Synchronized Chaos First of January 2026: What Makes Us Human

Silhouette of an adult person out at night near some pine trees with a view of the Milky Way
Image c/o Gerard Lipold

First, an announcement: published poet and contributor Tao Yucheng would like to host and judge a poetry contest open to all readers of Synchronized Chaos Magazine.

Synchronized Chaos Poetry Contest

We seek short, powerful, imaginative, and strange poetry. While we welcome all forms of free verse and subject matter, we prefer concise work that makes an impact.

Guidelines: Submit up to five poems per person to taoyucheng921129@proton.me. Each poem should not exceed one page (ideally half a page or less). All styles and themes welcome. Deadline for submissions will be in early March.

Prizes: First Place: $50 Second Place: $10, payable via online transfer. One Honorable Mention. Selected finalists will be published in Synchronized Chaos Magazine.

A second announcement: poet and regular contributor J.J. Campbell has a new book out, to live your dreams.

From the back of the book: J.J. Campbell’s work is an unflinching look into a life spent alone with the bottle and the page readily at hand. It is raw, honest, and uncompromising in every sense of the word. You are keyed into the fact that this is a writer who doesn’t sugarcoat a single line to ever soften the blow. Campbell’s work is perfect in that sense, and in this newest collection, you are getting a writer at the top of his form.

Now, for our first issue of 2026. This issue explores what makes us who we are, physically and psychologically, as individuals and as communities and nations.

Young light skinned man doing the breaststroke or butterfly stroke in a pool on a sunny day
Image c/o Vera Kratochvil

Nicholas Gunther explores what makes him human, where in his body his consciousness might be located. Kassandra Aguilera also speculates about her consciousness, considering what makes her feel alive.

Xudoyberdiyeva Mohiniso explores some Eastern and Western philosophical conceptions of what it means to live a conscious human life. Morley Cacoethes’ haikus also explore where and how we find inner wisdom and knowledge. Nilufar Mo’ydinova outlines themes of free will and the search for truth through experience in Goethe’s Faust.

Brian Michael Barbeito crafts a lyrical winter meditation on a person’s holding onto nature and his identity in an alienating new world. Satimboyeva Risolat echoes the importance of maintaining one’s personal values. Mahbub Alam urges people to draw on the wisdom they possess to make the world more just and healthier. Türkan Ergör considers the unpredictable nature of our lives and the need to choose kindness. Zeki Celic reminds us to make the most of the limited time we each have on earth as Stephen Jarrell Williams depicts characters choosing freedom, peace, and love.

Aliyeva Aziza Utkirovna points to the eyes as a place where humans reveal their inner feelings. Nurbek Norchayev’s evocative piece celebrates the power of poetry to convey emotion and sensibility. Aliyeva Zulaykho highlights the role of breath in vocal expression while reading texts.

Chloe Schoenfeld delves into Walter Gramatte’s painting of German artist, art historian, and social activist Rosa Schapire. She wonders how much of the craft of creating a likeness is about the subject and how much is about the associations the artist draws on to help them imagine and understand the person.

Painting of a gray haired woman seated in a wooden chair with necklaces and a white buttoned coat.
By Walter Gramatté

Shomurodova Dilafro’z Bahodir qizi explores approaches to Uzbek linguistics that focus more on the people creating texts rather than merely on the texts as isolated objects. Fayziyeva Hafiza Alisher qizi also looks at human life and culture’s influence upon languages.

J.K. Durick reflects on the seasons of life where we are observers, contemplating those around us or what has happened. Taylor Dibbert considers his own role in the dissolution of his marriage. Bill Tope’s short story depicts family pulled apart, then back together, then apart again.

Dr. Jernail Singh urges parents to let their young adult children learn and work for their own dreams in life. Also, he reminds us to consider the legacies we leave behind for the rest of the world once we become successful enough to care for ourselves and our families. Tolqinova Marifatoi Shavkatjon qizi outlines research into approaches to social and vocational training for young adults.

