Welcome to November’s second issue, The Light We Carry. This title is a poem from Amanda Gorman’s most recent poetry book, Call Us By What We Carry, and also a poetic theme for our issue.

But first, announcements.

Longtime contributor Bill Tope’s colleague Maysam Kandej, Iranian national and editor of Shortcake, is hosting a Thanksgiving Writing Contest.

2026 Thanksgiving Writing Contest
Sponsored by: Shortcake.IR
Judge: Maysam (Sam) Kandej, Editor, Shortcake.IR
Themes:
Uplifting stories celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. Happy endings, nostalgia and warm sentiment would not be out of place.
Word count: 500-5,000 Words
Deadline: November 24, 2026

To submit: send all submissions to billtopiary1950@gmail.com.
Send either in the body of the email or as a Word docx or rtf
attachment. Submit as often as you please, and simultaneous submissions and reprints are OK.
Prizes:
$250,000 cash, a new Tesla and an all-expenses paid trip
to Mar-a-Lago.* *Just kidding. The real prizes are publication
in two magazines, unending adulation, comments by your peers and serious esteem and appreciation from those engaged in staging this competition.

Next, longtime contributor Jeff Rasley invites reviews of his new memoir I Am Dying, about his cancer journey. Please contact us and we’ll invite him to send you a review copy.

“I am going to die, and so are you. That is a fact most of us prefer not to face. A cancer diagnosis and the ugly side-effects of treatment forced me to deeply ponder how to finish my life’s journey and how to prepare for its end. I discontinued treatment. This book is an adventure story about the evolution in understanding life and death. Ancient and modern sources of wisdom about how to live a good life in order to face death with serene courage are interwoven into the narrative.”

Now, for this issue, The Light We Carry: A Chorus of Voices Against the Night.

There is a light that does not depend on sunshine, certainty, or even hope. It is the light people carry within themselves when confronted with love and loss, injustice and uncertainty, isolation and a lack of belonging. It flickers in the smallest acts of kindness, survives in the stubborn persistence of artists, illuminates the contradictions of human relationships, and shines through the stories people tell when they refuse to be forgotten.

In this collection, that light becomes a unifying force, connecting cultures, generations, countries, and individual experiences. From Ashok Kumar Thakur ‘Albela’s celebration of Diwali and its festival of lamps to Amarinda Dokollari’s invocation of the Albanian expression “born like light,” from Vesna Malović Petrović’s association of the beloved with morning and radiance to Delsa López Lorenzo’s call to push back the dark, the contributors create a many-voiced testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Their collective message is that light is not merely something we encounter; it is something we make, share, and defend.

Yet the first place this light must struggle to survive is within our closest relationships. John van Sicklen Maeck II’s short drama examines the delicate boundary between caring for someone and attempting to control them, reminding us that affection can become suffocating when it disregards another person’s freedom. James Fleet Underwood explores intimacy, memory, and lost opportunities, considering how connections continue to shape us even after the moments in which we might have acted have passed. Sayani Mukherjee carries unexpressed love and sorrow into the natural and spiritual worlds, preserving the significance of someone who remains emotionally present. Wylder Christman confronts the pain of love never received, ultimately finding the quiet strength to stop pursuing what was withheld.

George Gad Economou portrays grief, addiction, and the difficulty of releasing what has become inseparable from one’s identity. Against these experiences of absence and disappointment, Menda Vreto considers the gifts we leave behind in others, Tanja Ajtic reflects on the trust we place in loved ones during difficult times, and Imène Daoud celebrates womanhood through the interconnected identities of mother, sister, daughter, and lover. Together, these works suggest that love is measured not simply by its intensity but by its capacity to nurture, endure, and allow others to become themselves.

The complications of love grow even more profound when devotion approaches the spiritual. Yasmin Abdal Salah Harmoush presents an overwhelming, almost religious passion that lifts the speaker toward cosmic union even as it torments her. Lan Xin’s “Funeral of the Butterfly” examines the devastating paradox of loving something that ultimately destroys you. Milka J. Šolaja watches the language of love gradually erode under the pressures of time and reality, while Wanchen Cao explores the conflict between emotional vulnerability and the instinct for self-protection. In Brooklyn Lyric / drrtgrrl’s work, spiritual terror emerges from the contradiction of being raised on God’s love yet experiencing that love as both salvation and strangulation. These writers recognize that the heart can become a place of refuge or confinement, sometimes both at once.

That tension between freedom and confinement extends into the struggle to understand the self. Gabriel Avilés’s “Demented” challenges society’s tendency to label unconventional perception as insanity, raising questions about who has the authority to define normality. Ma Yongbo examines the instability of identity, the burdens of gender, and the fragility of memory. Given Twice confesses to an outwardly successful existence sustained by repetition, amnesia, and performative competence, exposing the exhaustion beneath appearances. Graciela Noemi Villaverde finds sanctuary in nighttime, when the demands of public performance recede and private feelings can finally find expression.

Milena Pčinjski explores the courage and vulnerability required to be genuinely seen. Nidia Amelia García transforms an antique wardrobe into a symbol of memory and the past, while Ermira D. Ifandi depicts a violent, cathartic attempt to escape personal history amid emotions as uncontrollable as wild horses. Valbona Kolaveri offers a compact statement of faith in the possibility that even an apparent plunge into madness may ultimately become a journey toward wholeness. In these works, identity is neither fixed nor easily explained; it is something continually negotiated through memory, social expectations, emotional upheaval, and the desire to be understood.

