The glass leaves a wet ring, the table stains darker, holds it.
Grass burns under soles, the porch boards remember the
shade.
Laughter spits from the shallow end, somewhere, a rope groans
alone.
Smoke from the grill sticks to shirts, ice from the cooler bites through knuckles.
Boards creak after the bodies leave, the hammock still rocks without weight.
Some things burn loud enough to echo, some cool slow enough to forget.
And still, both leave marks.
Across the dark canvas
The cracked lens seizes the sun,
Shards of light slices through the
dust–
Stretches long on the rippling dune,
Feet sink in the dry grit,
A crease in fabric flutters against the heat,
Figures stand on the
edge–
Softened by a
gust–
Scatters the
pebbles–
Spiraling towards the shadow of our feet,
The sun lowers behind the barren,
Orange light glows..
Shadows sink beneath the ground,
The night falls cool and heavy,
A brute curled tight,
Patterns darken on skin,
Lines winding like rivers,
Drying in the fading light,
Faint sparks of cold fire
scattered–
Across the dark canvas,
Blending into the night
This Old House
Worn smooth beneath every step, splintered in places where shoes have slid. It absorbs spilled sauces and dropped rice grains, the heavy shuffle of customers coming and going. It holds echoes of whispered deals and laughter, silent but alive beneath each scuff.
Frame bent from years of use, legs uneven, scraping the floor. Its seat sags just enough to feel familiar, cracked leather peeling like old skin. It’s been leaned on, kicked, ignored, but it stays, stubborn as the walls.
Hanging over the kitchen entrance, threadbare and soaked with steam and grease. Its edges fray like forgotten memories, blocking the world beyond with a soft, heavy hush. It moves only when the cooks pass through, bearing the smell of garlic and smoke.
JK Kim is an ambitious student at Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, VA. His interests lie in creative writing, particularly in short stories and poetry. During his free time, he enjoys playing golf and pursuing photography as a means of expression and inspiration.
has stains all over it which looks like a piece of art
and has crumbs of food between its cracks
The crumbs, which are made of food and dust
abandoned for years and years to come
await eternal custody between the cracks
The cracks, created from constant use of the floor
continues to expand further and bigger
eventually taking over sections of the floor.
The stains, which were results of liquid spills
is left on the floorboard as a remembrance of them
And would never be erased or forgotten
The Punishment of Filth
Step down or you will stay
where the crayfish sleep
Possibly eating the crayfish too
Where all the lost and defeated go
For the rest of their lives
With their cheeks open for eternity
How the fish would poke
And feed on your excrements
How tingly and provocative it feels
But apart from it
There is nothing one can do
To stop this from happening
The tedious process
certainly bores one to the death
And makes one regret
what sins he committed
All that awaits one is the infinite punishment
Here I Sit
The exhausted man,
with his eyes barely wide
trudging slowly toward the can
after getting a drink goes to the side
The happy child
And his ice cream on a cone
became satisfied and smiled
With his teeth whiter than a bone
The giant statue
With its condition at the purest
Its glory matches to
a rhythm of a beautiful courant
The miserable lady
With her makeup wet in the rain
Wanting to cry like a baby
And her whole mind in vain
The old man
sitting on the bench
watching his old hometown
reminisces his town’s past
The woman with a red dress
Sitting on a wooden bench
Drinking a cup of hot coffee
looks at her phone
Ethan Lee is a student who loves expressing himself through creative writing. He enjoys writing stories, poems, and reflections inspired by the everyday world. When he’s not writing, Ethan can be found reading, sketching, or exploring new ideas. He believes in the power of words to inspire creativity and connection.
I graduated from school with excellent grades. Currently, I am a 3rd year student at Termez University of Economics and Service. I have more than 10 articles. I am the owner of the “Rector’s Scholarship” for the 2024-2025 academic year. I have participated in various competitions. In January, I actively participated in Shokhida Yusupova’s “Shine with Shokhida” 5-day marathon and was awarded a certificate. In June, I went on a trip to Indonesia with our University. On July 27, I was awarded a certificate for my successful participation in the master class on the topic “Empower, Educate, Elevate!” organized on the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of the Shine Girls’ Academy.
