Father’s Day and Mother’s Day

By Catherine Lim

Today is Father’s Day

His turn to visit me.

Last week was Mother’s.

I hope it will be all right

Today.

It wasen’t all right last week.

So later Mother said,

“Why didn’t you tell me

He was coming?”

She slammed out

As he came in.

And Father said,

“Why didn’t you tell me

She was coming?”

But he didn’t slam out,

He still held me close.

So now they’re properly marked on the calendar,

Father’s Days and Mother’s Days,

So there won’t be any more confusion,

The telephone helps, thank God;

I never forget to ring Mother

To tell her of Father’s Day;

And I never forget to ring Father

To tell him of Mother’s Day;

So that they will never, will never

Have to look at each other again.

And reproach me

For my neglect

Father’s Day

Mother’s Day

How can they be

Days of celebration?

the fire
by Cyril Wong
Mother cried softly
to herself afterwards,
while sister pretended

nothing was happening
and dumped her boyfriend
on the phone

while I sat before
the computer and built
a poem like a fire.

first stoking, then rising
to enter it, while father
fled this burning house

like an arsonist

1. Like "Mothers Day And Fathers Day" this poem had a vague and misleading title which in this case was a good thing. I like these kinds of titles because they make the readers interested and wanting to know more about the poem itself. This poem is very symbolic and serious and in a way disturbed the readers and left an impact which, in my opinion is what a poem should do.

2. The extended metaphor in this poem describes how the father is the arsonist causing problems within the family. He leaves the mother crying, the sister in a bad mood, and the author frustrated. The fathers effects spread like a fire burning and eating at everyone in the house. "while father fled this burning house like an arsonist".