Karla Angela P. Tolarba

BSed 2-N

We Have Come Home

- Lenrie Peters

We have come home
From the bloodless wars
With sunken hearts
Our booths full of pride-
From the true massacre of the soul
When we have asked
‘What does it cost
To be loved and left alone’

We have come home
Bringing the pledge
Which is written in rainbow colours
Across the sky-for burial
But is not the time
To lay wreaths
For yesterday’s crimes,
Night threatens
Time dissolves
And there is no acquaintance
With tomorrow

The gurgling drums
Echo the stars
The forest howls
And between the trees
The dark sun appears.

We have come home
When the dawn falters
Singing songs of other lands
The death march
Violating our ears
Knowing all our loves and tears
Determined by the spinning coin

We have come home
To the green foothills
To drink from the cup
Of warm and mellow birdsong
‘To the hot beaches
Where the boats go out to sea
Threshing the ocean’s harvest
And the hovering, plunging
Gliding gulls shower kisses on the waves

We have come home
Where through the lightening flash
And the thundering rain
The famine the drought,
The sudden spirit
Lingers on the road
Supporting the tortured remnants
of the flesh
That spirit which asks no favour
of the world
But to have dignity.

Will there be a rainbow to the bullet of a bloodless war?

Have you ever experienced being dominated? Abused by others?

The feeling of being a slave is not as easy as we think. During the war of colonialism, African people had been traded for goods. They have been an exchange though there have been no action guns fired but they served as a bullet during those times. The slaves had been the gunpowder, wine and sugar. Their lives were traded for this base offering. They suffered much from the true massacre of the soul.

Until now slavery in different ways still exist. Many suffered hardships. They’ve been used for pleasure, for entertainment, for abundance. They’ve been in bondage that others can’t see. Like Africans, Filipinos during the colonialism experienced the same way. All who suffered from the colonialist would feel the same way. I can imagine what these victims felt and how they suffered from the hand of those people who has no mercy.

Slavery is a real existing dilemma that many had been through.

But, along the circumstances they suffered from there lays a pledge written in rainbow colours. A rainbow which symbolizes equality and they come home representing oneness. Still there is a hope that in spite of the diversities in colors there will be equality that will exist.

After all they have come home though they see little that pleases them outside the natural scenery. They have come home where the lightning flash and the thundering rain, the famine, the drought do not bring down the spirit of the man whose flesh is tortured beyond support but of his spirit. And the reason his spirit lives on is the hope of the eternal cry of the Africans; to have dignity!..

Ma. Jessca Angela C. Tinay

The Importance of Culture

When I first read the title, "The Husband is Mine", I thought that it's more kind of a scene or drama in television where temptation and the presence of a mistress is there, but I was wrong when I read the the story. The story is really about a husband w

And wife who really loved each other but the sister of the wife really envied her because she married a wealthy man and is financially capabled and that's why she is also jealous with her sister.

We all know that marriage is very important in a relationship specially if you have decided to live as one or as a husband and wife. I've seen in this story that the Africans also have a ceremony for marriage and they a5so have customs and beliefs

about certain things for example is when a woman enters a man's house and he has carnal knowledge of her, she automatically becomes his wife. In my opinion, this ir ir a rin because the sisteq of the wife was married and had reven children. But i am

not saying that they should change that because it's their own culture.

The story is about jealousy,envy,marriage and love. Jealousy and envy bcause the sister of the wife was very in se2ured of marrying a man who was rich. She alwys compared her husband

to the husband of the wife and the kind of status they had in their life because they don't really have much money and they have many children to take care of.

The sanctity of marriage here was not given much importance bcause when the wife died, the

husband made the sister of his wife as his second wife regardless of the fact that he knew that the sister of his wife was also married with ano ther man. Love was shown between the husband and the wife especially when the wife was still alive

Education is really important to them. We can see it in the story when the husband said to his wife that it is better to have only two children so that their education will be sustained. They are same with us because education really is the key to

a better future.

I think the author was trying to describe the customs and beliefs of the Africans in this story, "The Husband is Mine". Tie author did a great job of having their traditions in this story to be clearly understood them by people especially

for those people who read this story.

