Late afternoon, the darkness is about to steal the light
We are about to head back down the mountains of Mindoro
A fire and smokes all over the trees, a "Kaingin"
we encounter a family of three camouflaging the forest
Looks like "Mangangahoy" making charcoal for a living

A heart-crushing-afternoon scenario
There is a man, who looks like the father
An old woman seems to be the grandmother with a little kid,
small and as cute as a button
We barely see them as they're covered with dark smokes from woodfire

Our truck stopped, offering them a ride
The father loaded the sacks of wood
The little boy trying to lift it with his bare little hands
so small but he seems can carried heavy loads
It's almost dark
we sat at the back of the truck cargo bracing ourselves
praying not to fall on a bumpy mountain road

This little boy is beside me
Indifferent
I look at his adorable-plumpy-little face covered with dirt
Eyes glistening with innocence
A little jungle boy
An angel of the forest
he reminds me of Mowgli

This bambino inhaling wood smokes daily
working at a young age is a definition of a heartbreak
something made me tear up inside
it comes to a point where you don't know what to feel at the moment
Reality is hurtful
and the hardest part is handling your emotions

This kid deserves better
every kid in the world deserves better

Circa 2019