An Ordinary Saturday Night

Four beers in

On an ordinary Saturday night

And he’s doing internet research

On why dogs

Sit on people’s chests,

He can’t believe that his London

Has been gone

For more than two years.

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

理性  

是否每个人心中的指挥官  

总是指向清晰的正义之路，  

仅由无形的良知北极星所指引？  

有时，自私的黑色磁石  

牵引着指挥官冷静的目光，  

引他走向扭曲的十字路口；  

有时，仇恨与嫉妒的绯红迷雾  

遮蔽了指挥官清澈的双眼。  

在我的大学时代，  

当疾病如烈焰般爆发，  

我多次跨过黑暗的门槛；  

抑郁的惊涛骇浪  

将指挥官推下无尽的悬崖。  

啊，神圣的造物主，  

愿你所立的这位静默船长的心  

永远如夜空的星辰一般闪耀，  

不被病态自我的黑暗玷污划伤。  

在生命的狂风暴雨中，  

将他牢牢锚定在正义的基石上。

Reason

Does the commander in everyone’s heart

Always point to a clear and righteous path,

Solely guided by the invisible North Star of conscience?

At times, the black magnet of selfishness

Draws the commander’s calm gaze,

Leading him down twisted crossroads.

At times, the crimson mist of hatred and envy

Clouds the commander’s clear eyes.

During my college years,

When the disease flared like a fierce flame,

I crossed the threshold of darkness many times;

The fierce waves of depression

Pushed the commander off the endless cliff.

O divine architect,

Let the heart of this quiet captain You have established

Always shine like the stars of the night sky,

Untainted and unscarred by the darkness of a sickened self.

In the fierce storms of life,

Secure him firmly to the anchor of justice.

Wansoo Kim (1954) achieved Ph. D. in English Literature from the graduate school of Hanguk University of Foreign Studies. He has published eight poetry books. One poetry book, “Duel among a middle-aged fox, a wild dog and a deer” was a bestseller in 2012. He won the World Peace Literature Prize for Poetry Research and Recitation, presented in New York City at the 5th World Congress of Poets(2004). He published poetry books, “Prescription of Civilization” and “Flowers of Thankfulness“ in America.(2019), received Geum-Chan Hwang Poetry Literature Prize in Korea(2019) and International Indian Award(literature) from WEWU(World English Writer’s Union)(2019). He published “Heart of God” in America(2020). He published an autobiography book, “Secrets and Fruits of Mission” and a poetry book, “Flowers of Gratitude”(2021). He received India’s Independence Day Literary Honors 2021”(2021). He published the Chinese version of his ebook, “Heart of God,” which reached Amazon bestseller #1(2022). He published poetry books, “Captive of Crazy Love.”(2023) and “Teachings of Mother Nature(2024).

The Two Malta Trees

I was just getting ready to cut down the trees

The two Malta trees I planted four years ago

But there blooms not a single flower from then

I lost my patience and just took the cutter in my hand

‘To be, or not to be, that is the question’

Suddenly like a magic art I saw from both of them

The branches covered with flowers

My heart filled with joy

I stopped and waited for a while

Gradually the tree like the little ball blazed with the Maltas

So many Malta in the trees with the light of green stars

The birds are calling near them

Something heavenly whispers in my ears

The light of my smiling face reflects on them

I just came back to my thought

And found the path

Of the stretching glory in the belly

That comes to light at the time of the natural beauty.

Md. Mahbubul Alam is from Bangladesh. His writer name is Mahbub John in Bangladesh. He is a Senior Teacher (English) of Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh. Chapainawabganj is a district town of Bangladesh. He is an MA in English Literature from Rajshahi College under National University. He has published three books of poems in Bangla. He writes mainly poems but other branches of literature such as prose, article, essay etc. also have been published in national and local newspapers, magazines, little magazines. He has achieved three times the Best Teacher Certificate and Crest in National Education Week in the District Wise Competition in Chapainawabganj District. He has gained many literary awards from home and abroad. His English writings have been published in Synchronized Chaos for seven years.

Why Are Study Abroad Semesters Valuable for Students?

Meaning of These Programs – What Are They?

A study abroad semester is a life-changing experience – but how exactly?

Costs, Challenges, and Requirements

Nowadays, there are many foreign citizens in my country. Are they just tourists? Not quite. Today we see young people coming from abroad to various parts of our country. The reason is the global student exchange program. This program has a long history and began to develop in the 20th century. It was created to promote cultural and scientific cooperation between countries. A student exchange program allows students to temporarily study at a different university abroad. Through it, students gain knowledge and experience.