With their customs and beliefs,we have similarities with them like having a great importance of education or valuing the essence of education, having a good realationship of the wife and

wife and husband and n

husband and of course having an affair with someone who also has a wife or husband

The only thing that i can say about this is that we should not be jealous and envy someone for having something that we don't have. We should always be contented and we

should work hard to achieve something that we want. Let's not be like the sister who was desperate to get the husband even if she knew that she had a husband and children and a responsibility to take care of her children. Let's always be thankful and be

responsible of what we have and of what is to come

Shane Mae Suruiz                                       BSEd II-N

A Foot Has No Nose

                The story is about a mother and a daughter who always invite passing work-seekers to their house for a meal. It upsets the daughter so much whenever her mother instructs her to invite the passing work-seekers, make an open fire outside, and cook for them at midday in that intense heat. Her mother is aware of her behavior so she talked to her after serving their guests. She said ""Lonao ga lo na nko" - "A foot has no nose". It means: you cannot detect what trouble may lie ahead of you.

                The daughter realized that it may have happened that, in her travels some time in the future, she would found herself at the mercy of those very individuals. As if that was not enough to shame her, her mother continued: "Motho ke motho ka motho yo mongwe". The literal meaning: "A person is a person because of another person".

                This story is very meaningful. It tells us that we should be good to everyone because we will never know when we would need other’s help, too. Helping is a good way to show our care for others. We must help people wholeheartedly. If we are just forced to do so, then it’s better if we won’t help at all.

                They say that it is better to give than to receive. Well, I don’t have anything against it. In fact, I strongly agree. When you are the receiver, then it just means that you don’t have any of it and so you are in need of it. When you give, it means that you are, maybe not in a good state, but in a BETTER state. There’s a difference, of course. In the story, the mother loves showing her care for others, while the daughter isn’t in the same boat as her mother...maybe because she hasn’t realized it yet. For me, the best way to understand such situations is to put your feet in their shoes. By that, you can feel what they might feel and at that moment.

                When I finished reading the story, I can somehow relate to the daughter. I usually sulk when my mom tells me to do things I don’t even understand why I have to do it. I will only know when she already reprimanded me of my annoying behavior.

                I also contemplated about what I used to do with our student teachers way back in high school. I was really guilty when I thought about that and I’m afraid that it may also happen to me once I get into the field. I regret doing those things especially now that know I already know how hard it is. So now, I therefore conclude, it takes one to know one.

Jerry Finn P. Ruivivar

Bsed 2-N

Love is Happiness

In everyone's life there are different experiences. One of them is falling in love. Many would say falling in love is one of the merriest feelings of all. Others would also say it feels like heaven when you fell in love with someone. But what if someone or other people try to hinder your fairy tale love story? Will it still be the same feeling that you will feel?

Love. Love. Love. A thing I really can relate to. But before I over power this essay with my very dramatic love story, I would like to clarify that this essay is still about my realizations and insights regarding my discussion on Life in Our Village by Matei Markwei which is an easily understood, childlike, loosely rhyming poem that expresses a universal truth about youthful love. After I read and analyzed the poem, I realized how much love influences the happiness of the youths being referred in the poem. I therefore concluded that it is through love that they become happier. Well I guess it’s normal. Everybody wants to be happy in this world. But there are only few people who are happy because of love. Just take a glimpse of our society nowadays. Some people believe that wealth provides happiness. They spend most of their time acquiring it. But wealth does not guarantee happiness. It only gives the basic amenities and materialistic comforts of life. There are also people who seek for happiness in sex, drinks (alcohol) and drugs. They try to find delight through such things. These things may help to forget their worries for a limited time but not forever. Same in the poem, we can clearly see that no matter how the elders hinder or manipulate the actions of the youths, the latter will still find way(s) to meet up and make love (in a positive aspect). The elders might be the cause of the temporary absence of happiness in the youths' life but love is strong not to surpass those challenges. It can be affirmed by one line in the poem – "but humanity is weak so boys and girls meet". It is only the "today" that the elders have in their control; the youths still hold the "forever". A forever wherein they can be together with peace.

Love should be practiced without any selfish motives. If we see other people loving and being loved by others, we should not be jealous because jealousy is one of the agents of death instead we should respect them and just be happy for them.

Jonnah Rebadajo

BSEd II-N

That Same Night

That same night is a story of a woman who, maybe, fell in love or was attracted to a man. On that night when they met, many things happened. She felt happy with the man and on that same night, she was betrayed and left by the man.

In my opinion, the story is about prostitution. The woman in the story is a prostitute wherein she was given money just to give pleasure to a man. The lines “He picked me along the way”, “I looked forward to his nightly play” and “He denied me my pay” clearly shows that she was engaged in prostitution. She is willing to give that man his wants but he must pay her with money. Prostitution is still an illegal job that is still present this time. And I believe that there are some women engaged in prostitution, who, in the end of the game of two is still defeated and is fooled by many men who only wanted their service. Poverty is one of the causes of prostitution. Just to gain money, many people, mostly women including the character in the poem (used as a representation of women engaged in the said job) are selling their body and dignity. One night with a man who only wants your service and your body and eventually will dump you without giving the money that you need is the most dreadful situation that a woman can experience.

