DUST OF THE ORIENT
Two distinct worlds drifting to meet, One succumbs to the other in tragic defeat. Richest of cultures endlessly blend, Would their fragments of identity still come to mend?
The barong of Tagalogs now stitched with wool, Visayan melodies infused with Hangul. Tan-colored skin tattooed by foreign hues, With all glory to gain and a pure heart to lose.
Imported lens worn by brown native eyes, Blindsided by sheer bliss in subtle disguise. Horizons of west will soon hold the Eastern sky, Could the soul of any other nation ever satisfy?
Yesterday's heritage - a timeless monument, Of dear'st motherland, Pearl of the Orient. Essence decayed by the bright local scene, Fear it fades into dust, left forever unseen. - James Sarmiento