Anawangin. By just using a simple digital camera, he was able to capture the grandeur and beauty of Anawangin.

 

 

            But the most compelling of all were Lee’s photographs of two cemeteries:  Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Fort Bonifacio and Clark Cemetery in Pampanga.

 

Here, there seemed to be an ominous vision from his images of the cemeteries. His pictorial compositions evoke gentleness, serenity and that strange feeling of solitude as though he was coming to terms of what was going to happen…

 

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

 

 

 

 

 

Clark Cemetery, Pampanga

 

 

 

 

To sum it all, here is another poem by Lee’s mom at the guest book dated May 23, 2007.

 

 

Dear son, I cannot speak, and yet
I have so much to say to you,
Too much for time and will to net.
Life goes with just this last adieu.

I have so much to say to you,
Far more than I can now convey.
Life goes with just this last adieu
To serve as what I want to say.

Far more than I can now convey,
I love you with a love that yearns
To serve as what I want to say,
Ablaze with joy that bleeds and burns.

I love you with a love that yearns
Too much for time and will to net.
Ablaze with joy that bleeds and burns,
Dear son, I cannot speak, and yet . .

__________________________

Jose Leandro Bernardo is a graduate from Mapua Information Technology Center in Makati. He was a member of the MIT Mountaineering Club and PinoyPhotography.org. He is also one of the pioneers of a Mapuan IRC channel in undernet.

I knew him because of the start of the dark ages of Mapua. He loved the art of photography, and he used this passion to take photographs of the rallies. During those times, I also took some pictures during the rallies. Because of this, we managed to know each other, thus making us friends. He was a great friend, above all, a true blue-blooded Mapuan. His sickness did not stop him from living his life to the fullest, and because of that, I admired him.

(Excerpt from the blog entry of Chikinyx).

ABOVE PHOTO: “Lee”, taken from the blog entry of Chikinyx.