twenty years of freedom

As nightfall does not come all at once,
neither does oppression.
In both instances,
there is a twilight
when everything remains seemingly unchanged.
And it is in such twilight
that we all must be aware of change in the air
however slight,
lest we become unwitting victims
of the darkness.
- Justice William O. Douglas

my country is celebrating twenty years of freedom today.

in 1986, a military coup gone awry led to the greatest manifestation of the filipino spirit: the people power revolution. as the world watched and waited on bated breath, filipinos linked arms and stood against tanks; flowers held in hands became shields against guns; whispered prayers became words of prophecy.

it was, perhaps, my country's finest hour. her shining moment in the midst of the gloom. her date with destiny.

democracy had risen phoenix-like from the ashes of tyranny. filipinos everywhere basked in the glow of rebirth and held their heads high and hope filled every heart.

but.
moments pass.
and
stars fade.
heads droop
and
hearts quail.
dreams are forgotten
and
hope extinguished.

after a rollercoaster-ride
through a twenty-year sine-wave with four presidents,
my country still toils under the yoke of oppression in a mask;
my people still dare to yearn for freedom in a dream.

nothing has changed.