Walk a mile in my shoes

Walk a mile in my shoes
My one pair of shoes
Broken soles and
Walked off heels
A mile or two,
maybe hundreds more
Through the narrow streets,
Swamps and dumps
To the place I call my own

Stay a while in my home
One room shack
Leaking roof and broken walls,
patched with pieces of wood
Not much shelter against
rain and cold
Four huddled together for warmth on a foam bed
A terrible raft when floods start to flow
But come on in
I am sure there’s place for one more

Share a meal from my plate
A spoon full of rice,
A sliver of meat you will find
Only on special days
It’s nothing much, but fills a hole
In the rumbling tummy
Growling for more,
Oops was that mine or yours?

Take a look through my eyes
The windows to my soul
What do you see reflected
In the pools of murky rivers flow
Nuggets of gold
Beauty to be uncovered
To the one who ventures into waters deep

Feel the beat of my heart
A steady rhythm of hope
Love tune overflowing on my lips
Listen a while to the song of my youth
Melodies of sweet innocent joy
Join in and lift your feet,
arms lifted high, head back
Move to the sounds of laughter, loud and proud
Resounding from my inner depths

Spare a minute to listen to me
Share the stories of my world
Take some time to read
My letters filled with dreams
Discover a mind full of plans
Setting goals for a hopeful future
Waiting to be reached

Take my hand and walk with me
Through challenges and joyful times
Pray for me as years go by
As I discover more of who I am meant to be
And as I grow you will see
Not a girl in despair or poverty
Nor one without hope or destiny
But a woman beautiful inside out Reflecting the One who is Love
Who created me for a time as this
With a plan and purpose
To change my world, the Philippines.