Historically, the United States was one of the first countries where such programs became popular, beginning with the Fulbright Program. One of the most well-known is the ERASMUS program – the oldest student exchange program in Europe, launched in 1987. Germany later developed its own version, with the DAAD program starting in 1925. These programs are highly popular among young people.

Experiences of Students:

Many students report positive experiences with exchange programs. Jabboraliev O., who studies at Kuala Lumpur University in Malaysia, said: “I expanded my professional experience through the exchange program. That’s why I’ve worked in many areas of my field.” This shows that exchange programs offer career benefits too.

Dilafruz, a student who studied in Japan, said: “My verbal communication improved significantly.” In particular, her ability to express herself in Japanese grew. This proves students can also benefit linguistically from exchange programs.

Advantages of Student Exchange Programs:

Exchange programs offer many benefits. Students gain new knowledge and boost their academic progress. But that’s not all. Studying abroad helps develop important personal skills, such as:

– Intercultural Competence: Students learn to understand and respect cultural differences by engaging directly with people from diverse backgrounds.

– Independence: Living in a foreign country forces students to organize daily life independently – from housing to daily routines.

– Language Skills: Constant exposure to a foreign language helps students improve their language proficiency.

– Better Career Opportunities: Employers value international experience, which signals flexibility and adaptability.

Challenges:

Of course, there are also difficulties. Many students face the following challenges when moving abroad:

– Financial Issues: Living abroad can be expensive. Students often need scholarships or part-time jobs.

– Different Education Systems: Learning methods may differ from those in the home country, requiring students to adapt.

– Cultural Differences: Adapting to new customs and traditions can be tough in a foreign country.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, student exchange programs are an excellent opportunity for young people to gain international experience, explore other cultures, and improve both academically and professionally. They help students adjust to new environments and foster mutual understanding between cultures.

During the program, students learn how to navigate life in a foreign country, speak new languages, and enhance communication skills. These experiences are valuable in today’s world and can improve future career prospects. Additionally, students form international connections that may benefit them later.

Despite the challenges, such as financial burdens, housing issues, or differences in education systems, these very obstacles help students become more independent and adaptable.

Overall, exchange programs are a key component of global education. They not only help young people expand their knowledge but also support personal growth. International exchange strengthens relationships between countries and universities. Therefore, such programs should continue to be supported so more students can benefit.

Oyatillo Jabboraliev was born in Fergana region. He is a student at Xiamen University in Malaysia.

First, a few announcements.

Konstantinos FaHs has another article published following up on his Synchronized Chaos pieces about ancient Greek myths and their continuing role in modern Hellenic culture. He’d like to share his piece in The Rhythm of Vietnam, which is a Vietnamese magazine with a mission that seems similar to our own.

Also, disabled contributor, lyric essayist, and ALS activist Katrina Byrd suffered hurricane damage to her home and seeks support to rebuild and make ends meet while she’s getting ready to move. Whatever folks can contribute will make a real difference.

Now, for our new issue: Chaos Does Not Exclude Love. The reverse of a phrase from a review of Elwin Cotman’s urban fantasy collection discussing how Cotman’s work was from a loving place yet made room for the complexity of the world. At Synchronized Chaos, we are intimately acquainted with the world’s nuance and chaos, yet we see and find room for empathy and connection.

Neven Duzevic reflects on travel memories and reconnecting with an old friend. Dr. Perwaiz Shaharyar speaks to the awesome and transformative power of romantic love. Dr. Prasanna Kumar Dalai reflects upon the intensity of romantic feelings. Duane Vorhees speaks to loneliness and heartbreak and sensuality and various forms of human-ness. Kristy Raines speaks to the beauty of love and the tragedy of heartbreak.

Harper Chan reflects on his bravado and the reality of his feelings in the past year. Mickey Corrigan’s poetry shows how psychological and cultural shifts and traumas can manifest in our bodies. Abigail George speaks to how support from friends and family and a commitment to live in the present rather than reliving old traumas can help those addicted to drugs. Alan Catlin mixes cultural memories and touchstones with personal and societal losses.

Vo Thi Nhu Mai offers up a poetic tribute to the international vision of fellow poet Eva Petropoulou Lianou. Greek poet Eva Petropoulou Lianou interviews Bangladeshi poet S. Afrose on how she hopes poetry and joint exploration through literary sci-fi will obliterate the need for war. Dr. Jernail Singh laments that morality and compassion have become passe to a generation obsessed with modernity and personal success. Priyanka Neogi speaks to the beauty of carrying oneself with noble character. Maria Koulovou Roumelioti urges us to remember the world’s children and create love and peace as Anwar Rahim reminds us to live with kindness and courage.