Source: http://www.africanwriterstrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/suubi.pdf

Title: That Same Night by Elone N. Ainebyoona

         ANALIZA RANESES        BSED II-N         

                              Every day is a gift from God. New day is a new life. People have the opportunity to change and correct their mistakes. I can say that it’s a miracle from God. Why? Because God can take away your life when you are asleep and vulnerable and yet He still gives you chance to live and experience the beauty of life.

                                                                                                

                               The poem ‘Salutation to the Dawn’ by Kalidasa reminds me of life. “Look to this day, for it is life, the very life of life” is one of the lines that tells me that there is more than life than we see it today and we can put our own meaning into it. We are the one who makes it happy, sad or complicated. We make our life. It is depended to the person if what life he chose to have.  “Look well, therefore, to this day! Such is the salutation to the dawn”--- a line which says a brand new day has come and I want to welcome it with open arms.

                

                                I don’t know much about India but after I’ve read this poem I can say that they value life so much and is contended with what life brings. For me, life is the most precious gift from God. Living a life with the people who cared for me and loved me as much as themselves is really His gift.  He always gave me to the right people. I know I can’t have a second life or a third but I can proudly say that being with my family, my friends, and my special someone is what life really comprises. It’s all about love. Many problems will come our way and the past will always hunt us, but as Kalidasa said in his poem, ‘For yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision’.

                              How can I be afraid if the present is only that matters? I can always trust what I can do today than what I can become of tomorrow. I will never be afraid because God is always with me. So, I should be doing what life told me to do not tomorrow but today.

Amilyn Mae R. Palcotilo

BSED II-N

A Mother in a Refugee Camp

          I first read the “A Mother in a Refugee Camp” when I was researching about its author, Chinua Achebe. At that time I wasn’t really very smitten by this poem maybe because I just sort of scanned it or perhaps I just didn’t care. But, when we were reminded about our project, for some unknown reason, this poem is what first came to my mind.

          A Mother in a Refugee Camp is a poem about a mother holding her dying son in her arms, for the last time. It is a painful and very sad picture if you tried to imagine it. But, despite that, Chinua Achebe was able to deliver it in a sweet and very touching way.

          The poem started, with Achebe comparing the scene with that of what happened with Mary when she was holding the body of dead Jesus Christ (Actually, I am not very sure with my interpretation of this part. The line ”No Madonna and Child could touch...” made me conclude this way.) As the poem continued, it is already evident that dying children is a common scene on that refugee camp, that some mothers no longer care. However, the woman in the poem is not like them. Though her son lay dying in her arms, there’s still a smile on her face as she remembers the happy moments she had with her beloved son. Her love for him is so strong that instead of just weeping there, she clean him up before laying him to rest, took out a comb and arranged her son’s ” rust-colored hair” like what she always did when he was getting ready for school. The last line ”Like putting flowers on a tiny grave...” signifies that the child really died.

          For me, the mother in the poem can be seen in two ways. First, she is a mother who is not yet ready to let go and accept the fact that her son is dead, that’s why she continued holding him with such care. Another is that she is a

mother who already accepted her son’s fate and she is just holding him for the last time while she is arranging his body.  Either way, one thing is very evident in this story, the amazing love of a mother to her child even in death.

This poem touched me so much because, though not all of us already lost someone we love dearly, we all know how hard that would be. Losing someone is painful enough. So, imagine how hard it is for a mother to watch her son die in her arms. This poem described the pain of losing someone in a very sad yet sweet way. It is sad and depressing and heart breaking but I enjoyed it. This is just one of the reasons why Chinua Achebe is considered a legend in poem writing.

Patrick Padua

Vultures

             The poem” vultures” was written by an African poet named Chinua Achebe. This was when the whole continent of Africa was under apartheid or racial discrimination. Before, black people like the Africans were considered slaves. Most of the poets of that time write literary pieces with tragic or sad theme.

           The poem Vulture focused on two vultures which, despite of its gross form, bald head, dirty feathers, had somehow developed affection or love for each other. The author described the way these birds feed, basically upon carcasses of dead animals. For us humans, that’s gruesome. But for the vultures, that’s normal.

            The author then compared it to a German general who was brutal and no mercy when he’s on duty. He’s never affected by his actions. Even when killing the Jews by burning them alive or by poisoning them. But when the general goes home, he always stops at the candy store to buy chocolates and candies for his beloved children.

