This story was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. IV, No. 52, January 30 - February 5, 2005

POETRY

The Shadow of Imperialism

By Katrina

As shadows fall across the night
The air begins to loom with fright
As foreign footsteps make a sound
Blood is spilt across the ground
Blood of peril blood of struggle

Troubled with the decisions made by some
Troubled with decisions made with a gun
As guns are part of everyday life
As imperialism puts people in strife

Controlling countries like dog and cattle
First we think and then we battle
Battle for the rights to live in our home
Fight long and hard but out we are thrown

Thrown out of the life we live in
Homelessness and unemployment we are given
Humiliating us in front of the street
But if it isn't enough they start to beat

So let's throw down the imperialist pigs
Who think they can control us because they are big
But don't back down let us not be meek
For force is only the weapon of the weak

Don't try to hide the power you possess
Show it and make the imperialists confess
Confess the peril they cause
But when they do not pause

Keep fighting for what is right
For to do so is alright

So if they show us the darkness
We will fight for light
Put us in the shadows
We will show them our might 

Katrina, 13, is an activist who believes that all people from any walk of life have rights. She likes music, dancing, writing poetry and being a part of the fight against imperialism. She is a year 8 student in Australia and is a daughter of Filipino immigrants. Bulatlat

 © 2004 Bulatlat ■  Alipato Publications

Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.