Mykyta Ryzhykh speculates on whether love can continue to exist amidst war. Haroon Rashid pays tribute to Indian political leader Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who loved peace but led through strength. Christine Poythress reflects on how easy it is for a once-proud and free nation to slide into fascism simply by admiring the fascist aesthetic and its seductive power. Ahmed Miqdad renders a global tragedy in simple terms: he’s too scared to go back to his home in Gaza to water his cactus plant.

Lili Lang probes the meaning behind things that seem simple: the work of a hairdresser, a family packing up the belongings of a recently deceased grandmother.

Mahmudova Sohibaxon offers up a tribute to dependable and caring fathers. J.J. Campbell writes of the visceral love and physical work of aging and caregiving, of inhabiting an elderly and a middle-aged body. Taylor Dibbert’s poetic speaker embraces age with joy, thrilled to still be alive. Bill Tope crafts an expansive and welcoming vision of perfection that can welcome more types of people and bodies as Ambrose George urges the world to maintain an open mind towards gender roles and identities.

Leslie Lisbona pays tribute to her deceased mother by writing a letter catching her up on family news. Stephen Jarrell Williams considers endings and beginnings and the possibility of renewal. Asma’u Sulaiman speaks to being lost and then found in life. Cheng Yong’s poetry addresses ways we hide from each other and ourselves, physically and psychologically. Mahbub Alam wishes for a romantic connection that can extend and endure beyond Earth. Dibyangana’s poetry touches on love, grief, and personal metamorphosis. Mely Ratkovic writes of spiritual contemplation and the nature of good and evil. Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa describes souls who turn away from greed and evil and heal, in smaller and larger ways. Christopher Bernard suggests that creativity and storytelling might play a part in what makes life worth enduring.

Brian Barbeito speculates about intention and communication with the universe. Svetlana Rostova speculates on what spirituality might mean in the face of a seemingly indifferent world. Shamsiya Khudoynazarova Turumnova’s piece conveys spiritual ecstasy, love, and beauty.

Sandro Piedrahita’s story highlights the power of enduring and sacrificial spiritual devotion in the midst of our human-ness.

Chimezie Ihekuna engages with the talents, creativity, and limitations of being human. Dr. Jernail Anand looks at human creativity and at AI and draws a comparison, encouraging humans to continue to create. Jasmina Rashidova explores what motivates people in the workplace. Eva Petropoulou Lianou interviews Turkish poet Bahar Buke about fostering imagination and connection through her work.

Paul Durand reflects on teaching first-grade music in a time of hatred and divisiveness. Su Yun collects the thoughts and observations of a whole selection of schoolchildren in China about nature and their world.

David Sapp reflects on how he wishes to always appreciate the egrets and lilies, sailing off into nature amid the various bird voices of the wild world. Mesfakus Salahin rhapsodizes about flowers and giddy spring romance. Soumen Roy celebrates the simple joy of butterflies and tea. Sayani Mukherjee speaks of an enduring oak tree in summer. Poetry from Eva Petropoulou Lianou, translated to Italian by Maria Miraglia and Arabic by Ahmed Farooq Baidoon, celebrates life lessons from nature. Liang Zhiwei reminds us of the power and vastness of nature, before and after the era of humanity. Nuraini Mohammed Usman sends up a sepia photograph of a tire hidden by a leafing young tree.

Jibril Mohammed Usman shares a photograph of a person looking into nature, at one with and part of his world, altered in the same way as the trees and house. Mark Young’s geographies play with and explore Australia from new angles, turning maps into works of art.

Jerome Berglund and Christina Chin stitch ideas and images together like clotted cream in their joint haikus. Patrick Sweeney’s two-line couplets explore a thought which ends in an unexpected way.

Odina Bahodirova argues for the relevance of philology as an academic discipline because of its role in preserving cultural wisdom encoded in language and the ability of students to understand and think critically about language. Sevinch Shukurova explores the role of code-switching as a pedagogical tool in language learning. Surayo Nosirova shares the power of an educator giving a struggling student tutoring and a second chance. Nozima Zioydilloyeva celebrates Uzbekistan’s cultural accomplishments and women’s education within her home country. Marjona Mardonova honors the history of the learned Jadid Uzbek modernizers.

Nazeem Aziz recollects Bangladeshi history and celebrates their fights for freedom and national identity. Poet Hua Ai speaks to people’s basic longings to live, to be seen and heard. Leif Ingram-Bunn speaks to hypocrisy and self-righteousness on behalf of those who would silence him, and self-assertion on his part as a wounded but brave, worthy child of God.

