LESSON 4:

APO ON
THE WALL
BY: BJ
PATINO
There's this man's photo on the wall
of my father's office at home, you
know, where father brings his work
where he doesn't look strange
still wearing his green uniform
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Jens Martensson
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and colored breast plates, where,
to prove that he works hard, he
also brought a photo of his boss
whom he calls Apo, so Apo
could.
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 You know, hang around on the wall
behind him and look over his shoulders
Father snapped at me once, caught me
sneaking around his office at home
looking at the stuff on his wall-handguns,

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 plaques, a sword, medals, a rifle-
told me that was no place for a boy,
only men, when he didn't really
have to tell me because, you know,

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Jens Martensson
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that photo of Apo on the wall was already
looking at me while I moved around,
his eyes following me like he was
that scary Jesus in the hallway, saying
I know, I know what you're doing

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Explanation of the Story

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A child’s perspective is way different from the
adult’s side of Martial Law. The child’s
perspective on Martial Law is that, people are
well disciplined, follows the rules and law
and respect all people with authority. Well
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos is also
known as Apo or Apo Lakay, which is one of
his nicknames.
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Jens Martensson
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Apo on the wall by Bj Patino is a poem that
talks about the narration of a child’s point of
view about his rigorous Father and the
hanging photo around the wall called “Apo”.
The poem tells the reality of life during the
reigning of Marcos alongside with the
Martial Law.

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Jens Martensson
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It is a reflection of the scenario of what and
how the Filipinos experienced the tragic and
traumatic event throughout the dictatorship
of Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. “Apo
on the wall” shows the real situation
concerning with the different perspective
between millennial and those who lived
through Martial law.
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This poem shows how curious the child
about the man on the wall in his father’s
office. And eager to know what kind of boss
does his father have.
This poem is a contrast of history with
present. It imparted to me a sense of learning
about our own experience from the past.

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Jens Martensson
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It captivated my entire outlook to enlighten
me in the past for all the reality that is
changing my present overview. The poem
gave me the justification for valuing what
had happened in our history. From our
previous mistakes we must give ourselves
room for a personal perspective and start
applying the wisdom in our present time.
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Jens Martensson
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MESSAGE FROM THE POEM
It truly shows people how the martial law
during Marcos’s regime affected the life of a
certain Filipino child. I liked the poem
simply because of the figurative languages he
used to hide what he wanted us to visualize.
Those metaphoric styles he injected for
readers to think and read between the lines
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 ES
KY TUN
FUN
Launch

IN
BOFF

Thank
You
Jens Martensson
jens@bellowscollege.com