Lan Qyqalla recollects his romance with his late wife as Adalat Eroglu versifies about a tender romance and Özcan İşler urges his love to remember him. Nasser Alshaikh Ahmed Arabia’s poetic mind wanders through the jasmine-scented depths and alleyways of love. Ramona Yolanda-Montiel considers an old and warm poncho as a sign of her family’s love. J.J. Campbell writes his way through another lonely, disillusioned holiday, wishing he had love and a close family.

Aleksandra Soltysiak wonders at gentle miracles at Christmas, within nature and within families. Gabriel Bates reflects on the ways he distracts and enjoys himself during holiday celebrations. S. Afrose sings of the joys of the Christmas season. Til Kumari Sharma highlights the beauty and value of the Christian faith at Christmas as Maja Milojkovic expresses gratitude to the archangel Michael. Kalipada Ghosh celebrates life, faith, love, and joy at the holiday season. Sardar Makhmudova’s short story shares how a little girl’s brave adventure lets her discover the meaning of the season, sharing love with others. Dr. Prasanna Kumar Dalai goes into poetic rapture about romantic love, world peace, and personal stillness.

Light skinned 30 something year old man in jeans and a gray sweater seated on a windowsill looking out at trees and the moon at night.
Image c/o Mahmoud Mohammed Hassan

Ahmed Miqdad laments the cold winter endured by Palestinian refugees in a call for global peace and justice. Pat Doyne reflects on the United States’ gun violence epidemic and the lack of progress to tackle it. Also, she speaks to the political chaos in America and its negative effects on consumer prices. Giulia Mozzati Zacco mourns the deaths of children in school shootings through the ancient form of the ghazal. Ziyoda Muradilova reflects on cultural pressures that social media has placed on the craft of journalism, to be fast, interactive, and appealing to readers, and how that poses challenges to the task of delivering truth.

Eva Petropoulou Lianou reminds us that true freedom is a society where people can live safely together, not merely the chance to serve ourselves at others’ expense. Dr. Jernail Singh reminds us that what goes around, comes around, both in terms of the legal system and the religious concept of karma. Duane Vorhees points out that concepts such as justice and poetry and perception should not remain purely abstract but carry practical meanings in the real world.

Abdulrazaq Godwin Omeiza considers how formal education taught him the facts of history, but poetry showed him how to survive it. Ruqaya Mehran, interviewed by poet Eva Petropoulou Lianou, discusses her work as a museum guide, influencer, and historian of ancient Egypt. Dylan Lloyd speaks to the emerging, burgeoning magic of creativity. Taro Hokkyo’s short story illustrates the power of self-belief in overcoming oppression and obstacles. Zaxina Tohirova highlights the lessons we can learn from failure and perseverance. Aziza Xasamova urges us through piercing prose not to give up, whatever happens in our lives.

Ahmed Farooq Baidoon revels in togetherness and merriment at the New Year. Kujtim Hajdari expresses high hopes and dreams for the New Year as Imran Khan moves forward into 2026 with optimism and Jacques Fleury tosses in his New Year wishes for all of our readers. Bruce Roberts contributes a splash of whimsy in his Wacky New Year poem. Valentina Yordanova’s poetry, translated by Yoana Konstantinova, reflects on the joy of Christmas and the self-reflection encouraged in the New Year as Dr. Ratan Bhattacharjee marches forth into 2026 with hope and strength. JoyAnne O’Donnell renews her hopes and dreams as time marches forward. Argentinian poet Graciela Noemi Villaverde takes joy in her December 21st birthday, the summer solstice where she lives, and Fernando Jose Martinez Alderete reflects on nature’s rest and preparation for regrowth during winter.

Synchronized Chaos contributor Jacques Fleury, a young Black man in a black suit and red tie and dark sunglasses, on a golden Christmas ornament with red and green decor, on a Christmas tree.
Image c/o Jacques Fleury

Elza Hansen celebrates the maternal and paternal love at the heart of the Christmas holiday. Abu Rayhan Beruni connects the importance of strong families to a strong nation.

