“Sir, we don’t have the cash you look for
We have green field blowing in the wind
Golden rice hitting the sickles,
Ready to harvest,
Ready to taste in a moment.

Winnowing the rice,
As cooked slowly,
aromatic steam comes out,
We keep its water to infuse liquor,
And the flavour mesmerises every households.

Sir, please have a seat,
Don’t you try to hunt us down,
You point guns, threatening us.
We only have our bodies and our fields.

Why would you destroy the sea?
You answer while pressing us down,
And we keep questioning;
Why concessions,
Industrial zones,
Power plants,
Keep invading our lands.

Sir, please dine with us,
Look me in the eye of a friend.
You and I, are from different stance,
We suffer these roles we play.

Sir, absorb the richness of the sea,
Minerals that give birth to the ocean,
Let it pass on from generations,
to generations.
Isn’t that better than killing?

Let me tell you.
Every drop of the fish soup you’re eating,
It’s the national treasure that can never be sold,
When someone poisons nature,
Would you collaborate?

——

Sir, we don’t have the cash you look for
We have green field blowing under the mountain,
Fresh air as lullabies,
This is wealth for every seasons.

National anthem sings,
“We must preserve our lands
And the land will protect our souls”

So we ask you to drop your guns and bullets.
Save the sun,
And the sky for tomorrow.

Go back to your Generals,
Tell them we are not rebellious puppets,
But we are the trained war elephants
Who determine to stand against your power.

——

Pick a pack of rice before you leave.
Listen to its sound,
Sound of the field,
Sound of the people,
Should you hear our breath,
Low pace breath of the locals”.

May 7^th, 2020