The personal struggle, however, cannot be separated from the structures of society. Joseph Ogbonna’s character Akunna dramatizes the cruelty of the Osu caste system among Nigeria’s Igbo people, exposing the devastating consequences of inherited discrimination. Manzar Alam portrays a revolution that overturns an established order only to see its original promise gradually disappear. Ibrahim Honjo observes the haunting repetition of human struggles, while Fhen M. laments the deterioration of political discourse into personal attacks. Soumen Roy challenges hypocrisy, sexual double standards, and the normalization of shame. Duane Vorhees combines satire and criticism of apathy and inherited hypocrisy with a longing for innocence and renewal.

Dr. Jernail Singh proposes a more transformative alternative to defensive nonviolence: love, truth, moral courage, and collective action. Eva Petropoulou Lianou similarly places peace, compassion, and love at the center of humanity’s responsibility to build a better world. Shokhida Nazirova reimagines Cinderella by giving women the power to rescue and define themselves rather than waiting for someone else to determine their futures. In his interview with Alex S. Johnson, Emanuel Xavier makes another essential point about the relationship between expression and social justice: for marginalized voices, writing is not simply a career choice but a means of survival, visibility, and recording histories that institutions have erased. These contributions remind us that the light of individual dignity cannot flourish while entire communities remain in darkness.

Art, accordingly, becomes one of the most powerful instruments of resistance and connection. Zeboxon Ahmadjonova affirms that art expresses human experience and connects hearts across differences. Mahi Farhana presents adversity as a crucible in which artistic expression becomes a form of resistance and empathy. Fotimaxon Muxtorova considers poetry a means of survival and emotional release. Paul Durivage demonstrates that even a seemingly ordinary list in fiction can reveal a character’s deepest perceptions, feelings, and silences. Tamizh Ponni examines the invisible labor of women, showing how the very work that confines them also sustains the world, while art reflects this contradiction. Alex S. Johnson emphasizes that creative success grows from persistence, courage, and the determination to continue working despite obstacles. Ri Hossain explores writer’s block as a form of class conflict, imagining what happens when a poet attempts to force language rather than allowing language to inhabit the creative process: the words themselves go on strike.

Other writers approach artistic expression through experimentation and philosophical inquiry. Mark Young creates absurdist work in which purpose and meaning continually slip beyond reach. J.L. Orango discovers significance in ordinary, overlooked things, while Grant Guy’s abstract words and images invite readers to imagine existence as fluid and interconnected. Dr. Molly Joseph’s poem investigates the mystery of life and humanity’s place in the universe. D.O. Teshayeva asserts and outlines roles for human creativity in the age of artificial intelligence. Monalisa Parida’s essay argues that while AI can imitate the form of poetry, it cannot replicate the soul, the lived experience that gives poetry its depth and meaning. Calice argues that true art is fluid, growing and changing as a person grows, resisting the static categorization of genre and institution. Pradip Mondal’s ekphrastic works arrive at a conviction that peace and truth will outlast the instruments of death. Whether through abstraction, poetry, fiction, visual interpretation, or social criticism, these contributors insist that art does more than describe the world: it changes how we perceive it.

The natural world offers another vocabulary for understanding our place in the larger human story. Fattoeva Ugiloy Ashurkulovna’s artwork shows a peaceful sunset over a lake, with mountains in the distance, birds flying, and trees framing the scene. The birds evoke journeys while the sunset suggests change or quiet contemplation. Kushi Nanayakkara’s three poems connect nature, humanity, empathy, and concern for the planet’s future. Nafisa Toshtemirova argues that environmental protection requires lasting changes in the decisions made by individuals, communities, businesses, schools, and governments. Brenda Mohammed addresses environmental sustainability, while G’aniyeva Muslima G’ofurovna raises awareness of the health risks associated with air pollution. Jacques Fleury describes an escape from urban life into nature and the challenge of bringing that healing back home.

Mesfakus Salahin offers a pastoral meditation on the rural world as the truest measure of human life. Brian Barbeito reflects on childhood, friendship, freedom, and the enduring bond between people and place. Ibodat Xayitboeva celebrates the spiritual beauty of homeland, Sharofat Sulton honors her heritage as she would her mother, and Dr. HC Rozalia Aleksandrova celebrates the intertwined beauty of love and homeland. These contributions make clear that belonging is not exclusively an interpersonal relationship; it is also an ecological and cultural bond.

Hope, meanwhile, is cultivated through patience, attention, and perseverance. Shah Jehan Ashrafi suggests that hope grows through listening to nature, working patiently, and recognizing the necessity of rest. Mahbub Alam traces a traveler’s movement from exhaustion toward quiet transcendence, showing how everyday experience can open onto the eternal. Saeed Koushan proposes that belonging is not a destination waiting to be discovered but something constructed step by step. Annamurodov Umarbek’s biography demonstrates how hard work can bring dreams into reality, while Otamuradova Asalbonu Qodir qizi encourages young students to find the courage to pursue their own aspirations. Across these works, hope is not passive optimism. It is an active relationship with the future, sustained by effort and the willingness to imagine something better.

