Death in a sawmill summary

Death in a Sawmill by Rony V. Diaz is a story of envy and how it leads to tragedy.

Rey Olbes, an assistant sawyer who was assigned to guide Eddie in his hunt, died in
an accident in a sawmill, and that is what they believed to have happened. But Eddie was
the only one who strongly believed that it was a murder and not an accident. An impotent
bastard named Rustico can only be the one to do such acts of murdering Rey.
You have seen the chain that holds logs on a carriage in place. Well, that chain is
controlled by a lever in which is out of the way and unless that lever is released, the chain
cannot whip out like a crocodile’s and hurl a man to the wheeling circular saw.
The story started when Eddie, the son of Mang Pepe who is the owner of the
sawmill, decided to spend his summer at their sawmill to hunt as soon as the school was
out. And his father Mang Pepe asked Rey to guide him in his hunt. Rey was tall, a
sunblackened young man. He had unusually long neck and his head was pushed forward
like a horse’s. His skin was as grainy as moist whetstone. In Eddie’s first meeting with
Rustico, who was a small squat, muscle-bound and graceless man, and his wife Dida with a
fair skin feverish lips and a sock of black electric hair, he already witnessed the intense
confrontation between the three including Rey. And then the next day reaching the end of
the kaingin after a tiring hunt, there Rey told Eddie about his affair with Rustico’s Wife. And
he told Eddie that Rustico is impotent because his wife is pregnant and Rustico knows that
Rey is the reason. Also rustic won’t leave Dida, he’d chain her.
The night when Eddie and Rey passed in their hut, rustic was already angry saying
that Dida should drop the baby or else he’ll kill her. That happening was the reason why
Dida decided to ran away. Meanwhile Rustico planned to go after her but Mang Pepe
denied in his permission due to business reasons and because it turned out that Rey
already left for town first early in the morning without even telling Mang Pepe. Mang Pepe
told Eddie to relay the message to Rustico. Rustico then got up on the carriage and leaned
on the chain that held the log clamps. Then asked Eddie about what Rey has been telling
him about Rustico. He got angry causing the chain to lash out and fall rattling to the floor.
He was tensed staring the chain like a dead snake. He was trembling picking it up,
unlocking it, pulling it down with both hands and did it again musing on the way the chain
lashed out like a crocodile’s tail.
 Pushing the Night
By Melchor Cichon

This poem tells us specifically about poverty. A poverty which strikes our society
nowadays. It seems to be that for us Filipinos this is a naturally occurring phenomena. It is
because even now and then still we suffer from poverty, and can we stop it, maybe not. But
I think we can lessen it. In the poem, we can see someone around in ragged clothes,
barefooted pushing his crooked cart for livelihood, for a living in a slum area (wherein
nobody notices him). He ignites his kerosene lamp to illuminate or light up the dark in his
see-through home. But the wind keeps on blowing out the light. Just like his cart, He keeps
on pushing the night to know the dawn. The lines “But the wind keeps on blowing out the
light. Just like his cart, He keeps on pushing the night to know the dawn”, somewhat shows
that even though poverty strikes, continues to strike him, still he will keep on moving,
continue living until he sees his future.
This presents a typical mendicant who keeps on living an honest life who wanted to
keep on moving, continuing his life to see a better future that awaits him. This poem
pushing the night somewhat wants us to know that we should live an honest life, no need
for robbing because just like the saying try and try until you succeed also he who walks
honestly walks securely, we can have a better future if we continue living in an honest life.
We can fight poverty, and if you can’t well then be strong enough to go with its flow and
don’t forget that every downs you have the ups.