             For me, the general can be compared to a lion. Fierce and brutal but has affection for others of its kind and caring for its offspring. The general and the vultures in the story are showing their good and bad side. Which, I believe, most of us have. A think, no matter how bad a person is, there is still a good side to keep things balanced. I think, what the author’s message was, even though the invaders of their land were cruel, the author still sees a good side from them. Despite their brutal attitude they showed among the African people, they still love their families and shows affection among them like they don’t know how to be brutal.

Mary Jean L. Orgaya

“No Loss NO Gain”

                                

                                    The poem entitled “No loss no gain” simply talks about how something or someone undergoes difficulty in order to become what they are and who they are. “No Loss No Gain” says that the candle melts itself just to give us away its light. The incense sticks ash and smoke itself just to give us its aroma. The sugar cane crushes and sinks itself in water just to give us its flavor –drink. The field takes the seeds and turns them into plants itself just to give us rich corn. The tree labors and grows itself just to give us its juicy fruit. The milk curdles and churns itself just to give us its butter. The mother suffers pain herself just to feed the baby with her milk. And that one can gain something only by losing something.

                                 These things certify that something or someone has to undergo a process, has to experience difficulty in order to be able to know the real essence of the existence. It tells us that anything that is worth desiring has to be achieved with the involvement of some level of pain and sacrifice. That we have to suffer difficulty in order for us to achieve that something that would make us as what we are. We were all born as no one not knowing of what we will be someday. And as the time goes by, we have this ideal image of what we are going to be as well as the desired triumphs and achievements having the knowledge that there would be a lot of hindrances ahead. With these hindrances, we are starting to recognize the real us and discover the real essence of our existence. And it’s the hardships that make us the person that we really are. However, sometimes after gaining something out of hard work, we still lose.  And this is quite frustrating. But according to Rajbir Parashar, we should not grieve over our loss; instead, we should view it as a stepping stone to our success.

                          This poem makes me realize that I just have to enjoy whatever life brings. That I don’t have to feel frustrated if I lose something after gaining it out of hardships. I just have to take a deep breath, take a rest and start all over again as if nothing happened.

                                                                                                                                                     

“No Loss No gain”

Rajbir Parashar

                       

 Jonah L. Olaño

BSED 2N

To be Nobody but Yourself

               Gender truly affects as all, especially on the part of being a woman. With the glimpse of this poem entitled Order for Maskwrotten by Virginia R. Moreno, Ihave seen how the persona in this poem made an effort just to satisfy the needs and wants of the three men inher life. This woman has to wear three different faces with three different roles. One has to be a sister who do things opposite to her brother. The second one is to be a daughter the woman towards her father. She wants to show his father the  kind of woman he expected her to be innocent, modest, leading himto believe that she is an ideal daughter. Last is a lover a woman towards her lover where in, her role is to satisfy the needs and wants of her partner. She wants him to believe that she is the best partner for him.

               We can look as these faces as a series of masks or fase personalities. The behavior, action and most especially her real personality is juyst in conformity with the needs of men. Her uniqueness as being herself were totally lost. This, in a way, her status of being a woman  turned merely as an instrument of men that satisfies and pleases in order to deal with them.

               Hiding behind a mask will never do good. We don’t have to be somebody just to get the love,  acceptance, attention and care we expectto get from them. If they really love you as being who you are, they will stick to your side in every minute of your life. If the presona (woman) choose not to forbid her happiness by bringing herself in front of them, she might be smiling sincerely and living a life without those series of masks. She does it over too much love for others that she forgot to give love for her own-as a woman. She get attention and love out of pretending which never brought real happiness. It is just as if giving way in order not to feel the rejection from the people she gave importance. She lacks in her inner conviction to show hwr real- as herself.

             Women’s issue affect all people- not just us women. Although you’re a man, I’am sure you have your caring mom, sweet girlfriend, or a thoughtful grandma. We should see the importance of women not just because she is expected to be dutiful or bound to serve a man , but most importantly a woman brought you in this world, so we should love them wholeheartedly. No matter how imperfect they are.

Vincent S. Niez         BSED 2-N    Bicol University College of Education

English Education       Professor Renelyn E. Bautista

Nirvaya

by Shanta Acharya

Do not ask if I dare to dream of a land

where I can walk free, without fear,

the sacrifices made to flicker in that flame of hope;

did not know the price would be so dear.

Life is a gift, I thought, did not expect it to be cheap,

callously plucked-half chewed

bones tossed drunkenly after the feast.

In the night of the splintering womb

my dreams turned into nightmares.

No mountain could carry my grief,

no ocean wash away my shame, no wind dry my tears.

Do not ask how many times I touched the heart of grief

prized open like a pomegranate

my seeds spilling like rubies.