Nevertheless, the collection does not turn away from the experiences that make hope difficult. Mykyta Ryzhykh’s experimental poem confronts the disturbing collapse of innocence and the repeated destruction of human life. J.J. Campbell’s five poems form a sustained meditation on poverty, loneliness, and the slow approach of death. Charles Walker’s two poems examine survival, resilience, isolation, and the gradual erosion of human identity under suffering. Alan Catlin brings dark comedy and cultural allusion to death, heartbreak, and the absurdity of existence. Hulkar Ravshan qizi Abduraufova mourns the untimely death of a young girl whose life was filled with unrealized dreams. Rakib Farayezi reminds readers that men, too, experience the entire spectrum of intense human emotion, challenging the expectations that often discourage their vulnerability. Bill Tope, through comedy, finds warmth in assumptions surrounding disability and the protective armor people construct to defend themselves against rejection. Their contributions refuse to make suffering invisible or to pretend that resilience is effortless. Sometimes survival means simply finding the strength to speak.

The collection also considers how education, technology, and intellectual curiosity can help shape the future. Dilfuza Ahmadjonova Narimonjon qizi explores the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in the language classroom. Xolmirzayeva Dilorombonu Anvarjon qizi outlines interactive approaches to teaching English as a foreign language, while Azimjonov Firdavs examines practical applications of artificial intelligence in education through a balanced perspective. Ishmurodova Jayrona Odilovna and Rukhshona Narbayeva investigate technology’s role and promise in modern education. Zilola Sayfiddinova Alisher qizi outlines roles for artificial intelligence not only in education but in medicine, business, and several other fields. These contributors collectively explore how new tools can expand access to knowledge while challenging educators to think carefully about the changing nature of learning.

Scientific inquiry takes a more tangible form in Bikajon Ibragimova’s study of how planting dates affect tomato yields, demonstrating the importance of careful observation in the pursuit of abundance. A’zamova Nargiza Abduxoliq qizi draws a connection between the inner world and the books we read, suggesting that literature both reveals who we are and helps us become who we might be. Nigora Yuldasheva highlights promising young Uzbek writers, including Munisa Islomjonova, while Xo’jyozova Dildora offers a commemorative tribute to Uzbek philologist Munavvara Salayeva. Ibragimova Orzigul Sharobiddinovna celebrates her sons and the family that supported her educational development. Keldiyorova Mohichehra considers how the meaning of happiness changes throughout the seasons of a life. Minhaj Miah introduces himself as an influencer and entrepreneur working in technology and communications, adding another perspective on the relationship between innovation and public engagement.

The collection’s attention to childhood and renewal provides a welcome counterpoint to its more difficult reflections. Shannon Scoates celebrates the freedom of childhood and the value of choosing wild, imperfect experiences over polished appearances. Christina Chin’s haikus honor Thai festivals centered on releasing the past and beginning again. In collaboration with Andrew Brindle, Chin also explores absence and the threshold between what remains present and what has disappeared. These works bring us back to the collection’s central concern: the ways people move through time, carrying memories while making room for new beginnings.

Ultimately, the chorus comes together around a difficult but necessary understanding of freedom. Bob Preece explores the painful contradiction that genuine freedom requires accepting limits, dependence, and responsibility. His insight resonates throughout the collection, from the complicated relationships examined by John van Sicklen Maeck II and the painful attachments explored by Lan Xin to the political struggles described by Joseph Ogbonna and Manzar Alam. Imam Hossain Mohammad Salim also looks to freedom with responsibility in his essay, which claims that only by implementing Islam’s true teachings in individual, social, and state life can we build a peaceful multicultural world free of oppression. Freedom is not simply the absence of restraint; it also requires recognizing the humanity and needs of others. It means allowing love to exist without domination, pursuing justice without reproducing cruelty, and accepting vulnerability without surrendering dignity.

What emerges from these many voices is neither a single philosophy nor an uncomplicated declaration of optimism. It is a living conversation among writers and thinkers who approach the human condition from different cultural, artistic, political, spiritual, and personal perspectives. Some find illumination in faith, others in nature, education, family, or creative expression. Some challenge injustice; others confront private grief. Some look toward technological possibilities and environmental responsibility, while others return to childhood memories, ancestral heritage, or the fragile beauty of ordinary life.

Their shared achievement lies in refusing silence. The light celebrated by these contributors is not a brightness untouched by suffering. It is the light that has witnessed cruelty, endured disappointment, questioned authority, mourned what has been lost, and nevertheless continued to reach outward. It is the lamp passed from one generation to another, the poem written when words seem impossible, the story that restores visibility to the forgotten, the act of compassion that interrupts indifference, and the determination to build a more humane world. Each contributor carries a different flame, but together they illuminate something larger than any individual experience: our continuing capacity to connect, create, remember, resist, and begin again. This is the light we carry, the chorus we create when we refuse to let the darkness have the final word.

Islam Is the Only Solution to Ensuring Human Rights: Imam Hossain Mohammad Salim.

The world today is passing through a profound crisis. Although human civilization has made significant progress in science, technology, and economic development, it has failed to ensure people’s genuine rights, freedom, and justice. Instead, human rights violations, suppression of freedom of expression, wars, violence, and discrimination continue to occur in different parts of the world. The question is: despite such progress and the existence of so many international organizations, why are people still deprived of their fundamental rights?

