Peace

The nation is at peace.
No more shall anyone ask for coins
or reclaim the land
that was theirs all along
but is forcibly claimed by others.
None shall complain
if the mountains and forests
are razed by gigantic machines
and made into dams and mines.
On the radio, none shall hear
those irritating voices
and we will never again see
people marching in the streets.

The nation is at peace
for all of them
are dead.

(Filipino original)

Kapayapaan

Payapa na ang bansa.
Wala nang hihingi ng dagdag na barya
o kaya’y babawi ng lupang
matagal nang kanila
ngunit pilit inaangkin ng iba.
Wala nang daraing
kung ang mga bundok at gubat
ay gibain ng naglalakihang makina
upang gawing dam at mina.
Sa radyo’y hindi na maririnig
ang nakaririnding mga tinig
at ‘di na muling matutunghayan
na may nagmamartsa sa lansangan.

Payapa na ang bansa
sapagkat lahat sila
ay patay na.

The picture is of Mrs. Leonila Pesadilla, an anti-mining activist, after she was shot dead by suspected State security forces along with her husband inside their home in Compostela town, Philippines on 2 March 2017. Mrs. Pesadilla is the 39th victim of extrajudicial killings of development workers and political activists since Rodrigo Duterte became Philippine president in June 2016.