By Tsoltim N. Shakabpa

We have journeyed over land and sea

And traversed thousands and thousands of miles

Many have adopted new countries

And many more remain prisoners in their own country

Under the illegal, tyrannical rule of China

We have sown seeds in foreign lands

And labored for many years

Many have succeeded and many failed

Many have died and many were born

And throughout we have remained exiles

Forcefully displaced from the nation we love

We journey to regain our freedom

For the sake of our beloved nation

That once was blanketed in religious harmony and peace

And now is clothed in the blood of our brothers and sisters

Though in our lifetime we may not see freedom

Let us fight for our children and their children

So that they may see the light of day

When true freedom reigns in their lives

In the nation that rightfully belongs to them

And in a land free of foreign domination

The writer is a recognized poet and political activist for Tibetan freedom, currently living in the United States.

(The views expressed here are that of the author and shall not be regarded as views and policies of Central Tibetan Administration.)