-

Can you savour that sweet taste in your SODA?

I made those sweets in a special factory.

No. Not the Willy Wonka Factory.

More like..The Aquino’s Property-

What they call Hacienda Luisita Sugar Cane Factory.

A place full of inequality- lack of safety.

Paid less that than 5 dollar

DAILY.

That Soda fizz is made possible due to C02

(TWO)

Children killed.

At Hacienda Luisita.

Cause we crossed that picket line.

Workers-families hand in hand.

Just so we could take a stand-

Violence burst like a shaken bottle.

Military workers policemen started

Tear Gas-

Explosion.

Gun Shots Fire,

Taste that Fizzy Goodness-

Thick Liquid from the cane-

No- It ain’t sweet.

Cause we’re in pain.

Crushed to the ground like cane on the roller mill.

Cut to the stem, like a plant.

Left on the ground to lay

COLD.

Hearted are those men-

Like the case will stay.

I am the child surrounded by media coverage.

As I walk throughout the cosmetic aisle, I am surrounded by whitening soaps, creams, lotions, and pills. As I switch the channels, from GMA, to beauty pageants, and to DOVE and LIKAS ads-

MESTIZA (meaning: pale,white,beautiful) is what they call her

ITIM (dark-black) is was they call me.

Exposed to this social norm.

I use to look at the mirror wishing I could take an eraser

Maybe, Somehow, remove the wrong color. to press delete an start on a blank page.

to take the white crayola and scribble the mistakes

to take a cloth and wipe away what they call DIRT.