JM Written: Poetry

I wrote this poem ("Looking Down From The Heavens"), during a local writing competition. The topics available were: poetry, short stories, comedy skits, and random (anything at all as long as it was either written or drawn/painted). We sent it in, and all that was next was to wait. Within a month or so, we were sent an email, and it said, we hadn't made it to the top 3, but we came as close as it got, "honorable mention" or the top five people in that section (ages 12-14, I was the youngest of the top five) . We were also told that I was to be published in a book, called "youth writing contest 2021", where the top five of each section would attend. This very poem is what I sent in to my local library:

Looking Down From The Heavens

By: JMM

What do I see?

Earthlings looking up at me.

But what they see cannot be me-

for planets, stars, asteroids, and meteoroids, are all they see.

With their telescopes and special scopes they pierce the clouds of gray 

Red Mars, blue Venus

Yellow Suns, pale moons

a universe of black holes, white dwarfs, and Milky Ways.

 With my ship's scopes and special sensors I see how people feel

They see red, the feel blue

They are tickled pink, using green thumbs

a universe of emotions, a cascade of true colours, of what is real.

They look up past the clouds and ask what else is there?

I look at them and ask do you not see?

Of all the creatures on Earth and amongst the stars in the sky

People see, people feel, people touch and are aware.

They are unique in this, precious and rare.

Review: The Impossible First (by Colin O'Brady)

An epic and heart-throbbing novel of achieving what was thought to be impossible: crossing Antarctica unassisted with zero resupplies; completely human powered. 

He began on his quest by finding donors to actually supply his project. He was unsuccessful for a long while. But later on he managed to find a supplier of goods (special jackets and tents) as well as a money supplier. He achieved the world's fastest grand slam project ever, in preparation of crossing Antarctica. 

Not only did he have to cross Antarctica, unassisted, with zero resupplies, and was completely human powered, he had to race against an experienced Antarctic traveler (Captain Louis Rudd) . 

At first I expected nothing, nothing at all of this novel (which is always what I expect before actually reading).  But as I reached deeper in, everything made sense. The one thing that I always forget when reading novels such as this is: the beginning is somewhat "boring" and the middle part to the end is the climax and epic/satisfactory ending. He describes it so well that I felt as if I was really there, experiencing what he had during his Antarctic crossing. There are many many reasons why one should read this novel. Such as: realistic, interesting, and unlike any other (in a good way). I did not regret reading this book, and I think almost EVERYONE can enjoy this book like we did (readers of The Impossible First). It is a fantastical, realistic, and fascinating novel, which cannot be described as well as reading the novel.

Attempting different things is absolutely key to enjoying new things that you would never have believed was possible. In trying a new genre of book, I found that, not only fantasy and science fiction topics, are able to create such a fascinating experience. After reading this book, I now include Autobiographies, in my most favourite book genres. Half the time, I discover new things, because of what my parents recommend. Sooo... if your parents ever recommend something, I would say, you should try it. After all, your parents want the best for you. 

Rating: Incomparable, unparalleled, and exceptional

Age recommendation: 12+ ( There is some swearing but these occasions are few and far between) 

JM Written: 53 Story Series

My dad and I joined this 53-word short story contest. The challenge was to write about something tasty. While thinking of a topic this popped up in my head. What do you think?

When I Became Still

by: JMM

I remember. I remember it all. When I still walked through the grass of green, the beautiful trees all around. I enjoyed life then. Before the slaughter. I was fed beyond my heart's content. One day, that day most foul, I was being led onwards towards a shed. One look… Then, Filet Mignon.

JM Written: Haiku Series

I recalled a sunny memory from Boracay island in the Philippines when I wrote this.

Relaxing on Sand

by: JMM

Relaxing on sand

Seashells lying by the shore

Intricate designs

Review: Second Foundation (by Isaac Asimov)

The third book of the Foundation saga is simply called "Second Foundation."