Z.I. Mahmud traces the mythic and the heroic from Tolkien to Harry Potter. Poet Hua Ai, interviewed by editor Cristina Deptula, also wonders about the stories we tell ourselves. She speculates through her work about what in the human condition is mandatory for survival and what is learned behavior that could be unlearned with changing times.

Synchronized Chaos contains many of the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and our world. We hope you enjoy and learn from the narrative!

……

ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΕΥΑ, ΠΟΥ Δημιουργεί Φωτεινούς ΘΟΛΟΥΣ 

.Στη γαλήνη ανάμεσα σε δύο θάλασσες

όπου η Ελλάδα και το Βιετνάμ συναντούν τον ουρανό,

περπατά η Εύα, κρατώντας μια χρυσή κλωστή,

υφαίνοντας ποιήματα που αγκαλιάζουν τον κόσμο.

.

τα λόγια της είναι απαλές γέφυρες πάνω από ποτάμια,

το χαμόγελό της, ένα ζεστό λιμάνι για περιπλανώμενες καρδιές,

από μακρινούς λόφους, από απόμακρα νησιά,

οι ποιητές συγκεντρώνονται, μαγεμένοι από το πάθος της.

.

πιστεύει στον Θεό, βαθιά και ολοκληρωτικά,

στο χέρι που γράφει τις μέρες μας.

ξέρει πως δεν χρειάζεται βιασύνη,

μόνο με υπομονετική αγάπη  προετοιμάζεται η ψυχή.

.

το γέλιο των παιδιών τραγουδά στις σελίδες της,

ιστορίες λικνίζονται σαν ευτυχισμένα πουλιά.

συγγραφείς, ονειροπόλοι, αναζητητές —

όλοι βρίσκουν πατρίδα στον Θόλο που δημιουργεί,

έναν τόπο που ονομάζεται Θόλος, στρογγυλός σαν τη Γη,

ανοιχτός σε κάθε τραγούδι κάτω απ’ τον Ουρανό.

.

η ποιήτρια Εύα είναι τρυφερή φύλακας των λέξεων,

το φως της πλέκει με βελόνες

Λέξεις από μακρινές χώρες —

το λωτό του Βιετνάμ και την ελιά της Ελλάδας,

πλεγμένα σε ένα ανοιξιάτικο στεφάνι.

………

Dịch bài thơ “FOR EVA, WHO BUILDS DOMES OF LIGHT” của VÕ THỊ NHƯ MAI

419.

EVA, NGƯỜI XÂY VÒM SÁNG

Giữa đôi bờ đại dương im ắng

Hy Lạp, Việt Nam chung một bầu trời

Sợi chỉ vàng mang theo, Eva rảo bước

Dệt những vần thơ tỏa khắp muôn nơi

Thơ nàng là chiếc cầu mềm mại bắt qua dòng sông lặng 

Với nụ cười sưỡi ấm những con tim 

Từ núi đồi, từ hải đảo xa tít tắp 

Cuốn hút đam mê, người thơ khắp chốn về tìm 

Trong con tim Chúa luôn luôn ngự trị

Tin đôi bàn tay viết nên số phận mỗi con người

Nàng rõ biết không cần vội vã

Chỉ cần tình yêu, kiên nhẫn, tâm hồn thôi

Em thơ vang tiếng cười qua trang sách

Như đàn chim ríu rít bên câu chuyện vui

Bao văn nhân, người mộng mơ, những kẻ đi tìm

Đều thấy một mái nhà trong Vòm nàng dựng

Tholos mang tên, tròn như Trái Đất

Mở đón bài ca nơi dưới Thiên đường

Eva giữ những vần thơ mềm mại

Đem sáng soi đến những miền đất xa xôi

Hoa sen Việt Nam, ô liu Hy Lạp

Hoà vào nhau thành vương miện vui đời

28.4.25 – N.Đ.Q dịch

Ảnh: St

BẢN TIẾNG ANH

…….

FOR EVA, WHO BUILDS DOMES OF LIGHT

in the calmness between two seas

where Greece and Vietnam vision under the sky

walks Eva, carrying a thread of gold

spinning poems that reach across the world

her words are soft bridges over rivers

her smile is a warm harbour for wandering hearts

from distant mountains, from faraway islands

poets gather, drawn by her passion

she believes in God, deeply, wholly 

in the hand that writes our days

she knows there is no need to be in a hurry

but a patient love that prepares the soul

children’s laughter sings through her pages

stories cradled like happy birds

writers, dreamers, seekers 

all find a home in The Dome she builds 

a place named Tholos, round as the Earth

opening to every song under Heaven

poet Eva is a soft keeper of words

your light stitches together faraway lands 

Vietnam’s lotus, Greece’s olive 

together into one cheerful crown

(VO THI NHU MAI)

……