Looking at the world, we can see that powerful nations are imposing wars and domination on weaker states to protect their own interests. The cries of oppressed people in Palestine and the deprived lives of the Rohingya community in Myanmar have exposed the limitations of the international human rights system. Although the United Nations and various international organizations are committed to protecting human rights, in many cases, their effective role is hardly visible. As a result, human rights often become helpless in the face of the political interests of powerful nations.

Concerns over human rights, freedom of expression, and justice are not limited to the international arena; they are equally evident in our own country. In recent years, incidents of mob violence, extremism, communal hatred, and the tendency to take the law into one’s own hands have raised serious questions about social stability. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. However, when individuals face threats, humiliation, or violence for expressing dissenting opinions, it cannot be said that genuine freedom has been established.

The root causes of this crisis are not limited to individual moral degradation; they are also connected to the prevailing philosophy and systemic weaknesses of society and state governance. In a system where power and self-interest are placed above justice, people’s rights can never be universally protected.

Islam is often viewed as being limited to religious rituals and practices. At times, it is even portrayed as something frightening. However, Islam is a simple, balanced, and comprehensive way of life revealed by Allah. From individual life to family, society, state, economy, and judicial systems, Islam teaches justice, fairness, responsibility, and human dignity in every sphere.

The fundamental principle of Islam is that no human being should be subjected to injustice, and no one’s rights should be violated. Justice must be equal for everyone, whether powerful or weak. A person’s identity, wealth, power, or social status must never influence the administration of justice. The practical implementation of these principles can establish genuine human rights in society.

Ensuring human rights requires more than merely writing provisions for the protection of rights in law books. Justice, ethical principles, and accountability must be established at every level, including state administration, the judiciary, military structures, and the economic system. The tendency to use power for personal interests must be eliminated. The rights and welfare of people must receive the highest priority at every level of state governance.

In this regard, establishing a justice-based society and state system founded on the commandments of Allah is essential. No human-made system can remain completely free from the influence of human interests, greed, and the desire for power. In contrast, the fundamental purpose of the divinely ordained way of life is to ensure human welfare, protect rights, and eliminate injustice and oppression.

Another important issue is the unity of the Muslim world. Mutual divisions, political conflicts, and clashes of interests among Muslim countries have weakened their collective strength. It is essential to overcome these divisions and establish mutual understanding, cooperation, and unity. At the same time, dialogue, tolerance, and mutual respect must be strengthened among people of different religions and communities.

We want a world where no one is oppressed because of their religion, race, language, or political identity; where everyone enjoys freedom of expression; where justice is impartial; and where the state exists for the welfare of its people. Achieving this goal requires not merely superficial reforms but also positive changes in people’s thinking, morality, and the fundamental principles of state governance.

I believe that establishing human rights, freedom of expression, and justice requires implementing the true teachings and principles of Islam in individual, social, and state life. Islam must be understood in its true form, and its justice-based philosophy must be applied for the welfare of humanity. Only then can the path be paved toward building a peaceful, discrimination-free, and justice-based world.

Fluidity

The fluidity, it’s burning me.
Again and again my ashes remain valedictorians.
I’m evermore different.
A butterfly that is born everyday, new wings for the new way.
I see the breadcrumbs of my face, the pieces that have matured, that have become something.
I’m a butterfly 🦋
Watching my own fire burn me down
A fire that is born from the fire
My hair that lights the fire
One and another
Every single day
This is the song of the fire
It’s blue and purple

The reaction
It’s chemical

Rebirth of my existence
The story of the fluidity
How any arc is the one
How my body can inhibit one’s emotions in a blink of light

My wildfire
It burns you and me bright

Forevermore surrender
The undefinition
The moritude

It asks for your song
And everyday you shall kneel before your own rebirth.

Burn butterfly burn.
Your feathers to give life anew.

Morphose to your own fluidity.
Breathe the uncertainty.
The forever possibility.
Of infinite dimensions.

Be reborn.
No stone has settled.
So burn it all down.

From fire, I are born.

Forevermore the Child

What if it’s all about the scenes in your head, what if who you’re meant to be • you already are.

What if it’s about your breathlessness as you hear the notes of this song, the strings caressing your skin, you become the violin.

Your fingertips mesmerized by paint, you diffuse into your own skin, your whole being.

What if you’re your own liberty, right below your fingertips, on any medium you found yourself to be.

What if you’re not one, but all and what if it’s time, what if child, your time has come.

All those frames becoming one in my head, there may have been no camera but I directed them all.

Performing rituals. One after another. The ritual of my own becoming, the ritual of meness.

My lungs breathe free, facing all those frames that they thought was uncaptured. I captured them all, never once I let go holding her hand and she and I, we grew our tentacles evermore.

What if we all become the child that we first were. What if we all knew who we were then, then and forevermore.

Privileged Pristine 

if these would be my paintings.
I’d be embarrassed of them.
They’d probably never see the light of day.
They’d be stuck in some parts of my gallery.
I’d look at them and I’d remember my immature age.
I’d remember how I started to use filters
and how I messed it all around with contrast
and vibrations and saturation especially.

If these were my art pieces,
I’d never allow them to see the light of day,
let alone create a deep story around them.
It would feel like deception,
like lying to my people,
the people who believe in my sight.
I’ve read their own.

I never let these pieces see the light of day,
let alone exhibit them in a museum.
As I look at them,
hoping that there’s one more of them,
I think that what I’m looking at sort of vibrates.
and could be my perception.
Maybe I want to see more.
Maybe I’m hoping that they’ll give me
something that I don’t have. Something deeper.
Maybe it’s my shadow and maybe
I’m just hoping that there will be an illusion
and it will move.