It is about 80 years from the conclusion of the 2nd book. It tells of a group of Psychologists  planning to eradicate the Second Foundation. Thinking that this act will bring about the actual fulfillment of the Seldon Plan, these Psychologists believe that they are destined to beat them.

Little do these Psychologists know that the Second Foundation is full of descendants of the original psycho-historians. The Second Foundation had their own plans and could make certain predictions regarding the possible moves of these Psychologists. The book then tells of this great and climactic battle between the Psychologists and the Second Foundation, with the fate of the Seldon Plan in the balance. Exciting stuff.

Readers will surely experience the awe I felt when I was reading this exciting conclusion to the Foundation saga. This is one of the best books I have read. I can compare my experience reading and re-reading this story to the one I had when I read the Harry Potter series. However, the style of writing and the enjoyment is very different. With Harry Potter, you tend to see the magical world and all its adventures in your head as you read along with the story. With Hari Seldon (haha), you read about the conversations and the exciting discussion of ideas and concepts as the characters experience the "history" Asimov plots out for them.

Asimov's writing is unlike any other. But you don't need to take my word for it; first hand experience is the best. Read it just once and you will understand.

Recommended Age: 14+

Book Rating: Inscrutable, yet Inspiring

JM Written: Rhyme Scheme Poetry

I wrote this while thinking of Spring and the beautiful things that come with it. It is the best time of year. All of that cold snow disappears. Anything one could even want of nature, is here! This is a poem about just that!

It goes a little something like this:

Spring Sings!
by: JMM

The snow is melting, Spring has come!

Dandelions, sunflowers, roses, and then some!

Mother Nature arrives in full bloom

Time to shake off that winter gloom!

The trees dust off their snowy caps

Waking up, stretching from their winter naps

They spread out their branches in all different ways

Standing up, reaching for the bright sun's rays!

Everyone and everything

Coming together and singing, "Spring!"

Review: Foundation and Empire (by Isaac Asimov)

The second book of the Foundation saga is simply called "Foundation and Empire".

It is about 70 or so years from the conclusion of the first book, and the story talks about the success of the Seldon Plan for the first 300 years after the events in "Foundation".

The Foundation is growing in a sustained, steady, and rapid pace. The people in it are confident in their abilities to fend off anything. They have complete faith that Hari Seldon and his psychohistorians had planned for everything. Everything was going according to plan, until it wasn't. You see, psychohistory was proven to be effective at foreseeing events happening on a galactic scale. It was not so good at predicting individual actions, or in this case, the coming of a powerful individual who would call himself "The Mule". The Foundation had no warning of his coming and were completely helpless against his power.

The Foundation was helpless against the Mule. How could they fend off a mutant of such power, for all they knew he might be one of them? The secret of his true identity made him a dangerous and unpredictable spy. Was the Mule a male? A female? Was he even a person or a group? The Foundation knew nothing except the name "The Mule" and the extreme danger they were in before the Mule's power. They needed help. They needed the Second Foundation.

Now, for some reason, the Mule knew that he would be defeated if the Second Foundation were left untouched and undiscovered. So now both the Foundation and the Mule were in a race to find the secret of the Second Foundation and the first to find them would be the victor.

I think this book is a great feat of literature. The way Asimov describes it, at first seemed, very uninteresting. But he later surprised me with a connection between multiple subjects, in a way that created the interest of "reading till you can't read anymore" or "I can't put the book down." Asimov created an empire, a universe free of boundaries, of things you cannot imagine. He explains his fiction in a logical way, convincing his readers into believing that a universe like this exists.

Recommended Age: 14+

Book Rating: Outstanding

Review: Foundation (by Isaac Asimov)

The first book of the Foundation saga is simply called "Foundation".

It is in a time far far away from now. The exact time is unsaid, but it is easily over 100,000 years into the future. The tale of Hari Seldon and his Psycho-Historians, people who base their mass calculations of the future's events on mathematics, creating the Seldon Plan. A plan supposedly, planning the future of a thousand years, and its events between. According to their calculations, and planning, at the end of all of it, a Second Foundation. The latter parts of the book are about the Foundation spreading its roots, setting up the "foundation" of its beginning, its experiences, and the four main worlds surrounding it. The story also sets up the beginning of their exploration of the systems just outside their own.