Ti
By Rene Juanico

This poem tells us about ambition, a hopeless one, a hopeless dream. This poem
suggests hopelessness for the ambition of that person, the ambition to become a seaman.
The ambition that cannot be achieved even if he cries or weep still his dream cannot be
fulfilled. Maybe this suggests that there is already no luck in having that ambition, those
tears are all for nothing. Crying cannot help him to continue achieving his dream or
ambition for it has already ended. There is no hope, no luck, no chance of still achieving to
be a seaman. It can be that it is because of poverty or because he did not try hard to achieve
what is to be achieved. That is why if we have this dream or ambition, if we really want to
achieve it, better work hard or else it will just disappear in just a blink of an eye. And it
cannot be brought back by time. Do it while you still can.
This poem can also mean that there is this water pollution. Because of the dirtiness
of that specific body of water, even the tears of the fishes could not be seen ( do fishes cry?)
These days we are suffering from such catastrophes like floods. And water pollution
contributes too. So this poem can also be an eye opener for us to stop polluting the waters.
Remember, we are also using water, it is our primary need. So we better start anew and say
no to water pollution.
 Tay, Pauli na
By Eugenio de Pablo

This poem tells us still about family, a broken family. Dad go home, leave Saudi,
mother is getting sick, mother’s condition is getting worse. She’s going out with another
guy, going in night clubs, playing “madyong”. This is a story of a broken to be family. The
lines “ ang aton balay nga sadto mabakod, nagaamat-amat na hilay, ang mapag-on sini nga
mga haligi subong nagagabok- nagahuyang“ presents the idea that their family which was
once very strong, very intact, close was weakening little by little. Their family is falling
apart. The foundation of the family is gradually breaking apart . A suppose to be a family
that stands together lives happy together is slowly being destroyed.
Poverty can also be an issue in this poem. What was the reason why the father went
to Saudi? Maybe it is because of poverty. Because here in the Philippines you cannot find a
job that can be able to make someone’s life a much better and comfortable life. This is what
usually happens to those Filipino construction workers in other countries away from their
families here in the Philippines. When their wife gets bored with a life without his husband,
a broken family sometimes happens. It happens most of the time. It is sad to know that
after a hard days work, after what you have done for them, after sacrificing a half of your
life working just to let them have a better future, you’ll end up getting hurt, left alone,
having your life destroyed.

Kasisidmon
By Nieves Burao

This poem tells us about life, happiness and sorrow in life and in death. We live in
this world full of many great things, we live in happiness and also in sorrow. In this poem it
describes life our cycle of life. In the line “ ang inggat sa mata napalong” shows that death
has took away life. “ Ang linya sa agtang, nagsiri nga nagsiri, ang tagsa ka huni sang relo
nabatian hasta nga maduea, samtang padayon do pagtunod sang adlaw” This line tells us
that as time passes, we get old and then die. Darkness will come at the end of our lives. But
still our life goes on, well in another world. We experience happiness while we still live,
and when we die, we experience sorrow for we wanted to live more.
At first we feel happiness and then by the end of time there will always be sadness,
sorrow. As time goes by, we get old until there will come such times wherein we need to go
and live another life in another world. Another life which is eternal. A life without sorrow,
only happiness. We can also apply the quote, thou shall be merry for tomorrow thou shall
die. We should also be always prepared. But still that is life we should know how to live life
to its fullest. Again, time just passes by. A matter of life and death.
 Ukal Kamo Subay
By John Hingco

This poem tells us about the alliances in the politics also somewhat related also to
politics. The dirty politics, the dirty parties. There are many ants in the municipal hall, I
wonder what they were talking about. They are quickly carrying the newly arrived sweets.
The ants refers to those politicians, preparing for the arrival of their alliance in politics.
“Ang kanilang kaalyado o kakampi o manok sa pulitika”. The last stanza “ Basta indi lang
magsakit ang buot ninyo kon indi kamo makatiraw sang kalamay nga ato, bangud kulang pa
ato sa mga subay nga hanggud ang mga busong rugto sa munisipyo” , shows or somewhat
illustrates the politicians giving money to their allies in politics, and those that are not in
their side or their enemy should not get angry for they are the opposition( kontra partido).
This is also a typical Filipino event which occurs every election. The opposing forces
are always doing this kind of nasty things. Also this poem tells us that in politics you should
have many connections, why? To be able to become more powerful, to easily win the
elections. And lastly the line “ Sa mga Subay Nga hanggud ang mga busong” “to the ants
with big stomachs” , these description can be referred to as graft and corruption. It is
because when we are to describe a politician, what comes in to our minds is that they are
those people who steals money from the poor and puts the money all for himself(not all
politicians are like that), that is why most of the politicians have these “Big bellies/
stomach”. They feed themselves from the money of others.