Dildora Khojyozova highlights the cultural renaissance of the nation of Uzbekistan as Diyorbek Elmirzayev looks at Uzbekistan’s increasing government debt as an outgrowth of economic growth and investments in modernization. Lolaxon Sodiqxonova highlights the importance of gender equality and initiatives to empower Uzbek women in economics and education. Dilshoda Nodir qizi Nurboboyeva presents strategies for educating and raising children without gender stereotypes. Priyanka Neogi urges women around the world to move forward with self-respect, creativity, and independence. Ashraf Al-Mismar provides a literary analysis of gender, identity, and migration in his novel Soul Shards.

Communication is integral to intercultural understanding and migration. Shaxriniso Savranboyeva outlines various approaches to translating idioms across languages and cultures. Saminjon Khakimov points to how language instructors can harness the phenomenon of code-switching, reverting to one’s native tongue, in the classroom. Abdurashidova Sabina Eldarovna highlights teen code-switching, from normal language to chat-speak and slang. Eshpo’latova Xilola highlights the role of audiovisual teaching aids in enhancing students’ foreign language acquisition. Ruziyeva Sitora outlines why and how English is still considered a global language as Ubaydullayeva Saodat discusses the role of English in international travel.

Abdullayeva Feruza suggests visual activities that help accentuate young children’s learning. Yusupov Otajon Ulug’bek ogli outlines various creative approaches to teaching and learning foreign languages. Gulsevar Amirqulova encourages teachers to practice and develop their own creativity as part of professional development. Jo’ranazova Dilobar Dilmurod qizi highlights different ways to teach young children their mother tongue. Nasulloyeva Feruzabonu expounds on the value of science and technology education for society in ways that go above and beyond the practical. Dr. Jernail Singh Anand urges society and our educational system to teach wisdom and the humanities rather than simply focusing on speeding up students’ financial success. Bahora Akmalova considers approaches to teaching preschool children social skills in a classroom setting. Rupa Rao interviews writing mentor Balachandran Nair about his work with emerging authors.

Eva Petropoulou Lianou interviews Dr. Reda Abdel Rahim, inspector of Egyptian antiquities at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, about his work with artifacts of his nation’s past. Jeffrey Spahr-Summers’ digitally altered photographs glimpse a more recent past, giving homes and street scenes a hazy, nostalgic feel.

Artistically altered and hazy image of a yellow skyscraper bank building. Blue awning below for a Ben and Jerry's.
Image c/o Jeffrey Spahr Summers

Sayani Mukherjee’s imagistic work explores nature, love, loss, and the concept of home. Natasha Leung draws on oceans and canoes as a metaphor for a couple who are separated all too often. Eleanor Hazel Hill reflects on physical mementos of summer fun. Yusufjonova O’gilxon revels in the chill pleasantries of winter. Soumen Roy looks to a river metaphor to express consistent flow, purpose, humility and resilience. Dr. Byeong-Cheol Kang evokes the resoluteness and strength of an eagle. Kujtim Hajdari highlights ecological themes in his review of Eva Petropoulou’s poetry. Axmadqulova Sapuraxon shares ideas for educating preschool children about the environment. A group of youth in China submits various short poems inspired by natural scenes. Alan Catlin patters out imagistic pieces inspired by various Japanese words for rain as O’rinboyeva Zarina speculates on life on a planet where rain is a rarity. Robert Beckvall reflects on his life’s winding path and how it deposited him on the lush big island of Hawaii. Mesfakus Salahin looks to the longer-lasting natural world for absolution from his complex memories. Riley Winters laments human exploitation of animals and the wilderness.

Mykyta Ryzhykh evokes the inextricable natures of life and death. Alyssa Trivett graphically renders the aftermath of a car accident. Nilufar Yoldoshova outlines similarities and differences between Uzbek and Korean funeral customs. Tea Russo’s work dramatizes the soul-killing effects of grief, loneliness, and shame. Gabriel Kang’s work exposes exploitation disguised as progress and love. Robin Beernaert outlines the psychological impact of a griever’s journey through poetry and prose.

