A Country Cried     

THE RAIN, THE SEA, AND NINOY

She took everything she could carry when she left Japan

She didn’t know where she would find it

But she knew where she was going

On her way back to the islands

It had been a rich experience living in Japan

Lots of experiences

Too many to think about

She keeps flashing on the image of Junji

Yakusa Boyfriend

Ebisuya

She said good bye

Without emotion

She had become very Japanese after four years

Living outside Kobe

In a small fishing village

She reached the islands

Came looking for a some brand new music

Something was out there

She could feel it drawing her there

This country and the people had become part of her

It was hot in Manila

Everyday it was hot

She was still living in Japan when he was killed

He was returning home

He was going to run for President

Democracy would return at long last

They really did believe in our democracy

The people embraced our values

They were thankful to us for saving them

She read about it one morning in Suma-ku

He was gunned down as he was leaving the plane

By some lone gunman

The gunman was seen in all the newspapers

Laying on the tarmac

Laying in the hot sun

For 12 hours

No one moved the body

But she knows that is not the truth

She was her way back to the island

He was walking down her dream path

When she saw him walking by

No glance

No look

He walked on

She took her dreams

Down to sea

And she dove in to the water

Her skin turned to bronze

Her hair turned golden blond

But he walked on

She saw his silhouette

As he sat beside the cave

His flute carried his feelings on the wind

And as his eyes secretly watched her

She took off all her covering

And she dove down

Into the sea of dreams

The girls began to gather around the fire

But still he avoided her

Until they told him of her music

Then the pain began

She watched his defenses grow

But on that first night

After the moon was full

They walked on down along the sea

They both lacked the strength

To leave it alone

And in their hearts

They pledged to all the stars above

That the music was their way

Of turning all that love on

They dove down

Into the sea of dreams

She brought the music back to the city

A Country Cried

When Ninoy Died

He was just trying

To right what was wrong

Put his people back on track

To where they once belonged

To where they once belonged

But they wouldn’t accept the changes

So they quickly rearranged it

When they killed this man

They thought it would

Be over

And done

Oh what a shame

Tell me brother

Who’s to blame?

A Country Cried

When Ninoy died

The recording was done in a studio in Manila

Upstairs the producer was meeting with the

Chief justices

Of the Supreme Court

To discuss the truth

Around Ninoy’s death

He would prove

That it was not Galman

Who shot Ninoy

But rather Galman

Had been killed the night before

And placed

In a refrigerated truck

Overnight

Then he was thrown out

Onto the tarmac

Frozen son

Who killed Ninoy?

For 12 hours Galman lay there

After Ninoy’s death

12 hours

To allow him

To thaw out

It was surreal

All of it

The song was banned on government radio

But they played it on opposition radio

She had to leave the country

She was passionate

About his death

About the people

About the fact that

We were about to send

$100,000,000

In military aid

To Ninoy’s country

She came back to her country

Everybody looked at her

Like she had already died

No one wanted to listen

She heard they were going to try and defeat him

So many candidates running

It was a circus

And in the end

It was Ninoy’s wife

Who was elected

President

People Power!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She left not of her own choice, but because it was the safer choice.

Following the movement of the people after Ninoy’s death, there was an effort by the govenrnment to frighten the people. Each individual or group of individuals that participated in this People Power Movement, was subject to their homes and businesses being burned down.

The oppressed rose up, fought back and won their country back.