It feels like the dye is moving.
And I don’t know, it gives me this wave-like illusion.
I’m not sure if it’s my body or my mind lying to me.
But still, beside these waves, I would probably never see.

Pieces like these that I have never seen in life.
I’d feel too embarrassed,
too ashamed to put them somewhere
and craft a story that was deep enough
that says that I’m in some way resilient.
When these pictures portray the resilience.

It looks like an artist is just trying to learn his way around doubts.
And to me, there’s something about these pieces
I think that they’re moving,
I think that perhaps they’re screens.
But it doesn’t change the simplicity that they’re entrapped in.

I’m wondering what complexity is hidden beneath them.
This doesn’t feel like your name. It smells in every inch.
A village. Pristine.
This looks like someone has never found their true identity.
Call it the Caribbean. Or the oceans.

It simply looks like someone else is trying to hold on to a bench.
Say that. Yes, it can be. I can be. I can be. On top of all education.
See my pedigree as an artist. I am to be. No matter what you say.

To me, he is a privileged pristine.
And I shall remember him. I shall remember his suns.
And I shall remember this peace, this place, this space.
Damn yearning, it is to be mine.
that I’m thinking about how more I could make people feel,
how much I would save them from their own captivity,
how much more I could let them break free.

I’m climbing the stairs up,
they feel more like me,
and they feel more like art.
It’s more multimedia rather than…
And the pieces. Will the pieces still sound like Privilege?
Smell. Smell. This room is like a newly dyed house.
Perhaps a mansion.

I have the urge to extract more from these pieces.
The one I’m staring at used to be in on the photo.
I’m seeing a couple more just layered on top of each other and put a filter.
“I call it art.”

Sometimes I wonder if I’m pushing myself too hard.
Can I get better when I’m looking at the photo?
of a trash bag, and on top of it, painted “love”.
What is art, really? And if this is art, then why?
Why are the real artists starving?
Who gets the chance to tell their stories?
Is our fire strong enough to light each other up?
These ones, they feel more unique, but still, still too fast to put together.

It feels more like a Hitchcock story.
Maybe a combination of Rear Window and Vertigo.
But ultimately it doesn’t feel deep enough.
It seems to me that the person who made these is hiding from their own psyche.
As if there is something more.
They’d rather focus on the shallow, as if the superficial satisfies them.

I expect more from my art.
I expect my art to see me.
I want the art to just hook itself to my mind, so I can never break free.
I want an art piece to stay forever with me.
Maybe for that reason, we should stop calling it contemporary.
I feel like someone’s listening to me.

I wonder if they really get what I’m saying.
If this is art, then why am I starving?
If this is art, then why am I soul-stripping my naked words to their core?
so that I can truly explore.
If this is contemporary, then what am I doing?

I’m climbing to the final floor now.
I’m wondering if my impressions will change.
You might think that I’m prejudiced. I agree.
It’s said that this person transforms technology’s invisible layers
into poetic experience. And I’m about to enter.
See whether there’s real poetry.

This person used to be a researcher. I bet they’re probably the artist.
One of them. Don’t they get these spaces in residencies?
Perhaps pedigree matters more to them than they are.
Perhaps it’s on us to light the world on fire. Hit our wildfire.

Perhaps it’s on us to not let them have their chances to exclude us.
to stand at the threshold.
Perhaps I’m supposed to feel immersed.
Understanding the technology doesn’t feel all too magical to me.

I thought that we were past the phase
where there would be balls on the wall.
Yes, it certainly does make a nice interior.
But that’s all there is to it.
And if you combine it with a good producer,
voila, you have an installation.

The people sat wondering if they know.
Oh, they just wanted to sit down and they’re tired.
While I… I try to immerse myself in all this
and think about all the effort and money
And all of that goes into this.

And then someone, quote unquote, “makes it”
while the real artists of the world starve until the end of it.
Well, only if they stop believing in their own fire.
Because that fire cannot be replenished,
it won’t perish and it will consume until the end.

Contemporary.
The privileged pristine.
It’s a mode of sedation.
So-called reflection.

Fattoeva Ugiloy Ashurkulovna 

Student at Denov Institute of Entrepreneurship and Pedagogy

The Geometry of Life

An unrivaled country path stretches onward, like a simple, beautiful maiden.
Across the silent expanse of grass
lies a skin that gleams with radiant light—
Flanked by the amorous gaze of palm and tamal trees.
Honey drips from the beaks of birds,
And with a mere reach of the hand,
One could touch the hem of autumn’s garment.

The farmer weaves dreams—
With a slender neck and a radiant form,
Golden fields held within his arms,
And lotus blossoms in his eyes.
The farm woman’s hair is like a line of poetry, Fluttering in the breeze, devoid of punctuation.
An ancient essence clings to her slender waist,
Her broad hips reminiscent of a harvest field. In her embrace with the earth,
A melody, known since the dawn of time, begins to resonate.

Along this very path, the farmer’s child hurries, Piercing through the morning sunlight—
An old towel-cloth upon his head, bearing the hue of a new sun.
In one hand, a spade; in the other, a sickle. Along this path, all weariness and every grievance fade away.
This earthen track is, in truth, his school of life.