“My philosophy of life or what speech do you see yourself giving in 10 years?”
Abstract: Dreams, my schedule, my expenses, my family, me in 10 years.
People have endless dreams and aspirations, and people live striving for their dreams. Just like everyone has their own dreams, one of my dreams is to travel to many countries, walk along the seashore, create my own small library, become an accomplished expert in my profession, have my own home and car, have my favorite wardrobe and be with my loved ones. Philosophy of life is a philosophical movement that studies and interprets the problems of the meaning, purpose, and value of life. Life is an integral whole that is primarily reality, and then divided into spirituality and materiality, consciousness and being.
Life is the main concept of the Philosophy of Life. The Philosophy of Life seeks to understand the essence of life in itself. It glorifies feelings and instincts, criticizes and denies reason. According to supporters of the Philosophy of Life, the concept of life is complex, multifaceted, and does not have its own clear interpretation. Creativity, especially artistic creativity, is extremely important for the Philosophy of Life, it is even life itself. At this point, the Philosophy of Life approaches non-rational intuitionism, its theory of knowledge. For example, the fact that the dynamics of life, the individual nature of a thing-event cannot be expressed in general concepts, but can be understood directly, through intuition, is characteristic of both trends.
The Philosophy of Life sees a sharp difference in the approach of science and philosophy to the world. Science seeks to master and subjugate the world, while philosophy is characterized by observation, and in this feature it is close to art. Reason is by its nature disconnected from life; intellectual knowledge and the science based on it can comprehend not things, but only the relationships between things. Rational knowledge is aimed at satisfying purely practical interests, at useful expediency. Non-intellectual, intuitive, figurative-symbolic methods of comprehending life are opposed to scientific knowledge. A work of art, especially poetry and music, is a means of understanding and relatively accurately expressing life. Life is interesting, it tests us all with various tests and rewards. The true essence of our life is to do good and strive for enlightenment.
The ideas of humanism have been around for centuries is being promoted, examples of this are countless like raindrops. Recently, I witnessed an incident, a mother who was walking her child on the street nervously looked at a special trans worker on the street and said to her child: “If you don’t get an education and study well, your life will be miserable like that trans worker.” Hearing this, I had to join their conversation, “Excuse me, if your child gets a good education, he will help those in such professions, he will take society out of the stream of poverty, after all, they say that education is a vaccine against ignorance,” I ended my speech by saying. Today we have changed, today our souls have been renewed, and our bodies are free like clouds, but our hearts are still alone in the darkness of darkness.
Most parents themselves do not instill universal human values in their children from childhood, and in the genetics of the future, the level of contempt for lower-class people, materialism, and an empathetic approach will continue to expand in regressive generations. Education is a gem that is instilled not by control, but by example. Many people ask me, “What is your biggest dream?” Do you have any dreams or goals? Yes, they do. Some want to live in high-rise buildings and buy expensive cars, some strive for career advancement, and still others are in the process of renewing their tattered clothes, getting rid of the scourge of helplessness, and finding food for today. Today, we are becoming creatures of the world of egoism. The phrase “I” is scattered like small fish swimming in the ocean. Don’t rush, I know the thought that came to your mind while reading me, this life is given only once, people should live only for themselves, life is a place of pleasure, not a time to think about others.
A person will never stop dreaming as long as they live. For this, you need to work and ask God and have a little patience. Nowadays, many people do not know how to be grateful. They always complain, “I can’t do it, I don’t have money, and so on.” What does a person look like if he doesn’t work or try? I always like to be in motion and work on myself. I’m already moving for my future. If I don’t work now, it may be too late. This has been discussed in many books. Nowadays, I write down my daily schedule for myself. I hate waking up at different times every day. This is one of my principles. I always wake up at 6 o’clock. Then I spend 30 minutes on some work. After having a family breakfast, I go to my preparatory courses. After my preparatory course, I come home, have lunch, and then head to the university. My classes start at 1:00 PM, and
It ends at 17:30. After class, my classmates and I go to a cafe and chat a little before heading home. When I get home, I start cooking dinner and prepare for my university and course lessons. After that, we have a family dinner, we chat a little and have dessert. I think this is a great feeling for me. My expenses, my current source of income is my parents, and I get money from them for all my expenses. My expenses are not very high.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that in 2025, I achieved a lot. In April 2025, I became the owner of the “Rector’s Scholarship”. This was great news for me. Of course, it was not easy to achieve this, but I did it. After that, I was awarded a certificate for my successful participation in the “Shine with Shokhida” 100-day project of Shokhida Yusupova, a famous woman and girl. This was another dream of mine. I also write articles and currently have more than 10 articles. A person should never stop. My motto in life is “Don’t stop”.