Jessica Vanderwall composes an emotionally complex love letter to herself. Daniela Chourio-Soto reflects on the power of dreams to express and warn us about feelings in our waking lives. Joshua Obirija paints a lower-case portrait of the grief and lostness driving his writing.

Adrina Esparas-Hope crafts a graphic image of visceral love that could be a metaphor for creative pursuits. Brian Barbeito lets go of the need to understand everything before he can experience beauty and mystery. Texas Fontanella’s work revels in color and improvisation, reminiscent of jazz and electronica. Mark Young artistically alters geographical maps of checkerboards and Australian regions. Grant Guy intentionally erases parts of painted and typed texts as an artistic experiment. Zamira Moldiyeva Bahodirovna encourages readers and students to take up a refreshing and creative hobby. Federico Wardal explores the career and casting decisions of artists’ manager Adriano Aragozzini.

More practical fields can be creative as well. Shahlo Rustamova explores the role of discrete mathematics, particularly combinatorics, in understanding biological structures. Farangiz Musurmonova urges Uzbek accounting frameworks to match those of international professional standards. Medical student O’roqova Nargiza outlines the importance of salivary glands in the human body. Normurodova Salina Saitkulovna discusses how the medical field prepares for pandemics. Ahmedova Dilorom Mahmudovna highlights the progress of medical therapies for cancers caused by human papillomavirus.

We hope that this issue will inspire your creativity!

Essay from Dildora Khojyozova

Young Central Asian woman with long curly dark hair, a white blouse, and gray coat and dress pants, on stage near a banner and flag and with flowers.

Uzbekistan’s Quiet Transformation: How a Young Nation Is Redefining Central Asia

In a world that grows noisier by the day, not every transformation announces itself with fanfare. Some unfold quietly—steadily reshaping the cultural and political geography around them. Uzbekistan is one such story.

For many Americans, Central Asia remains a distant concept: a region glimpsed through brief headlines or geopolitical maps. Yet, at the heart of this vast land lies a young nation rewriting its identity with remarkable speed and confidence. Over the past decade, Uzbekistan has emerged from international obscurity to become one of the most dynamic reformers in its region. Once known primarily for its Silk Road past, the country is now building a narrative equally rooted in innovation, openness, and civic awakening.

More than 60% of Uzbekistan’s population is under the age of 30. This demographic reality is not just a statistic—it is a driving force. Across universities, research centers, cultural hubs, and digital platforms, young Uzbeks are redefining what it means to be a modern Central Asian citizen. Many of them are multilingual, globally connected, and ambitiously future-oriented. They launch start-ups, initiate community projects, lead volunteer movements, and participate in nationwide reforms. Their voices are increasingly heard in public policy, education, environmental protection, and cultural revival.

In a region often portrayed as traditional and conservative, Uzbekistan’s youth represent a bold new energy—one that challenges stereotypes and invites the world to reimagine Central Asia. Since 2016, the country has introduced sweeping reforms in governance, economy, education, and international openness. Visas were liberalized, markets diversified, civil society strengthened, and new digital platforms created to support transparency. These policies do more than modernize the state; they reshape the everyday lives of citizens—particularly young people.

Public activism is growing, with youth councils, debate clubs, environmental movements, and anti-corruption initiatives taking root. Programs such as the national “Honesty Map,” created to promote integrity in public services, demonstrate a new wave of civic consciousness rarely highlighted in global media. For the first time in decades, the world is watching Uzbekistan not as a relic of the Silk Road but as an emerging actor with its own vision for progress. Uzbekistan’s transformation is not limited to politics or economics—it is deeply cultural. Cities like Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, and Tashkent are experiencing a creative revival. Museums are being renovated, festivals expanded, and heritage sites restored with global expertise. At the same time, contemporary art, fashion, literature, and film are gaining new platforms. Young designers mix ancient patterns with modern aesthetics; filmmakers explore social themes; writers introduce Uzbek identity to wider audiences. This blend of history and innovation creates a cultural mosaic that is uniquely, unmistakably Uzbek.