Battered and broken, no hope of being,

my sorrow speaks in myriad voices, will not be silenced

till the sacrilege of rape and violence is atoned.

How long must we suffer, burn like incense?

hold on to faith, dreaming of change?

We have an entire universe to rearrange.

After centuries of dreaming we are awake, alive,

know what holds us together when things fall away.

As long as I can summon the strength to pick myself up

when cast in gutter, and my hopes can rise like a phoenix

I'll let the universe know it does not exist without my dreams!

Life is a gift that God gave to us. He gave this for us to enjoy his creations.

As I've read this very beautiful poem I felt sad because of the tragic story of a girl in India. She is Jyoti Singh Pandey, an Indian native she was raped in a bus in New Delhi on December 16, 2012 and died later on in a hospital in Singapore where she was sent for treatment by the Indian authorities.

The poem talks about freedom, where anyone can walk and enjoy the place without any signs of danger. It was stated that life is a gift she thought did not expect it to be cheap. This passage says that life in her situation though it is a gift is wasted. The author wants us to realize that even if we are surrounded by person that is very subjective still hold on and have faith because they will not control you forever. As we all know, there is no permanent thing in this world except change. It was also stated that the sorrow of the girl in the story will not be silenced unless the justice is achieved.

It was entitled Nirvaya because of the author's fight for the whole world to know what happened to this girl that was raped in India. In Indian language Nirvaya means fearless one.

Lezlie C. Moralde

BSED 2-N

The Frog in the Well

                There was a frog that lived in a shallow well whose boasting to a turtle that lived in Eastern Ocean how well off he was there; he can hop along the coping of the well when he goes out, and rest by crevice in the bricks on his return. He can wallow to his heart’s content with only head above the water, or stroll ankle deep through soft mud. So in other words, the frog is bragging about the things he can do in this shallow well compared to the crabs or tadpoles. Before the turtle from the Eastern Ocean could get his left foot into the well, he caught something on his right claw, and halted and stepped back to describe the ocean to the frog. “It’s more than a thousand miles across and more than ten thousand feet deep. In ancient times there were floods nine years out of ten but the water never increased; there were droughts seven years out of eight yet the water in the ocean never decreased. It has remained constant throughout the ages.” Then the frog was silent and felt a little abashed with what he’s bragging about earlier.

            In this Chinese short story, I learned that bragging about something can do you no good but embarrassment and shame. Yes, I brag sometimes to my friends about the things I have sometimes and I feel superior in that moment, but when they start with theirs, I feel what the frog felt when the turtle told him about his life in the Eastern Ocean. I realized that what I experienced or have are nothing compared to them. They have more than I have but they’re just silent about it or they just keep it by themselves.

            I also learned that we should be humble in every way we can. Not having much allows you to appreciate what you do and not to take things for granted, like some spoiled brat or something. It could also gives us true friends that could accept us of what we only have, and what’s important is that the friendship, camaraderie, and experiences that we share with them.

            As what Criss Jami said in Electric Personality, “Man is not, by nature, deserving of all he wants. When we think that we are automatically entitled to something, that is when we start walking all over others to get it.” I think this quotation is somewhat connected to what I am saying above and also this quotation is applicable to the frog, to me, and to everybody.

JJJJ

Afro-Asian Literature

Ma. Clare B. Mesina

Is Blood Really Thicker than Water?

   We, human beings are often referred as rational animals. It is because of the mere fact that we're  capable of thinking, reasoning and giving out of decisions. We are able to distinguish between what is right or wrong, good or evil and we make a choice for the distinction made by the intellect. As a rational being, people like us tend to take responsibilty for our actions. But how come all of these things seem to be deleted in man's memory whenever we're purging of emotions.

   An Egyptian folktale entitled 'The Tale of Two Brothers' tells us how a young man nearly killed his son-treated brother out of his anger. This story is about Anpu and Bata who learned to live their own life after their parents died. When Anpu got married, he brought Bata with him whom he treated as their own son. As to return the favor, Bata would always help his brother in the field and he would bring home various vegetables. Anpu's wife got jealous of the treatment Bata had from his husband. One circumstance happened in the field so Anpu asked Bata to go home and get some corn. The wife who was then really desperate gladly took advantage of the situation. When Anpu returned home, he was immediately met by his crying wife who was at that time full of bruises which she, herself made using a black paint. Anpu deceived by his wife that Bata was the one who had beaten her, was about to kill his younger brother. But the gods gave protection to Bata who was then explaining but all his words seem to be an air to Anpu. Dismayed of what had happened, Bata decided to leave his brother and started on his journey. On the other hand, Anpu killed his wife as soon as he discovered her evil and manipulative act. Feeling sorry for himself and his brother, he just walked and walked until he saw Bata happily living with his new-found wife.