Along this very path, the farmer’s young daughter traces patterns
With the dew—like alta painted on her feet.
The rhythm of anklets echoes in the ears of grain,
Keeping time with her every step;
Her spirited, carefree ways blend
Into the fallen yellow leaves.
Adorned in the ornaments of sunlight,
Her path unfolds toward the rising sun. Together, they compose the epic of life.

THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE MODERN WORLD

Introduction

In the twenty-first century, technological development has become one of the most influential factors shaping human civilization. Among the numerous innovations that have transformed modern society, Artificial Intelligence (AI) occupies a particularly important position. It is rapidly changing the way people live, work, communicate, learn, and interact with the world around them. Artificial Intelligence is no longer a concept associated only with science fiction or advanced scientific laboratories; it has become an essential part of everyday life.

Artificial Intelligence can be defined as the ability of computer systems and machines to perform tasks that traditionally require human intelligence. These tasks include learning from experience, analyzing information, recognizing images and speech, understanding languages, solving problems, and making decisions. Through technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and computer vision, AI systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated and capable of performing complex operations.

Today, artificial intelligence is used in various fields, including education, medicine, science, agriculture, industry, transportation, business, and communication. Its rapid development creates new opportunities for economic growth, scientific discoveries, and social progress. At the same time, it raises important questions concerning employment, privacy, security, ethics, and human responsibility.

The purpose of this article is to examine the role of artificial intelligence in the modern world, explore its practical applications in different areas of human activity, identify its major advantages and challenges, and discuss its potential influence on the future of society.

Main Part

1. Artificial Intelligence in Education

Education is one of the fields in which artificial intelligence has created significant opportunities for improvement and innovation. Traditional educational systems are gradually integrating digital technologies to make the learning process more effective, accessible, and student-centered.

AI-powered educational platforms can analyze students’ learning progress, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and provide personalized learning materials. This approach allows students to study at their own pace and receive additional support in areas where they experience difficulties. Intelligent tutoring systems, online learning applications, automated assessment tools, and digital assistants are examples of how artificial intelligence is transforming education.

Artificial intelligence also provides valuable opportunities for teachers. Educators can use AI tools to prepare lesson plans, develop educational exercises, create presentations, generate assessment questions, and organize interactive learning activities. These technologies help reduce the time spent on routine tasks and allow teachers to focus more on students’ individual needs, creative thinking, and intellectual development.

Moreover, AI-based translation and language-learning applications make foreign language education more accessible. Students can practice pronunciation, improve vocabulary, receive grammatical explanations, and communicate with intelligent virtual assistants. Such opportunities are particularly important in an increasingly interconnected world where multilingual communication has become essential.

However, artificial intelligence should not replace teachers or reduce the importance of human interaction in education. Teachers play an irreplaceable role in developing students’ moral values, social skills, creativity, independent thinking, and emotional intelligence. Therefore, the most effective educational approach is to combine modern AI technologies with professional teaching methods and human guidance.

2. The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Healthcare is another important sector experiencing remarkable changes due to artificial intelligence. Medical professionals and researchers increasingly use AI systems to analyze medical data, identify diseases, improve diagnostic procedures, and support treatment decisions.

One of the most valuable applications of AI in medicine is medical image analysis. Intelligent systems can examine X-rays, MRI scans, CT images, and other medical examinations to help specialists identify abnormalities. These technologies can assist in detecting certain diseases at earlier stages, allowing patients to receive timely medical attention.

Artificial intelligence also contributes to the development of personalized medicine. By analyzing medical histories, genetic information, and other health-related data, AI systems can help researchers and healthcare professionals understand individual patient needs and explore more suitable treatment approaches.

Furthermore, AI technologies are being used in pharmaceutical research, where they can help scientists analyze chemical compounds, identify potential drug candidates, and accelerate certain stages of medicine development. In hospitals, intelligent systems can support patient management, appointment scheduling, and the organization of medical information.

Despite these advantages, AI cannot independently replace the professional knowledge, experience, and ethical responsibility of doctors. Medical decisions require careful human evaluation, especially when patients’ lives and well-being are involved. Therefore, artificial intelligence should function as a supportive instrument that improves healthcare services under appropriate professional supervision.

3. Artificial Intelligence in Business and the Economy

The influence of artificial intelligence on business and economic development is becoming increasingly significant. Modern companies use AI technologies to improve productivity, reduce operational costs, analyze market trends, and provide better customer services.

One of the major advantages of AI in business is its ability to process enormous amounts of information within a short period. Companies can use these analytical capabilities to understand consumer behavior, predict market demands, identify business opportunities, and make more informed decisions.

In the banking sector, artificial intelligence helps identify unusual financial transactions, detect potential fraud, and improve customer support services. Chatbots and virtual assistants can answer frequently asked questions and provide information to customers at any time of the day.

Manufacturing industries also benefit from AI-powered automation. Intelligent machines and robots can perform repetitive tasks with high precision, monitor production processes, and identify technical problems. This improves efficiency, reduces certain human errors, and contributes to the development of modern industrial systems.

However, the expansion of automation also creates challenges for the labor market. Some traditional occupations may change or become less common as machines take over routine tasks. Consequently, employees need to develop new professional skills, improve their digital literacy, and adapt to changing economic conditions. In this context, lifelong learning and professional development are becoming increasingly important.