Isaac Asimov is unsurpassed in science fiction stories, he plays with words as if they are his puppets, he, a puppeteer. He is a master of writing, and this series is his pièce de résistance. 

It seems like Asimov's writing here also sets the "foundation" for modern science fiction writing; many writers today start their stories with what is known (or science fact) and then adding on what could be (science fiction) in order to make their premises believable. After reading so much about Psychohistory as a "science", it almost seems like a real subject that one could take up in university.

I first read this series when I was younger, maybe just in Grade 3. I thought it was cool then but it was only when I read it again just recently that I realized how much I did not really understand in my first reading. I think I might read this again when I get older.

Recommended Age: 13+

Book Rating: Exceptional

JM Written: Personification Poem

I wrote this thinking about the sea when I watched this great animated film entitled "The Song of the Sea".

The Sleeping Sea

by: JMM

Today

the Sea was tired and worn

Remembering how quick her youth was spent

Her waves dying as the years drifted by

She walks through this journey of life

A life of endings and new beginnings

For she was made young again as new life gushed forth within her

Healing old wounds, renewing her waves

Now she dances and dreams of an eternal slumber

Of a day when she is finally

Still.

Review: The Complete Calvin and Hobbes Collection

I first read this when my dad recommended it from his personal collection. At first I thought of it as silly, useless, and not funny. At least that was before I actually read the books. It was my introduction to the Art of Comedy. Reading it once is enough, enough for you to remember every detail. Now, here is my review:

Calvin and Hobbes, an amusing and unique comic strip, originally released in April, 1987. The author Bill Watterson, typically writes about a child (Calvin) who has a stuffed tiger which he named Hobbes. Hobbes is the so-called, "brains" of the two. Hobbes and Calvin have a bond immeasurable, although Hobbes is imaginary, the way that Bill Watterson describes Hobbes is incomparable, in such a way that you think Hobbes is real.

The two explore the world at their own pace. They explore the woods and play a game which they call Calvinball, a game which they created and designed. The story is about a normal child called Calvin , told with just a "hint" of comedy. It is an iconic classic that will be remembered forever.

Recommended age: 8+
Book Rating: Phenomenal

Hello, World! This is my "Hairy Truth".

This is me. Hi.

I joined the inaugural 2020 NYC Microfiction Contest and this was my humble submission. In the first round, I was assigned the "comedy" genre, required to use the phrase "looking through garbage", and include the word "artificial". Other than the 100-word limit, I was free to write what I wanted.

This was what I submitted.

The Hairy Truth

A short time ago, in a country far far away, there lived a man and a dog during disastrous times of homework, school, and the most dread thing of all: grammar. One day, John and Chewie went out for a walk. Suddenly, Chewie scented something, something artificial! He leaped forward looking through the garbage and finding a mirror. As he approached it, he forgot all about that artificial something because here was a naked truth: Chewie wasn't wearing pants! All this time, he thought he was the man but being named second in the story made him the dog! Oh! The humanity!

I received some really helpful comments from the writers who reviewed my work and I hope to improve on my writing as I continue. At first it was a mind-boggling task. A task I had never done before. So of course I thought the best course of action was to sleep on it. Confused? Here is the system behind it: when you sleep, your body and mind work themselves to the absolute limit. And during that time period your sub-conscious mind kicks in. Fundamentally, how a subconscious mind works, depends on what your final thoughts were before you drifted off into sleep. And so in the morning, of course, I had completely NO idea. It was only later in the day when my mind started to function the way it should. I then improved on my ideas and eventually came up with the "most fantastic" idea ever to be thought of in the history of mankind. Which is basically about a man and a dog, journeying out in to the wilderness of a walk, and finding a truth never before revealed: Chewie realizes he is not human, but a dog. That was a basic overview of what happened, the rest of it is me attempting to discover the best way to write it.