For decades, global narratives about Central Asia were shaped elsewhere. But today, Uzbekistan is increasingly telling its own story—and telling it well. Its young reformers, artists, scholars, and activists are contributing to a new regional identity: one that values openness, creativity, and responsible leadership. In a century defined by chaos, uncertainty, and shifting world orders, Uzbekistan offers an alternative model of growth—slow, steady, and grounded in the power of its youth. Uzbekistan’s transformation is ,,quiet” only in the sense that it has not yet dominated international headlines.

But for those who look closely, the signals are clear:
a young nation is rising, and with it, a new vision for Central Asia. As global attention increasingly shifts toward emerging regions, Uzbekistan stands ready—not just as a country with a rich past, but as a society boldly building its future.

Dildora Khojyozova, 3rd-year student of Geography at Urgench State University named after Abu Rayhon Beruni.

Essay from Jernail S. Anand

Older South Asian man with a white beard and mustache and pink/magenta turban and coat and tie reading his own long book.


    YOUR SINS WILL FIND YOU OUT

                                    Dr Jernail S. Anand

The forces of nemesis, and the furies, are moving around, looking for moral blemishes, and they spare neither the individual nor the society. -Anand

Bible says: Your sins will find your out. I think it applies to men as individuals, and the society as a whole.

As civilized human beings, we have set up courts to ensure justice to the aggrieved, and punishment to the aggressors who violate the laws of the country. Jails are overflowing with criminals undergoing sentences. Justice, it is said,  is often delayed, and sometimes,  entirely miscarried. Of late, justice eludes people due to interventions from the above, and what we come across is a jumbled face of a society which cannot recognize itself.

However, when it comes to the divine court, there are no chances of justice going astray. It may appear to be delayed, but it is definitely delivered.  While human courts take cognizance of the crimes which are reported, the supreme court of gods has a sprawling campus, and it works suo moto, and does not like excess of any kind. They carry all the data of these people with them and sometimes they punish them there and then, but most of the times, they wait for the appropriate moment.  But one thing can be said with conviction. No advocate, however pricey, can waylay the this court. No crooked wisdom can delay justice. The system is entirely blameless. Angels carry data which is up to date, and they act unbiased like machines which are innocent by all means, if there is any one to blame, it is man who operates them.

As in human courts,  parameters regarding crime and their punishment exist in divine courts also. They fix the crime of the person, and then, award him the punishment he deserves. Only this roster is not made public. As generally believed, our judgement proceedings do not start after our death. Operation scan is going on all the time. We are under the gaze of the angels. While human laws get into action when some crime has been committed, the divine court takes cognizance

of what you think, what you feel, and then, finally, what you act.

Societies are Judged as a whole

It is all about your ‘Karma’. Lord Krishna was right when he laid stress on human action which is finally considered by gods and on the basis of which, you are granted heaven or hell. Gurbani also talks of life as a ‘karma Sandra khet’ i.e. a field where your actions matter. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that men have the power over their action only. Not on the reverberations of that act. In fact, here the Newton’s third law of an action having an equal and opposite reaction also comes into the dock, because, that may be true in a physical world, but in the metaphysical world, you don’t know what will happen to your action and how gods will react to it.

Moreover, there are thousand wrong passions doing the rounds of our blood, a thousand things which we cannot do, because of fear of the law, we are always mentally busy with things which civil society does not allow, how does that impact our score in life? There are so many people who are doing wrong things, yet they are not detected, because they are not visible to the law. How are they to be accounted for?

No doubt, we matter to the cosmos as individuals. We have a dedicated account with gods. The reason is our birth is individualized. Even in our death, we die individuals, though it may be a collective grave, as the drowning of a Titanic. But, in addition to being an individual, we are part of a society.

Unified View of Society

Who is there that takes a unified view of the people as a whole?  Gods who are on mision spy, take stock of the way people behave, and then take decisions about their collective destiny.  I can elaborate it by quoting the example of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s great writing ‘Babarwani’ in which he says that the tyrannical acts which Babur inflicted on the people of Hindustan could have been averted if the people had been wiser. Guru sahib  says ‘Aape dos n deyee karta, Jam kar Mughal chadaya’ ie. the Mughal aggressed upon the people like a Yama,  all because of their wrong deeds.

