Kasuotan mo’y gusot at luma Sa’yo ay ayaw nilang makisama ‘Pagkat kulay mo ay naiiba.
Pandak ka’t maliit sabi nila
Kulang ka daw sa sustansiya Payat na at maitim pa Kaya naman iniiwasan ka nila.
Tahimik ka at mabagal gumalaw
Kaya naman lagi silang nakasigaw Mabilis pa raw sa’yo ang langaw Masarap kang hampasin ng anahaw
Binabatukan ka, sinisipa at dinuduraan
Pagkatao mo ay kanilang niyuyurakan. Dahil anila ‘di ka kabilang Dito sa mundong kanilang ginagalawan.
Tanga, bobo, mabaho at lampa
Lahat ng panlalait sinasabi nila. Walang pakialam kahit masaktan ka Basta gusto nilang paglaruan ka.
‘Di nila batid ang sakit
‘Di nila lasa ang pait. Sa tulad nilang mga malulupit Kaawa-awa ang buhay mong sinapit.
Kailan matitigil ang kasong ito?
Ang panlalait sa kapwa Pilipino? Kailan magbabago ang pagtingin ninyo? Kailan papantay ang inyong trato?
Walang kontes kung sinong matalino
Ang dapat ay maging makatao. Hindi kailangan na maging henyo Ang mahalaga ay ang respeto. Caged Bird BY MAYA ANGELOU A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn and he names the sky his own
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.
Sa madugong landas ng ating dantaon; Masasalubong mo ang isang panahon Na sambuntong ako at nagngangang libing?
- Ito ba ang lupang aking aankinin
Na tira-tirahan ng apoy at talim? Ito ba ang manang aking bubungkalin Sa sambuntong ako at nagngangang libing?
- Ito ba ang mundong hinila kung saan
Ng Gulong ng inyong hidwang kaunlaran? Ito ba ang bunga ng Sining mo’t Agham? Ito ba ang aking manang Kalinangan?
- Iyan ba ang bukid na walang naimbak
Kundi mga bungo ng mga kaanak? Binaog ng inyong punlong makamandag At wala ni damo na diya’y mag-ugat?
- Kahubdan at gutom, isipang salanta,
Bigong pananalig at pag-asang giba; Ito ba ang aking manang napapala Na labi ng inyong taniman at sumpa?
O Sangkatauhan ng Dantaong ito
Na dapat sisihin ng mga inapo; Ano sa darating ang isasagot mo Sa sumbat ng lahing susunod sa iyo?
Tinig ng Darating at Iba pang Tula, 2001
Satao BY STEPHEN DERWENT PARTINGTON Satao, Kenya’s last great tusker, was poached in 2014 Cowards, let us sing in dead Elmolo how the elephants have died. We thank the cavemen, that they drew them, that zoologists described them, for the photos of them herding which the tourists left behind, for who would ever, fools, believe us? Teeth from heaven to the ground!?
I stretch my arm out like a trunk
to palm the graveyard of its cranium; it’s how, I hear, they mourned. The brain within worked tools and language. I have none: a useless pen (it’s only good for drafting elegies) and even then, no words. We once had tuskers. Tell the birds!
This poem previously appeared in Kenya’s Saturday Standard.