   Upon reading this story, it just so happened that this question popped out of my mind, "Is blood really thicker than water?" Well, I guess it's not. There are instances that we solemnly hang out with our friends than stay in the house with our family. We are so much attached  with the so-called "pakikisama" that sometimes we don't even know that we're using Billiken's masks just to please them. We even forget to ask ourselves, Is this the real me? Some of us were blinded with our emotions that unfortunately turned as into a dangerous man. Reasons and explanations are all nothing because our main focus is to get rid of that something or someone that caused us pain. We are also partly unconscious that we forgot to analyze informations at hand whether it's true or not. Something innate in us certainly push us to do unethical things. This driving force absolutely masked our mind whenever we're being attacked of our catharsis. Just like the story, Anpu immediately take action in killing his brother. How could he forgot those wonderful moments they've shared with. Why did he forgot that the blood flowing through their veins is the same? That they're brother? Why did he believe in his wife right away?  Is it hard to listen to someone else's reasons and explanations? Would it even harm you? Or put you to jail? Probably not. The big problem in us, people is that  we easily wrapped all things up. We let our emotions ruin our life. We played deaf, blind and mute about the reality which is basically in front of us. Anpu is one of the greatest examples of this scenario. He didn't weigh facts and certainly forgot to think. He just let the driving force inside him take actions which is ultimately a big mistake. Whenever we're apt to face similar situations, we must be calm and let ourselves handle things smoothly using both our heart and mind.

   In life, it is very difficult to make decisions. You must first weigh things critically. Bear in mind the possible consequences or outcomes you'll have if you happen to choose this thing. Are you going to be happy? Will I hurt someone? Step other's rights and privileges? We must choose the one that is the best for all of us. Probably a choice that in the end will never put us in the hot seat of interrogation and regret. Something that will never be like of  Anpu's fate- sadness,loss and tragedy. We, rational beings must use our capabilities in driving well our wheel of life so that in the end there's no turning back and no teardrops will ever fell out of pain and sorrow.    

Julius Martillana

BSEd II-N

The Story of the Aged Mother

(Japanese Folktale)

The story of the aged mother is a Japanese folktale which tells us about how important our parents even if they are already old. The story goes when Shinano received the proclamation of their despotic ruler which states that all aged people will immediately be put to death. Those times were barbarous, and the custom of abandoning aged people was common. However, it was not a law; and many of the helpless old people will live as long as nature allows them. In the case of Shinano, it was too difficult because he love his aged mother so much that he can’t let go of her. It was a mandate of Daimio that no one ever thought for the second time. Before the dawn and Shinano’s work ended, he prepared food for his mother. After doing such, Shinano lifted his helpless aged mother to his back and started on his painful journey up the mountain. It was a long and steep road that Shinano felt pity and his head was bent with weariness and his heart was heavy with sorrow. Obatsuyama, known as the mountain of the “abandoning of the aged”, was very hard to climb because it has so many crossroads and narrow paths. The eyes of Shinano’s mother were not so dim that she sees what path they are taking. Shinano’s mother knows that they are taking dangerous paths and she knows that his son doesn’t know about that so her loving heart grew anxious. She thought that her son will be in danger if he will return home because the mountain has so many dangerous paths. She stitched forth her hand and snapped the twigs from bushes as they pass and quietly dropped it every few steps of the way. Weary and heart-sick, Shinano gently released his burden and silently prepared a comfortable place for his aged-mother. After finishing what he was doing, he bade farewell to his aged mother. The trembling mother’s voice was full of unselfish love as she gave her last injunction, “Let not thine eyes be blind, my son, the road is full of danger, look carefully and follow the paths that holds the piles of twigs. They will guide you to the familiar way farther down.” Shinano was surprised, looked back to the path then to his mother only to find out that her hands are scratched and soiled by her work of love. Shinano’s heart had smitten by what his mother told him that he burst into tears. Shinano lifted his mother and he said that they will live together and will face death together. Shinano kept his aged mother in a walled closet for food which was covered and hidden. He supplied everything that his aged mother needed. One day, Despot sent unreasonable order which demands that the townsmen should present a rope of ashes. The entire province trembled with dread for it was ridiculous to do such thing. Who could have ever made a rope of ashes? One night, in a great distress, Shinano whispered the news to his hidden mother. Her mother thought of an answer. The second day, she told him what to do. She told him to prepare a rope of twisted straw and she said that after doing such, stretch it upon a row of flat stones and burn it then on a windless night. Shinano called the people together and did what her mother told him. They presented the rope of ashes and the Daimio was pleased at the wit of Shinano and praised him greatly. The Daimio demanded to know where din he got his wisdom. Shinano answered, “I need more than the strength of youth” and he also said the well-known saying, “Where the crown of snow, there cometh wisdom.” That very hour, the cruel Daimio abolished the order.

