Tyrant's fall

Did an illustration for a poem by Ninoy Aquino. 

This is my entry for Ang INK's Your Heart Today: Ninoy and Cory in Art.

Tyrant's Fall
12X15in
Watercolor and Digital media on paper

END’S BEGINNING

What now? What next?

When will this end?

Man is born free to live

to live in chains.

To be born is to die

To love is to struggle,

endure, suffer, sacrifice

for what?  For whom?

Freedom, liberty, happiness

zenith of human aspirations

But does he really want

freedom?

Can he appreciate liberty?

Which comes first

security of happiness

food or freedom?

Peace at any cost or liberty?

A living Filipino

or a dead hero?

Why struggle, life is short

“Enjoy while there’s time”

After all, life ends in the grave.

Advice of the sage!

Sweat and tears

water the seed

Seed falls and grows,

Bear fruits and dies.

Falls, grows again

Dies, grows again.

Man is trapped

In a vicious circle

round and round

there is no escape

“There are no tyrants

where there are no slaves.”

Cry and fathom despair

to understand hope – to

discover the meaning of love

Love and live

Live and die.

Nothing to nothing

hole to hole

womb to tomb

tears for birth

tears for death

water to water.

Live to die

Die to live

Kill freedom

Long live tyranny

That Freedom may be

BORN AGAIN!

Prison Poem of Ninoy

August 11, 1973

Here are some photos of the event.

The exhibit is on view at the Ortigas Foundation Library, 

2^nd Floor Ortigas Building until September 3, 2011.

More photos of the opening can be viewed here.