4. Artificial Intelligence in Science and Research

Scientific research has entered a new stage of development with the introduction of artificial intelligence. Researchers use intelligent systems to analyze complex datasets, identify patterns, formulate hypotheses, and explore scientific questions that may be difficult to investigate using traditional methods alone.

In environmental science, AI technologies can help analyze climate data, monitor changes in ecosystems, predict certain environmental risks, and improve natural resource management. In agriculture, intelligent systems can examine soil conditions, monitor crop development, identify plant diseases, and support more efficient irrigation practices.

Artificial intelligence is also contributing to developments in astronomy, physics, engineering, and biotechnology. By processing large volumes of scientific information, AI can assist researchers in identifying relationships and patterns that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

These applications demonstrate that artificial intelligence is not merely a tool for convenience; it is becoming an important instrument for expanding human knowledge and supporting scientific innovation.

5. Artificial Intelligence in Communication and Daily Life

Artificial intelligence has significantly changed the way people communicate and access information. Today, many individuals use AI-based applications without even realizing how deeply these technologies are integrated into their daily routines.

Smartphones, virtual assistants, search engines, recommendation systems, and online translation platforms rely on artificial intelligence to provide personalized and convenient services. For example, digital assistants can recognize voice commands, answer questions, organize schedules, and help users complete everyday tasks.

AI-powered translation tools make communication between people speaking different languages easier. They support international cooperation, cultural exchange, education, and professional communication. This is particularly valuable in a globalized world where people increasingly interact across national and linguistic boundaries.

Social media platforms also use artificial intelligence to recommend content, organize information, and identify certain forms of inappropriate activity. Although these systems improve user experience, they can also influence people’s opinions and information consumption. Therefore, users should develop media literacy and critically evaluate the information they encounter online.

6. The Challenges and Risks of Artificial Intelligence

Although artificial intelligence offers numerous benefits, its development also creates serious challenges that require careful consideration.

One of the most widely discussed concerns is employment. As AI systems and robots become capable of performing increasingly complex tasks, some professions may experience significant changes. Certain routine activities may be automated, while new occupations related to technology, data analysis, programming, and digital management may emerge. Society must therefore invest in education, retraining, and lifelong learning to prepare individuals for the changing labor market.

Another important concern is privacy and data protection. Artificial intelligence systems often require large amounts of information to function effectively. If personal data is collected, stored, or processed without sufficient protection, it may create risks for individuals and organizations. Strong cybersecurity measures and responsible data management are essential to address these challenges.

The issue of misinformation is also significant. AI technologies can generate realistic images, videos, audio recordings, and written materials. While these capabilities have many positive applications, they can also be misused to spread false information, manipulate public opinion, or create misleading content. As a result, developing critical thinking and digital literacy has become more important than ever.

Furthermore, AI systems may produce inaccurate or biased results because of limitations in their training data or design. Such problems can affect decisions in education, employment, finance, and other important areas. To reduce these risks, developers and institutions must emphasize transparency, fairness, accountability, and human supervision.

Ethical responsibility should remain at the center of artificial intelligence development. Technology must serve humanity, protect human dignity, and contribute to social well-being. Its success should not be measured only by speed, efficiency, or financial profit, but also by its positive impact on people’s lives.

7. The Future of Artificial Intelligence

The future of artificial intelligence is closely connected with the future of human civilization. As research continues and computing technologies become more advanced, AI is expected to influence even more areas of society.

In the coming years, artificial intelligence may contribute to more personalized educational systems, improved medical services, smarter transportation networks, sustainable agriculture, and more efficient industrial production. It may also create new opportunities for scientific discoveries and international cooperation.

However, technological progress must be accompanied by appropriate laws, ethical principles, and international collaboration. Governments, universities, research institutions, businesses, and technology developers should work together to ensure that AI systems are safe, transparent, inclusive, and beneficial to society.

Equally important is the role of individuals. People should not simply become passive users of new technologies; they should learn how these systems work, understand their limitations, and use them responsibly. Digital literacy, creativity, independent thinking, and problem-solving skills will remain essential qualities in the age of artificial intelligence.

Ultimately, the future will not be determined by technology alone. It will depend on the decisions people make about how to develop, regulate, and use technological innovations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, artificial intelligence has become one of the most influential forces shaping the modern world. Its applications in education, healthcare, business, science, agriculture, communication, and transportation demonstrate its enormous potential to improve human life and accelerate social development.

AI technologies make it possible to process information more efficiently, automate routine operations, support scientific research, improve the quality of services, and create innovative solutions to complex problems. They also provide new opportunities for students, teachers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and professionals in different fields.

Nevertheless, the development of artificial intelligence is accompanied by challenges related to employment, privacy, cybersecurity, misinformation, algorithmic bias, and ethical responsibility. These issues demonstrate the importance of establishing effective regulations and maintaining meaningful human supervision.

It is essential to understand that artificial intelligence should not be viewed as a competitor to humanity but as a tool that can strengthen human capabilities. Human creativity, emotional intelligence, moral judgment, and responsibility remain fundamental values that technology cannot fully replace.

