Beyond the famous beach resorts, the mining pits,

the vibrant festivals, and the war zones,

the Native walks and wanders confused:

Must I beg for alms?

Must I go to where the street lights are?

Must I turn my back to the Land that I revere?

 

Somewhere in a faraway school,

A little girl is asked to dress up Indigenous:

no lipstick, barefooted, picked as the most dark-skinned pupil.

 

And as she dances, the beats and rhythms of the mountains,

fields, and seas, become muffled with the

rising buildings, the knocks on the doors,

the perpetual hunger for the Future.

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by Kristine Buenavista

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