            The story is a very inspiring one. If I was asked to choose between my girlfriend and my mother, I will choose my mother. Why? The only answer is there will be no me without my mother. So for the story, it gives us another lesson in life. The child can turn their backs to their parents but parents cannot and will not. I appreciated this story so much because it is an eye-opener for those siblings who hold grudges against their parents. It also tells us that even our parents are already old; they cannot be replaced by any material things here on earth.

Source: Chips in World Literature

Virginia F. Malicdem, Ph.D

Virginia M. Nesperos, Ph.D

Title: The Story of the Aged Mother

(A Japanese Folktale)

Pages 15-16

Jasiel Joy G. Mape                                                                                             Midterm Project

BSEd 2 – N                    Task: Read an African or Asian literary piece and write an essay about it. Make it personal.

Your Pain Is My Pain

Some people say you can never feel someone’s agony if you haven’t experienced it. Others claim that you won’t understand someone’s grief if you’ve never been into his/her position. But sometimes, though we haven’t been in the core of someone’s heartache nor experienced his/her sorrow, our tears still fall – we feel pity, we sympathize or somehow, empathize, that we say, “Your pain is my pain”. Imagine yourself telling this without hypocrisy not just to a person nor to a community but to the whole country, the whole continent.

I recently read a poem by Ayanle Isak entitled “Africa’s pain is my pain”. I researched about the author, but the only detail I got is that he’s the author of this literary piece. So I assumed that he is not a well–known one. However, he should be. He wrote a poem that I guess others would just notice its naiveté.  But for me, behind its simplicity is its sophistication. I believe Isak wrote this poem not only using his mind but also letting his tears flow and his heart beat for every word that he writes. This poem highlights the sufferings and the struggles of the African people. It is a poignant piece that shows the reality of life in Africa. Isak used the repetition of the phrase “Africa dear Africa” to illustrate that Africa is the parent of the people. He somehow acted as a tattletale in this poem, telling Mother Africa its children’s conditions – “Your children are lonely and depressed”, “Your children are at war with each other”, “Your children are killing each other”, and “Your children are starving”. I believe Isak isn’t only tattling these things to Africa but to the whole world. He’s one of those writers who wants the whole human race to know the true picture of Africa. The scene that in every 3.6 seconds, one person dies due to starvation and every year, 10.9 million children die. That part when more than 12 million are orphaned by AIDS and 1.5 million die of HIV/AIDS each year. All I know before, foreigners are their only aggressors. But this poem opened my eyes to the realization that Africans themselves kill each other and they are at war with each other. No wonder they are described to be lonely and depressed.

These things won’t make me look at them with contempt but with sympathy and compassion. If before I imprisoned myself in the world of indifference, now, I know I don’t belong into that world anymore. I am free! I’ve learned how to love, care and show compassion to others because I realized that true existence isn’t only living for your own self but for others as well – giving a portion of your life, creating a mark in someone’s life and illuminating their dark world. I watched a video in youtube.com entitled “Light in Africa – An Amazing Life Changing Story”. It is about an old woman from England, named Mama Lynn, who chose to give up her worldly possessions to help, share God’s Word and be the light in Tanzania. She is known to be the “Angel of Kilimanjaro”. I believe Mama Lynn wasn’t born having AIDS yet she wept and prayed for that 10–year old boy who was born with the AIDS virus and almost lost his life. She felt their agony though she never experienced it. She understood their grief though she had never been into their position. I know I can, too, feel the pain of Africa.

Isak and Mama Lynn, an African and a European, separated by race but united by their love and compassion to Africa. For it is neither about having an African blood nor skin that one can feel Africa’s pain, but it is about the affinity – placing Africa inside one’s heart.

If now, at an early age, I cannot accomplish what Mama Lynn did in Africa, I’ll just be like Isak, in his last line in the poem, “Africa dear Africa, your pain is my pain, so I sit here crying”. But I know that someday I will go to that place, being a light in Africa and I myself would tell them, “Your pain is my pain”. 

