My Dad

Type: Prose

Genre: Short Story (children's book)

Author: Anthony Browne

Published: 2001

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

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Summary

This book is about a young boy who tells us about the great things that his Dad could do. Usually in a brown plaid bathrobe and blue-striped pajamas, this Dad can do just about anything. He is not afraid of the bad wolf, he could swim like a fish, eat like a horse, wrestle with giants, and even walk on a tightrope. For the young boy, his dad is just about the coolest thing ever.

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My Dad is a heart-warming and funny book that pays tribute to all fathers out there It shows that every father in the world is always the "Best Dad" in his children's eyes. And whatever big achievement a father achieves, raising his child to be a good person is still the biggest achievement he'll ever have.

This book is a perfect gift for a birthday or even on Father's Day. Though your father is already too old for this kind of read, it will still be a sweet gesture for him to receive a copy of this. The book would able to express to him your appreciation and gratitude for all the love and sacrifices that he has given you especially if you are too shy to say it to him. (Tip: Place a bookmark or post-it at the last page of the book with your note for Dad in it. Surely, he'll be touched.)

Men

Poet: Maya Angelou

Source: "The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou"

Year Published: 1994

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Men

When I was young, I used to

Watch behind the curtains

As men walked up and down the street. Wino men, old men.

Young men sharp as mustard.See them.

Men are always

Going somewhere.

They knew I was there. Fifteen

Years old and starving for them.

Under my window, they would pause,

Their shoulders high like the

Breasts of a young girl,

Jacket tails slapping over

Those behinds,

Men.

One day they hold you in the

Palms of their hands, gentle, as if you

Were the last raw egg in the world. Then

They tighten up. Just a little. The

First squeeze is nice. A quick hug.

Soft into your defenselessness. A little

More. The hurt begins. Wrench out a

Smile that slides around the fear. When the

Air disappears,

Your mind pops, exploding fiercely, briefly,

Like the head of a kitchen match. Shattered.

It is your juice

That runs down their legs. Staining their shoes.

When the earth rights itself again,

And taste tries to return to the tongue,

Your body has slammed shut. Forever.

No keys exist.

Then the window draws full upon

Your mind. There, just beyond

The sway of curtains, men walk.

Knowing something.

Going someplace.

But this time, I will simply

Stand and watch.

Maybe.

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This poem titled "Men" is somehow a glimpse of what has happened to the poet in the past. As we all know, every poem depicts a moment from its writer's past. This is the same for this poem because if you would notice, its verses reflects the deep emotions that Maya had experienced when she was raped way back when she was a child.

But, apart from the poet's background, Men also tells us how a young girl's view about the opposite sex has changed. If you'll carefully read the first stanza, it shows the innocence of a girl -curious about men and what love is all about. The age when there was very little knowledge about the pains that men and relationship could bring.

Moving on to the second stanza, it is when the persona (the girl) started to discover more about the nature of man. She has welcomed a man in her life, perhaps she fell in love with him and enjoyed the feeling of having someone caring for you. This is very much evident with the lines:

"They tighten up. Just a little. The
First squeeze is nice. A quick hug."

Yet, as we move on to the poem, you'll notice that the persona has also come into a realization that the man has started going beyond and takeing advantage of her being defenseless. It is then when she learned (in the hard way) that a man could not only give sweetness but also pain. In her case, the pain she experienced was really bad: "Your body has slammed shut. Forever. No keys exist." This reminds us of how Maya has reacted to the abuse she had experienced during her childhood. It was very traumatic for her. We recall that she became mute for years.

In the third stanza, the persona seems to go back from where it all started - watching men as they passed by. However, this time there's a difference because now she had experienced how cruel men could be.

The last stanza shows the persona's reluctance whether she'll just let the world go on with what they are doing and watch the men passing by or let go of what had happened and try to fall in love again. With the word "Maybe", it is clear that despite everything she had experienced, she has decided to move on and welcome new possibilities in her life -like falling in love again.

In the end, we have come to know that this poem isn't really about its title "Men". In fact, it is never the subject of the poem. The real focus of the poem is the woman. How she first wondered about her opposite sex, discovered new emotions such as love and passion, got hurt and importantly, moved on. Her struggles and triumph over them were perfectly presented in the verses of this inspiring poem. Truly, Maya Angelou knows how to empower women through her craft.

The EX Commandments and Other Post Break-Up Stories

Type: Prose
Genre: Short Story
Author: Carmelle Hyacinth Penetrante
Year Published: 2006
Publisher: PSICOM Publishing Inc. (Philippines)

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Book Overview

This book, as the title suggests is a compilation of stories about girls who had just experienced a break-up. The five stories show the different ways of females in handling a heartbreak. Some are funny, crazy and there are also some that are touching and heart-warming. So, I picked two stories to review...

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The Ex Commandments


This short story is divided into ten parts. Actually, I think it's more of a mini-novel. Anyway, each part is about the commandments that the protagonist, Jenni has thought of in dealing with her break-up with ex-boyfriend, Joe.

The first commandment up to the ninth are very much realistic. Overspending, confiding with friends, denying what happened, and throwing away relationship-related things. If you are a girl, certainly you've done a thing or two in those nine commandments that Jenni has listed. Or perhaps, you even did them all.

However, when you reach the tenth commandment, that's when you realize that this literary piece is truly fiction. The tenth commandment is about seeking revenge. And, Jenni's idea of sweet revenge is burning her ex's car.

As you read the last part, you will notice that it seems as though what you are reading is a material for a film. Everything in that part is detailed and very cinematic. You could even imagine yourself as Jenni trailing away gracefully while the flames devour her ex's F150.

Well, even if it was a biased narration (but justifiable since the idea of the book is a collection of girls' post break-up stories), it was a nice story. Something that you would let a brokenhearted woman read that won't make her cry even more. In fact, she might even smile and think if she has done all those commandments.

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Sleepless in Makati


Unlike the Ex Commandments, this story was narrated from the point of view of the two main characters, Jen and Jeff.

The two characters were batchmates during high school. They had a thing before but they were too young to make it work. After seven years, they met again in a coffee shop. Both of them single again because of finished relationships.

Jen's relationship with her boyfriend ended after she discussed wedding gowns over breakfast. It was the same for Jeff. However, the reason for Jeff's break-up with his girlfriend was because he never had time for the girl.

And so, they spent hours coping up with each other in the coffee shop until they realized that they seem to click well. At the end, they ended up with each other. Jeff is still the same workaholic guy and Jen still the same dominant woman. But, they accepted each other's attitude so there was no conflict.

So, this is the light part (and definitely the last in the process of recovering from a break-up) of those post break-up stories. When the girl has decided not just to move on but to move forward and welcome a new love. And though "Sleepless in Makati" is somehow a story that lacks in sweet moments, it was still able to justify the whole theme of the book.


To sum up, the author, Penetrante, was able to showcase what girls are going through after a break-up in a realistic manner. Her choice of situations and conversations were able to connect pretty well with the reader especially if you are a female. For male readers, reading this book will truly enlighten you and let you understand why your ex girlfriend acts weird after your break-up. Somehow, this is like a guide book for both men and women. It tells females how to recover from the incident and it tells the males how to handle their ex girlfriends.

By the way, if you wish to grab a copy of the book and can't find it in the bookstores, get it here.