To’raqulova Pokiza Sanjarovna was born in 2006 in the city of Termez, Surkhandarya region.
The plot for a potential story can sweep into my consciousness without me intentionally trying to manufacture one. For example, my latest protagonist, Laura Styversant, appeared in a vivid dream I had one night. I awoke, grabbed pen and paper, and started to outline the story based on my dream.
The protagonist I started to sculpt in my head, was a sassy, salty, routinely cynical 51-year-old San Francisco Bay area female private investigator (P.I.) who had everything go wrong in the last year, including a bad car accident which resulted in a broken arm, a fractured ankle, and two cracked ribs. After a slow four-month recovery period she gets back into the P.I. game with a ritzy senior corporate executive male client, Daniel Sarnoff. It’s a challenging case for Laura. Her mission is to locate the man’s ex-wife, who suddenly disappeared, and find out what she did with the stacks and stacks of money, a huge nest egg they hid together inside the master bedroom wall of their Long Island house.
Although Laura, my character, is physically back on her feet from injuries, there are complications in this new case, and her anxiety is off the charts. The client, Daniel Sarnoff, has gone missing. He doesn’t answer her calls. He’s not at home where he’s lived for twenty years. His mail is piling up. And he’s nowhere to be found. Laura thinks that he’s likely intentionally ghosting her. Or is it something else? He’s already paid her a hefty “up front” fee up but Laura despises unfinished business and so, she becomes obsessed with finding him.
Remember, this all came from a dream I had; one of my treasure chests for surfacing potential plot concepts when I want to start a new project.
In the midst of designing the skeleton of this new story, possibly a novel, I decide to attend a webinar focused on Crafting More Compelling Characters.
The webinar’s presenter opens with posing this question:
“Do you interview your characters?”
She goes on to say, “As a writer, you want to find out everything about your lead character; likes, dislikes, fantasies, fears, joys and more, more, more! The only way to do that is to ASK THE DIRECT QUESTIONS. Just pretend you’re interviewing them across the table. And, go deep.”
My mind swirls as I listen to this wisdom. When I exit the webinar, I immediately list specific interview questions to ask Laura Styversant, the protagonist that I’m creating. I come up with ten questions:
Laura, what motivated you to become a private investigator?
Do you wish you’d chosen a different line of work? As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
You seem cynical about life and a bit sassy, maybe edgy. What happened in your life to shape you this way?
Who is the one famous person you’d like to have dinner with? Anyone – alive or dead? Why does that person appeal to you?
What creeps you out, scares you, makes you nervous?
What would an ideal day for you look like? An ideal location for you anywhere in the world?
What family member do you most admire? Connect with? What is it about them?
What one thing or accomplishment would you like to leave as your legacy?
What secrets do you carry from childhood? high school? Your twenties? Something you don’t want anybody to know.
When did you have your first kiss? What was the experience like?
This list was easy to create because I was totally curious as to how Laura would respond.
These questions helped me get “inside” Laura’s head, and that is exactly where I wanted to be.
Visit Linda S. Gunther’s website to read 52 weeks of her WRITE-BYTES BLOG which features Tips for Writers of All Levels and Genres.
Linda S. Gunther is the author of six published suspense novels: Ten Steps from the Hotel Inglaterra, Endangered Witness, Lost in the Wake, Finding Sandy Stonemeyer, Dream Beach, and Death is a Great Disguiser. Her memoir titled A Bronx Girl (growing up in the Bronx in the 1970’s) was released in 2024. Her short stories and book reviews have been published in a variety of literary journals across the world. Linda’s short plays, Listen While You Work, Divided We Stand, and Waiting for Magic are being produced and performed in 2025 at theaters located in New York, Napa Valley, CA and in the Monterey Bay area in Northern California.
