By Kim Nathaniel Tan

 

Philippines, My Homeland

(Performed in a Bonifacio Day poetry reading organized by the writers group in South Cotabato Province)

Look up!

Three stars and a single sun over there.
Blue and red are the colors of our history.
Our flag signifies redemption.

We are Filipinos, Filipinos,
nowhere to run when our man’s down,
for that’s what we are.

We fought for the freedom of our nation,
fight here fight there for our nation,
but I guess we all forget this now,

For other Filipino people only care about their selves,
and there are some
killing each other for the opinions about their selves.

The blood of our heroes
who claimed the land from the enemy who tried to take our land’s
now wasted.

Philippines, Philippines, my homeland!

Walls painted red,
our life’s held by Death.
Sky’s no more blue,
and the sun’s stopped shining through.

The stars from above,
well, nowhere to be found.
I don’t know the reasons for the fights between opinions,

For other Filipino people only care about their selves,
and there are some
killing each other for the opinions about their selves.

The blood of our heroes
who claimed the land from the enemy who tried to take our land’s
now wasted.

Philippines, Philippines, my homeland!

 

The Jam Man

I am the Jam Man
Singing about my life and the
Place I belong is
Is a place of killing in sight.

Walking along the highway,
I met people and they
Told me if I could make a song about what’s going on,
And I said yes.

Tears drip out while blood splashes on the wall.
They say they don’t want this, they didn’t ask for this.
Parents and their children have nothing to eat, but
Still want guns and ammunition,
Try to feed a gun instead of belly situation

That aches
That aches

Praying for blessings
But still pointing guns to have it,
And the faith they’re saying
Is a faith that’ll lead to a fight.

Walking along the highway,
I met people and they’re
Trying to argue about this so-called belief and faith.
Well that’s why

People will forever and ever hate their race
Because of forcing beliefs on other men
Keep on preaching but don’t mean teaching
Trying to educate but only mean to convince the state.

I am the Jam Man
Singing about my life
And this is the story I wanna sing
To the world.