Just as black men were slaves
So am I a common slave of poverty
And to rise out of slavery
We must struggle towards prosperity
To exert our bodies and minds
Toward the glory of freedom
We, Filipinos do not realize that
That we are chained to ideas of a caged intellect
It is not easy to forge a key that will fit into the lock
It takes skill and acumen and practice
And we must attempt every single waking moment
Once we see the light
I don't know
And yet
I do