Cynthia BuhainBaello (November 17,1949 / Manila, Philippines)

When we close our eyes
And pretend all is well,
We condone the lies
That our leaders tell.

When we fail to see
What goes on around us,
We may lose liberty
And not make a fuss.

When we close our eyes
Accept things as Chance,
Our humanity dies -
We lose our Substance.

A time to be silent
And a time to speak,
Wrong must be bent -
It's not work for the Meek.

To make a firm stand
One must open his eyes
Assess things at hand
For what's Right, he cries.

We pray Good will arise
In whatever we write,
When we close our eyes
We know we have done right.