Tears of Grief of Our Race

(Poem)

in the few decades

of our journey

in the forest

of darkness and fear

we are shadows

faceless and nameless

in the books of history

we are blood poured

on the yellowish

blades of grass

we are skeletons

embedded on the wall of misery

we are notes and lyrics

of sonorous rebellious hymns

in our crying dolorous land.

but in every falling

tears of grief induced by

iniquity and greed

of the exploitative class

our conjoined protruding veins

will wriggle on the breast

of every unfortunate

while violently gyrating

blazing petals of fire

within our seething mind

raging always are the pupils

of our eyes which have seen

the stigma of sorrow and misery

of the oppressed class.

still continuously dropping

our race’s tears of grief

hot as smoldering iron

on the anvil of sacred dreams

the crawling tears meandering

on the peasant’s haggard face

on the worker’s scrawny breast

on the demolished shanty

beside the pungent canal

on a prostrate lean body

in the sidewalk of despair.

yes, still springing

the tears of grief of our race

from every pulsating

bleeding heart

pierced by the debasing sword

of enslaving lords

of cruelty and injustices

when will

the flaming fire’s tongue

lick and dry

the emanating tears of grief

from the abysmal eyes

of our beloved land?

(my modified English version of LUHA NG DALAMHATI NG LAHI)