Ma. Jessica Malto

The Dark Continent

By: Mthoko Mpofana

'Africa my beginning, Africa my end. I was born here and I will die here'
Africa you bear my hopes and fears
Poverty, famine, crime and AIDS are words which plague Mother Africa's name
These demons bring me shame
While people try to make Africa better, a few let the hardship overpower them
Shame on them
They give up hope and go about their knavish ways
Even though there's hope on the horizon, be that as it may
They continue to destroy what little Mother Africa has
Africa is no longer what she was
'Mother Africa is weeping'
Yet a new dawn may be creeping
Mother Africa and her children are beautiful, they know their place in nature
Even though hardship may corrupt good nature
In the name of ALL that is good, I hope Africa will rise one day
And we'll stop the suffering before she frays
The words upon a famous poet, I hear
'Africa my beginning, Africa my end. I was born here and I will die here'

An Essay about the poem The Dark Continent

Africans do really have rich mind when it comes to writing poems and literary piece. They have this certain urge to write a literary piece that voices out what they’re feeling and what they’re experiencing. They also have patriotism in their hearts for their mother Africa. Mthoko Mpofana is the proud writer of The Dark Continent. He’s not famous writer but he made an eye opening poem for the whole world to know  Africa and her children had undergone these pate years. He wrote about the unutterable situation of Africa.

In its first lines, “Africa my beginning, Africa my end. I was born here and I will die here.” Depicts the writter’s loyalty to his homeland, the Africa. It also says that Africa, their mother land gives hopes and fear at the same time. In the poem also, stated that Africa’s biggest problems were Poverty, Famine, Crime and AIDS which gives stain to Mother Africa’s name. as we all know from Africa’s history, they become slaves of other nation. In the poem, some over comed their fears and hardships, and didn’t let themselves to become slaves in their own land. Some give up and lose hope, and all of this destroyed what little things Africa has. This is the reason why Africa is weeping and mouring. On the other hand, the writter still has a positive outlook for Africa and it’s men. He’s still hoping that they can recover and rise again one day, and all of the sufferings and agony will end at the right time and everyone will be equal, Black or White.

All oin all, the writter gives  hope to every african that in time,everything will be fine and they will conquer these hardships.

Ma. Karen Colle

The story It's A Night Job is written by Joanita Male. The main character narrates the story. She did not choose her life - it chose her. She has a job with her mother and her mother as well. She was raised in the words "Look after your body; you never know when you'll need it to make a living. She says that one day she'll stop doing her job and go to school without depending from it.

            Doing what is right is a choice. That was the first thing that came into my mind when I read the story. The main character shows how much her job destroys herself especially her as a lady. She inherited e job from her grandmother. Although she really didn't want to do it, she has to because the moment she stop her mother will be mad at he and she will definitely stop going to school.

            Many Filipino students have the same case with that of the girl in the story. Some of them involve themselves in prostitution for the sake of going to school and helping their parents but the worst is just for them to get all there wants. Since their parents cannot afford to give them everything they want they decide to trade their body and get some money that can buy all things that they want.

            Taking the case of the girl in the story, I cannot directly say that what she is doing is wrong. It is never wrong to go to school. What is wrong is her way of sustaining herself just to be in school. Her body is not a commodity which can be bought anytime someone has wanted it and for her to have money. No one can do nothing that will let her have something within her pocket. It is only a matter of industry, determination and of course faith in God. Choose to do what is right because somehow something within you will tell you that everything will be alright. 

                                                                                                                                                                                    Ma. Karen Q. Colle

                                                                                                                                                                                                BSED II-N

John Carlo G. Lucido                            Afro-Asian Lit.

BSED-2N

An Essay on Vultures by Chinua Achebe

                  Chinua Achebe, the black poet, has written a lot of novels and poems that changed the view of the world of a lot of people who as read it. One of it was his ground breaking novel Things Fall Apart, which went on to sell more than 12 million copies. But there is one of him that stricken me the most was his poem Vultures. The poem was about the struggling nature of good and evil. And as a person, I believe that what the poem is telling or showing us is true. And it also shows us more than that. It is about the good and evil living side by side inside of every person. Why does the world see one person as either good or bad? Such as the German Commandant in the poem who gassed and kill a lot of people every day in the concentration camps and then stopped at a store to buy a chocolate for his child on the way home. And this poem shows that good and bad resides on every person, and that they can surprise you. That even if the most cruel or evil, shall I say, person on earth still have something good in them. Even if it’s a little. Funny as it is, I myself do bad things, but not that bad, just the naughty ones. And I can say that even you, or anyone of us has done a naughty thing in their lives, one way or another.

                 Even if the most cruel person who ever lives, or lived has o “glow worm” or goodness inside them. And it is clearly shown in this poem. Just like the vultures that achebe used to explore his thought of ideas of war and was introduced and described as disgusting and repellent, still they appear to love and care for each other. And as we people, we should believe that goodness and love will always overcome the evil inside of us.