Lecturer, Department of Psychology, National University of Uzbekistan
Oʻrozboyeva Mohina Nuraliyevna
2nd-year student, Applied Psychology, National University of Uzbekistan
Psychology is a complex field that has been studying the human personality, consciousness, and mental processes since ancient times. Today, this field has secured its place among the developed sciences.
Modern psychology is perceived differently by people, and it faces several important tasks. One of the most significant tasks of modern psychology is related to strengthening our independence. In addition, psychology as a science has both theoretical and practical responsibilities.
Its theoretical tasks include:
– Studying the origins and characteristics of psychological phenomena;
– Scientifically explaining their mechanisms and patterns;
– Interpreting mental processes along with physiological processes;
– Investigating the factors that cause psychological phenomena to appear in life, practice, and various activities.
Its practical tasks involve delivering psychological knowledge to the wider public. This requires working with the community, dealing with children with behavioral difficulties, helping those influenced by harmful ideologies, and supporting children lagging in psychological development.
By the 20th century, psychology had reached the peak of development and achieved numerous successes, as proven by V. Wundt’s experiments. In 1879, German scientist V. Wundt founded the world’s first experimental psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig. The hundreds of experiments conducted there proved that psychology had the right to exist as an independent science. Wundt’s influence was so great that in another part of the world—the United States—a new school of thought called functionalism emerged. Founded by E. Titchener, its representatives argued that human behavior could be evaluated not only through invisible mental elements but also through observable signs and activity results. Another major American psychologist, W. James, conducted studies of great practical significance, redefining psychology as the science that studies mental activity rather than mental elements.
The 20th century was characterized by science taking on concrete tasks, and psychology had to substantiate psychological laws through research. Today, modern psychology continues to develop and diversify without losing its relevance.
In recent years, new branches of psychology have emerged, such as anthropological psychology, developmental psychology, growth psychology, the psychology of living beings, forensic psychology, psychological literary studies, bioconstitutional psychology, esoteric psychology, psychology of abilities, higher education psychology, psychology of religion, and others.
Modern psychology now has more than 300 branches, each with its own object of study. To make them easier to research, they are classified into specific groups. Professor A. V. Petrovskiy proposed the following classification:
– Psychology branches studying specific types of activity;
– Psychology branches studying developmental age characteristics;
– Psychology branches studying the relationship between the individual and society.
Importantly, by the 20th century, applied branches of psychology had emerged, and their achievements began to be actively implemented in education, upbringing, art, business, marketing, management, and crime prevention. From this perspective, no topic or process is irrelevant to psychology in today’s era of globalization and market relations.
Psychology is so broad in scope that its achievements are being used to realize human potential, stimulate activity, and increase productivity. Modern psychology employs electronic computing technology, as well as electrical and chemical tools, to study the psyche in depth.
In Uzbekistan, psychology began to be taught as a science at the present-day National University of Uzbekistan in 1928. In 1929, a psychology laboratory was established under the People’s Commissariat of Education. Later, various branches of psychology began to be taught in pedagogical institutes. Today, psychological services have been introduced in Uzbekistan, and their network is expanding.
Reference
1. M. E. Zufarova, General Psychology, 2010.
2. U. Fayziyeva, N. Jumayev, General Psychology, 2021.
Orozboyeva Mohina Nuraliyevna
Student at the National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek in Tashkent.
Winner of the 2024 Profession Volunteer Competition
Winner of the 2025 International Scientific and Practical Conference among the CIS countries and recipient of the “Honor of the Homeland” medal.
Member and volunteer of the Tashkent city “Kizlar Ovozi” club.
Maftuna Rustamova Ruslan, a 9th grade student of secondary school No. 30, Jondor district, Bukhara region
Maftuna Rustamova Ruslan qizi. 19.09.2010 I was born in Jondor district of Bukhara region. Currently, I have graduated from the 8th grade of school No. 30. I have been interested in writing poems since my youth. Currently, I have many achievements in the field of poetry.
