History Repeats Itself

"History repeats itself history repeats history

an empty word we forget so easy

to say we’re fighting for something worth

nothing does"

Hannah Keziah Agustin

A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of making an illustration for one of  The Polaris Project‘s Burn Book poems, for their Stay Furious slam poetry event. Stay Furious is an event happening on August 19 in Venture Space, Mandaluyong, PH. The Burn Book will be an accompanying booklet of compiled poems and artworks by young Filipinos addressing the ugly truth happening in our country today, and the anger in the desperation of liberty from it.

This certain poem by Hannah Keziah Agustin really caught my attention and actually had me thinking about it for days. I feel like the poem speaks from an eye who’s viewing the picture on a much wider perspective. It has the voice of someone who believes in the power of  action to create change, but also of someone who’s been able to stop and reflect on the events that seems to be tied to a loop. Can we really say that we are fighting for something, when something just keeps happening over and over no matter how hard we fight for it to change? On the other hand, what is life if you have nothing to fight and live for?