Thus, when a society fails in its morals, when people as a whole become corrupt, when people stop taking interest in good, when good deeds go unrewarded, and the murders, rapes, and evil mongers  take the main space, when the society is ruled by the corrupt, and when the poor are pushed to the edge, the society as a whole is ripe for divine retribution.

The forces of the nemesis, and the furies, are moving around, looking for moral blemishes, and they spare neither individual nor the society.  A layman once stopped an angel in a dream and asked, what is the punishment for people who do not stand for their rights? Pat came the reply. “Hitler. Nero. Mussolini…and….” when the angel was going to name a few more people, the man woke up from his sleep, sweating.

Dr. Jernail Singh Anand, with an opus of 190  books, is Laureate of the Seneca, Charter of Morava, Franz Kafka and Maxim Gorky awards.  His name adorns the Poets’ Rock in Serbia. Anand is a towering literary figure whose work embodies a rare fusion of creativity, intellect, and moral vision who heads the International Academy of Ethics. 

Poetry from Lan Qyqualla

Middle aged Eastern European man with glasses and a white lab coat near a small black bird with long legs and a beak. He's inside near a window with a brick building outside.

AUTUMN LOVE IN PRISTINA

We met in the fall,in the amphitheater you tweet

The streets of Pristina,

in the cold night,

Shoot me like a mountain fairy.

the stars were aligned

That summer evening in your tear,

we were both lost in the untouched oasis

and the lips stopped at the sounds FlokArtë.

Why did we travel, tell me whyin the cold winter and snow,

the beaming sun gave us a gift,you ray of sunshine lit me siashra.

Why did we run to the meadows, why

in the early spring fragrance of love

we pray to the flowers of the green field,

Embraced we felt exotic intoxication.

VALENTINE’S DAY 

Lora

Embroidered Valentine’s Day

on the map of love

Egnatia-Naisus street

and in passing I also took

the honey flavor

from the hot ashes

of the estinguished fire.Lora

like a blonde ladybug in the meteorite

nobody whispers

on the map of love

and the star twister out of exhausted longing

in the timeless feeling

brought the freshness of age

the kiss of the mountain like Hera from Olympus

departed in the endless today

Night.

Lora

Frozen in heat

slightly heated to the bosom of love

“I’m very cold

Lan takes me with him

tonight

I do not want flowers

a white rose

to have for Valentine’s Day!

DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH LORA 

Do not fall in love with Lora, my friend,

for she has left her heart in pledge with mine.

It beats within my chest like a wave,

Like the echo of a song across the mountain line.

You may kiss her lips,you may call her yours,

but her eyes are skies without a sun,a night without a moon,

A cloud without rain,

a flame without ember burning, yet hidden in a cold bosom.

You may hold her close,

you may call her your own,

but her love she left to me in pledge,

Through ages and through time unknown.

So fall not for her gaze, young man

she is the dream of a silent yearning.

You will have a love without hope,

for her heart remains my pledge,

forever turning.

LAN QYQALLA graduated from the Faculty of Philology in the branch of Albanian language and literature in Prishtina, from Republika of Kosovo. He is a professor of the Albanian language in the Gymnasium. Lani is the Editor-in Chief of the international cultural and artistic magazine ORFEU, which is published in many languages in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. He is also the editor of the cultural show ORFEU on TV Jupiteri7 channel on YouTube. He wrote poems, stories, drama, novels in Pristina. He has written in many newspapers, portals, Radio, TV, and Magazines in the Albanian language and in English, bangu, Romanian, Francophone, Turkish, Arabic, Italian, Greek, Swedish, Hindu, Spanish, Korean etc. 

Poetry from Taylor Dibbert

Big and Small

There were 

Big and small moments

When he told her

That he was sorry

That she felt that way

He should have just said

That he was sorry.