I participated in the district stage of the “Zukko Kitobhon” Republican Competition and took an honorable 2nd place. I participated in the district stage of the “Jaddidlar izida” Republican Competition and took an honorable 2nd place. In addition, we participated with a team in the “Third Renaissance in the Eyes of Youth” Competition and took 3rd place. On March 8, 2025, my first book was published under the title “My First Words in the World of Poetry”. I was awarded the “New Age Science Creator” badge, established in cooperation with Africa and Uzbekistan. I was appointed as the coordinator of one of the famous US magazines “Synchronized Chaos” in Uzbekistan. Currently, I am the head of the Bukhara region Press Service of the “Young Reformers’ Council”. My creative works have been published in many magazines and articles and indexed on Google.
The Great Ocean “Among all buildings, the greatest is the school; among all professions, the most honorable is teaching and mentorship,” they say. Indeed, while our fathers bring us into this world, and our mothers strive to ensure our happiness, it is our teachers who give us the reason to live. Just as a singer does not need others’ words, true teachers have their own unique path — they do not follow the footsteps of others. They remain loyal to their words, thoughts, and personal teaching style.
When we speak of the kind-hearted teacher and brilliant mathematician Shodmonova Hilola, a deep sense of pride and admiration fills the hearts of all who know her. She is noble, gracious, patient, wise, and immensely knowledgeable. Her absence in gatherings is always felt. Hilola’s youth coincided with the early years of Uzbekistan’s independence. She was born on November 17, 1988, in a scholarly family in the village of Astarbob, Sobidehqon community, Vobkent district, Bukhara region.
From a young age, she showed a love for books, literature, and knowledge. Her parents, Nurulloev Shomurod and Istamova Qumriya, supported her from the beginning. Hilola graduated from school with a gold medal and was admitted to Navoi State Pedagogical Institute in 2006 on a government scholarship. It was there that the renowned mathematician Muxtorova Shodiya personally mentored her, teaching her all the core courses and helping shape her into a capable and impactful student. Hilola also learned from other respected teachers such as Sultonova, Qurbonova, Idrisova, Nurulloev, and Rasulova.
Through these lessons, she came to understand an essential truth: “When a teacher recognizes the potential and talent in a student, it brings them joy — and they do everything in their power to guide that student toward success.”
Fate led her to School No. 18 in Vobkent District, Bukhara Region, where she taught with passion for a year and a half. Later, she moved to School No. 8 in Vobkent, where she has now been working for 14 years. Despite being a mathematics teacher, Hilola has a deep love for literature. She enjoys reading works by authors like Daniel Defoe, Ahmad Lutfi Qozonchi, Robert Kiyosaki, Fotih Duman, and many others. She even has a personal library of over 100 books, including international bestsellers.
Hilola lives by the wisdom passed down from her parents and grandparents. Her family inspires her to be dedicated, honest, and kind-hearted. With these priceless qualities, she has won the hearts of her students. Thousands of students admire her and dream of becoming like her. On February 25, 2023, she traveled to Tashkent and proudly received an international certificate in mathematics, once again proving her excellence.
Her ambitions for the future are vast. She is constantly striving to improve — currently working to teach math in English, and learning both English and Arabic with great dedication. Based on her experiences, Hilola encourages young people to make the best use of their time. She says:
“Dear friends, time is the key to life. Plan everything carefully, and learn to manage your time well. With proper time management, you can achieve great success.”
As our ancestors used to say: “If you waste your time, you waste your wealth.” A person who values time will never be left behind.
We wish our dear teacher continued success in her future endeavors and achievements.
Author: Historian and Geographer Sobirjonova Rayhona
Sobirjonova Rayhona is a 10th-grade student at School No. 8 in Vobkent District, Bukhara Region. She was born in December 2008 in the village of Chorikalon, Vobkent District, into an educated family. Her parents have supported Rayhona from a young age. Since childhood, she has shown a strong interest in creativity, literature, and history. Rayhona began writing in the 3rd grade, and her first poem was published in the Vobkent Hayoti newspaper.
Since then, her literary works have appeared in numerous journals and newspapers, including the American newspaper Synchaos, India’s Namaste India journal, Uzbekistan’s Gulxan magazine, Germany’s RavenCage journal, and many others. She has actively participated in various competitions, earning top places and receiving many awards.
Rayhona continues to develop her creativity and remains passionately engaged in her literary pursuits!
