Gina has been working in Singapore for 18 years. On her day off, she loves to go to church and take baking and cooking classes. She is also a volunteer and serves other Filipinos in the church. Gina has been working in Singapore for 18 years. On her day off, she loves to go to church and take baking and cooking classes. She is also a volunteer and serves other Filipinos in the church.
Circle of life
My paintings and flowers have symbolized my life since I was a kid, and now I am old enough.
My life is so hard and so young. When I was young, I was still in my dreams.
It is necessary to work hard to help my parents as well as myself.
I have to cry because of sadness, and even when my heart is wounded,
I continue to dream that I am not alone.
The guard above me, so I believe and grow stronger.
I am far from my family because I have always been a working student,
and I have learned to stand on my feet again and again through the hardships of life.
The family because I was sacrificing to help the family..
I was pregnant without a father, and I didn't recognize the father because I didn't want to add to the problem.
My Lord Savior, because he is the guardian of my FHOEBE, and because I am far from him.
I am grateful to my parents because my parents are alive and healthy.
I continue to dream of being an instrumentalist like VIOLIN, Guitar and piano, and other skills that Phoebe shares I share at the day.
I will shed tears in my eyes as I remember the hard work and patience of life.
Nelie Bautista is from Bontoc Southern Leyte, Philippines. She’s an uplift mentor volunteer for Uplifters, a non-profit organization empowering underprivileged communities with online education and peer coaching for all foreign domestic workers. She is a volunteer member of the migrant writers group in Singapore. She loves to write, and one of her poems titled “A Worker’s Life” was published in multilingual translation migration, “Spring Water” in Tiger Moth Review, “Hardship” was published in the Anthology Book of Adversity in Poet Magazine, My Daily life, and Rain on “Be literate” and other social platforms.
The Village Mountain
My village is near the mountains, where the water runs fast and very clear. The beautiful clouds float so low and near, and their stunning beauty is so refreshing. From the wildflowers, plants, and trees, the windy breeze delivers a wonderful aroma. While I sit here for a while, I enjoy the scenery—the mountains’ beauty and the nature they hold. I think maybe this is a lot like heaven.
