Mag-Ingat sa Paghakbang
You walk across the hyphen
Of Filipino-American
To bridge this gap between us
Despite my tactless jokesOn this long turbulent ride
We grip the handlebars, side by side
“Mag-ingat sa paghakbang”
The train conductor croaksAs truth-seekers, we venture
On boundless journeys we encounter
You and I both discover
Rabbit holes to uncoverYou ask me for some guidance:
“Does speaking, or silence, divide us?”
Pitted against each other
All sides are powerless“Mag-ingat sa mandurukot”
Mga mandurukot steal attention
And they’re not waiting at this station
They are on their fattened lands
Stealing labor from artists, my friends!I say, “Now it’s time to fight”
And I tell you when you’re too polite
This could be why I am meant
To see you through a Fil-Am lens“Mag-ingat sa paghakbang”
But could it be that sobrang
Ingat naman tayo lagi?
Who cares anong mga ibinigay nila dati?In this fight for what is fair
Our hands are full of gestures of care
Poor in pesos, rich in tea
We exchange over cups of coffee“Mag-ingat sa paghakbang”
It’s time to cross the Pacific
To where Pilipinas isn't specific
Where I hear “But where are you from from?”
The birthplace my mom had meMetropole from post-colony
Melting pot of solidarity
I fly to where they tell me
“Go back to your country!”“Sa paghakbang” ingat ka din
So we can meet each other again
On this Mainland, the 'Motherland'
Of the Filipino-American- Nicolei Buendia Gupit
Nicolei Buendia Gupit