Cathay plane touching its landing gears <br />dispatching me in the port of nowhere <br />no one welcomes me yet <br />except dull, oppressing sun-heat <br /> <br />Time leaps 4 hours in advance <br />adrenalin amalgamating within <br />as I collect my luggage and for passport marking <br />in a long queue of mostly foreign <br /> <br />biological clock skipping my traditional meals <br />culture shock making me dumb and frozen <br />racism is anticipated and foreseen <br />(only my impression) <br /> <br />4/25.....Today is my V-day, a green pasture is awaiting <br />model car, dream house are '' reachable'' <br />no longer a toy of fantasy and a sheet blue print <br /> <br />chocolates is all but an end-greeting reminder <br />and expected- long -distance call thru roaming text <br />from kin and newly-proclaimed friends proliferating <br /> <br />self-esteem is veiling at me <br />clothe with respect as unsung hero as my government says <br />with unseen crown beyond kingly glory <br /> <br />no more tracing back the track of despair <br />the childhood, the 3rd world, the lost career <br /> <br /> <br />Facebook tagging me now as one <br />of the countless dollar-earned Kababayans <br />tourist landmarks as most hits backdrafts <br />hiding nostalgic feelings behind <br /> <br /> <br />I now learn to collect branded items for LBC box <br />and send across miles <br />lifting homeland relatives ' unsatisfied smile <br /> <br />I am proud to be then my new country's pride <br />helping economy moves for awhile <br />western union, bdo, tax remittances all worthwhile <br />from un-drained thirst in making of night a day <br />toiling for my son's future <br />despite a bleeding hand <br /> <br />Now I am a working man <br />an Overseas Filipino Worker <br />among reputable manpower in demand <br />across the entire foreign land <br /> <br />Now I am a working man <br />not mourning the fate of <br />being a homesick father <br />and a lonely husband<br /><br />Rommel Mark Dominguez Marchan<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-working-man-as-first-time-overseas-filipino-worker/