The most successful societies of the future will be those that combine technological innovation with education, ethical awareness, and human-centered development. Therefore, learning to use artificial intelligence wisely and responsibly is not simply an advantage but an important necessity for individuals and communities in the modern world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zilola Sayfiddinova Alisher qizi was born on December 6, 2008, in the Turakurgan District of Namangan Region, Uzbekistan. In 2026, she successfully graduated from Secondary School No. 3 in the Turakurgan District of Namangan Region. She is currently a first-year student at Is’hoqxon Ibrat Namangan State Institute of Foreign Languages, majoring in Philology and Language Teaching (Russian Language).

For Zilola Sayfiddinova, education is not merely a process of acquiring knowledge; rather, it is a means of enriching human intellect, broadening one’s worldview, developing independent thinking, strengthening personal abilities, and realizing individual potential.

She has a particular interest in learning foreign languages and exploring the cultures, literature, and spiritual heritage of different nations. She especially emphasizes that language is not only a means of communication among people but also an important cultural and spiritual value that reflects the history, identity, and intellectual heritage of a nation.

Zilola has also demonstrated her knowledge and abilities through nationally recognized language certificates. In particular, she holds a B1-level English language certificate with a score of 49 points and a C-level Russian language certificate. These achievements reflect her consistent efforts, determination to achieve her goals, enthusiasm for learning, and commitment to continuous self-development.

Her academic and intellectual interests encompass philology, Russian language and literature, comparative linguistics, and modern language teaching methodologies. Through learning languages, Zilola aims not only to expand her personal knowledge but also to serve as a bridge between different cultures and contribute to the advancement of education and scientific development.

In Zilola Sayfiddinova’s personal and professional outlook, knowledge is regarded as the foundation of progress, research as an essential condition for success, and determination as a key factor in achieving outstanding results.

Her greatest ambition for the future is to become a highly qualified, broad-minded, morally responsible, and competitive specialist in her chosen field. She aspires to use her knowledge and experience to make a meaningful contribution to the development of younger generations, the advancement of science and education, and the prosperity of her homeland, Uzbekistan.

WHEN ALGORITHMS DREAM, BUT HUMAN HEARTS BLEED!

(A Philosophical Reflection on AI Poetry and Human Poetry)

Poetry is not merely an arrangement of beautiful words; it is the architecture of emotions, the fragrance of memories, and the music of silence. It is where tears become metaphors, memories acquire wings, and the human soul discovers its most eloquent voice. Yet, in this technological renaissance, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a remarkable literary companion, capable of composing verses and weaving enchanting expressions within seconds. This raises a profound question: “Can an algorithm understand what a human heart struggles to express?”

Human Poetry: Where the Heart Becomes Ink

Human poetry blossoms from the mysterious chambers of experience, nourished by unconditional love, unfulfilled desires, separation, grief, spirituality, and existential reflections. It transforms invisible emotions into immortal expressions.

When William Shakespeare writes in ‘Sonnet 18’, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”, he immortalises beauty through metaphor. 

William Wordsworth describes poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” His ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ transforms daffodils into everlasting symbols of memory and happiness. 

John Keats explores beauty and mortality in ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn’, while Robert Frost uses two roads in ‘The Road Not Taken’ to symbolise life’s choices. Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Galangai’ transforms spirituality and devotion into a celestial symphony.

Human poetry carries the fragrance of lived experiences. A poet does not merely describe loneliness; sometimes loneliness becomes the poet’s only companion. A broken heart becomes a shattered mirror, a departed soul an eternal constellation, and a silent tear an ocean of meaning.

AI Poetry: When Technology Learns Beauty

Artificial Intelligence has revolutionised literary expression by analysing linguistic patterns, metaphors, rhythms, and poetic structures. It can compose sonnets, elegies, haikus, ballads, and philosophical verses, employing alliteration, personification, symbolism, and hyperbole.

Consider these lines:

“The moon spills silver upon the sea,

*While stars compose eternity.”

Such imagery demonstrates AI’s ability to construct aesthetically appealing expressions. Nevertheless, an algorithm can describe a rose without smelling its fragrance, portray heartbreak without experiencing separation, and write about oceans without witnessing their immeasurable horizons. It can construct the language of grief, but it does not possess human grief.

Imagination Versus Experience

Consider rain:

“The raindrops kiss the windowpane,

And wash away the scars of pain.”

AI can generate these beautiful metaphors. Yet, for someone mourning a departed beloved, every raindrop may awaken an unforgettable memory. Both expressions may possess literary elegance, but their origins differ: one emerges from computational patterns, the other may arise from personal experience.

 Can AI Replace Human Poets?

AI can enrich vocabulary, refine grammar, suggest rhymes, and stimulate creative experimentation. However, technology should remain an instrument rather than the master of imagination.

As Blaise Pascal famously observed, “The heart has its reasons which reason cannot understand.”

Nevertheless, human poetry is not automatically superior, nor is AI-assisted creativity inherently meaningless. The authenticity of literary expression depends upon originality, thoughtful creation, and human artistic judgement.

 Conclusion: The Eternal Fragrance of the Soul

The future of poetry should embrace coexistence rather than competition. AI may illuminate linguistic possibilities, while humanity preserves emotional authenticity. Technology can provide the brush, but the artist must decide what deserves to be painted.

“An algorithm may learn how to make words dance, but only human experience gives poetry its wounds, its wings, and its eternal soul.”

For poetry is not merely what the pen writes; it is what the soul has lived, the heart has suffered, and eternity has failed to erase.

Dr Monalisa Parida 

Assistant Professor of English in Vedanga Institute of Technology Khordha, Odisha, India.