Taylor Dibbert is a poet in Washington, DC. He’s author of, most recently, “On the Rocks.”

Poetry from Graciela Noemi Villaverde

Middle aged Latina woman with mid-length curly light brown hair and a black jacket.

Summer Solstice, My Birthday 

Today the sun stands like a giant 

beacon in the center of the sky—it 

doesn’t walk, it doesn’t bend, it 

simply is: the heart of all that breathes. 

I was born in that instant 

when its light becomes taut and 

ready to unleash the longest day 

like an unwrapped gift. 

My body is a field of wheat 

germinating in the warmth of its gaze, 

each hair a stalk seeking the blue fire of the sky. 

I am not just another day among days: 

I am the whisper of the sun when it realizes 

it has arrived home, the space 

where time stops to take a sip of solar honey. 

The air fills with tiny shadows, like 

letters in a letter the sun writes to the earth—

and I am the last word,

the one not read but felt on the skin, 

like a warm kiss that doesn’t fade. 

My lungs are windows open to the light, 

each breath a thread harvesting the entire day, 

weaving it into the fabric of my being. 

Today the world doesn’t revolve around the sun: 

it revolves around this instant in which 

I am the point where the sun meets itself, 

where summer becomes a heartbeat, 

where birth is the reflection of all that shines. 

December 21st, my birthday

GRACIELA NOEMI VILLAVERDE is a writer and poet from Concepción del Uruguay (Entre Rios) Argentina, based in Buenos Aires She graduated in letters and is the author of seven books of poetry, awarded several times worldwide. She works as the World Manager of Educational and Social Projects of the Hispanic World Union of Writers and is the UHE World Honorary President of the same institution’s Activa de la Sade, Argentine Society of Writers. She is the Commissioner of Honor in the executive cabinet in the Educational and Social Relations Division of the UNACCC South America – Argentina Chapter.

Short story from O’rinboyeva Zarina

Young Central Asian woman with two long braids of dark hair and a pink and black and white top standing in front of a green bush.

One Day of Rain

“Are you ready? So… will it really happen today?” said the children, about 12 years old, as they stared up the sky. They were waiting for the rain. They lived on the planet Venus, where it rains only once every ten years. During the rest of the time, the temperature stays around +190 ° to 200 °. Because of this, the children had only seen the rain once in their lives – but they could not remember it, since they were only two years old at the time.

   “If it rains only once in ten years, does that mean there is no water? Won’t there be drought everywhere?” someone might ask. The answer is no – there is no drought because people get water from underground sources. 

Among the children there was a girl named Narya who was different from others. She had moved from Earth to Venus with her parents when she was eight years old. That’s why she was not like the rest of them. While the other kids played noisily, she would sit aside, lost in thought, Deep down she wanted to play with them too, but they never let her join they kept excluding her and treating her unfairly and treating her unfairly. Even now, they had set a trap for her. They locked the poor girl inside a dark, abandoned warehouse.

 “Something fell on me – this must be the rain!” said a girl named Nasha. “It fell on me too!” shouted another. “Me too!” the children cried excitedly.

Suddenly, the sky opened up and heavy rain began to pour. The children ran to the garden and happily played under the rain. It lasted only 60 minutes, and after it stopped, they suddenly remembered Narya. They rushed back and opened the warehouse door. Narya was lying unconscious on the ground. They quickly brought her outside, sprinkled water on her face, and helped her regain consciousness. Then they tearfully apologized her.

The poor girl said she wasn’t angry at them: she only wished she could have seen the rain like everyone else. As she said this, she broke into tears. Just then, rain suddenly began to fall again – and this time it didn’t stop for two whole days…

O’rinboyeva Zarina is a 14-year- old student in the 8th grade school No.43 in Oqdaryo district, Samarkand region. She is the winner of 3rd place in the “Bizning faxrimiz” TV program. Two short stories published in the district newspaper. Two short stories published in the American journal Synchronized Chaos. Holder of six international certificates. Recipient of the “Millat Umidi” badge of creative achievements. Winner of numerous republican-level competitions and projects.