Autumn

How can I explain the seduction of this difficult autumn?
The earth smells of departure
Like a leaf of the wind that dances in your absence
In front of our house
I'm afraid to mold you in the thick of the cold
This longing is stronger than the body
Let me hear your voice from afar
How it seduces every particle of this life
Thinking about you.

Emina Đelilović-Kevrić (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina) After studying the b/h/s (bosnian/croatian/serbian) language and literature at the Philoshopical Faculty in Zenica she got her master's degree on the subject „Memory construction in the South Slavic interlinear community: typical models of the war camp experience in literature“. She is the author of the poetry collection „ This time without history“ and the short stories collection „ Erased lives“. Her collection of poems „ My son and I“ is awarded by the Publishing Foundation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2021. In 2022 she won the second place in the international literature competition „ Isnam Taljić“. She is the winner of the second award for the best short story of the regional literature competition „Zija Dizdarević“ 2022, and she won the first place on international literature competition „Nastavi priču“. 2023. she won a third place on international poetry competition „Ossi di Seppia“ Italy

MY YOUTH

I can't forget my youth days,
My dream would fly in the sky,
There my vote, my sweet ages,
The sky would always fascinate me.
My dreams flapped wings and flew,
Even fate would be afraid of me and run,
As if the Sun was the only one shining,
Earth would make Heaven fall in love with her.
Watching the sun and turning on a tune,
I counted stars after the moon went down,
I would greet the Sun every morning,
This is how love would go on.
Being loved, a lucky age of loving,
A beautiful line up of my younger years,
Take the cabbage I put on my head,
Would be great, would amaze me.
Months, days, years, seasons,
It's a memory now, my youth and me.
It's a pity standing in between, a bit,
My youth is growing from afar!


Short creative biography:
Elmaya Jabbarova - was born in Azerbaijan. She is poet, writer, reciter, translator.
Her poems were published in the regional newspapers «Shargin sesi», «Ziya»,
«Hekari», literary collections «Turan», «Karabakh is Azerbaijan!», «Zafar»,
«Buta», foreign Anthologies «Silk Road Arabian Nights», «Nano poem for
Africa», «Juntos por las Letras 1;2», «Kafiye.net» in Turkey, in the African's CAJ
magazine, Bangladesh's Red Times magazine, «Prodigy Published» magazine. She
performed her poems live on Bangladesh Uddan TV, at the II Spain Book Fair 1ra
Feria Virtual del Libro Panama, Bolivia, Uruguay, France, Portugal, USA.

BRASS MIRROR

Behind the monastery, under a yew tree, in a lonely grave the worms have already worn out the hands of the one who made the mirror.
In front of the monastery, in the cemetery of discarded things; faded photographs, decapitated icons, saints pleading for salvation, and tarnished brass.
After midnight,
I am a silhouette that jumps into the depth of the mirror.
There’s nothing between us anymore.



Azemina Krehić was born on October 14, 1992 in Metković, Republic of Croatia.
Winner of several international awards for poetry, including:
Award of university professors in Trieste, 2019.,
„Mak Dizdar“ award, 2020.
Award of the Publishing Foundation of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2021.
„Fra Martin Nedić“ Award, 2022.

She is represented in several international anthologies of poetry.

MAYA TO YOU

Bury in yourself all the desires 
that are a trap and a binding 
thread for this world. 
Survive Maya's first death which is like a blessing. 
Once the old man in you dies, another time the body dies, 
while the soul has its circle of movement in eternity. 
Maya endure all the hardships, because this life is like a dream. 
Maya does not regret anything. 



IF YOU WANT 

If you want peace, keep it in your mind, 
Don't look for peace in places where it doesn't exist. 
If you want glory, it comes by glorifying God, not by having influential friends, 
We, poets, are like flowers, we grow from the rain 
we receive as grace, some are roses, some are weeds, there are many of us, 
let's connect only if we have similar sensibilities. 
If you want to be a particle in the bridges that connect the whole world, 
you need to open your heart more strongly and sincerely embrace your brothers and sisters around the world. 
If you want peace, you can't get it
if you don't respect the cows that feed the whole world with milk, 
if you don't want war in the world, 
remember that God and all his followers are watching with sadness how cows are killed en masse, 
wars in the world will not stop if we are not compassionate towards cows and all other beings.
If you want peace, keep it in your mind and don't disturb anyone who walks beside you.

Maja Milojković was born in 1975 in Zaječar, Serbia.
She is a person to whomfrom an early age, Leonardo da Vinci's statement "Painting is poetry that can be seen, and poetry is painting that can be heard" is circulating through the blood.
That's why she started to use feathers and a brush and began to reveal the world and herself to them.
As a poet, she is represented in numerous domestic and foreign literary newspapers, anthologies and electronic media, and some of her poems can be found on YouTube.
Many of her poems have been translated into English, Hungarian, Bengali and Bulgarian due to the need of foreign readers.
She is the recipient of many international awards.
"Trees of Desire" is her second collection of poems in preparation, which is preceded by the book of poems "Moon Circle". 
She is a member of the International Society of Writers and Artists "Mountain Views" in Montenegro,and shealso is a member of the Poetry club "Area Felix" in Serbia.

Realms Unveiled


In the realm of tomorrow,
where dreams soar without constraints,
a silver screen unfurls,
painting vivid visions on the canvas of imagination.

Advanced technology becomes a stage,
where untold wonders dance to their own rhythm,
like a boundless symphony of creativity,
captivating the daring hearts of dreamers.

Skyscrapers reach skyward,
a towering tribute to ambition,
echoing whispers of a grand past,
where Hollywood's legacy lingers in whispers.

Machines assume the roles of characters,
with depths unseen and personalities untamed,
an ensemble of artificial souls,
each with a story waiting to be unveiled.

Space stretches its arms wide,
the final frontier of limitless exploration,
Star Wars' legacy dances in the starlight,
Interstellar journeys unfold, galaxies as our playground.

Thrilling encounters come alive,
Jurassic Park roars with ancient echoes,
alien worlds spring forth from Avatar's inspiration,
where wonders thrive in uncharted realms.

Environmental harmony takes center stage,
a scene from The Lorax materializes,
preserving Earth's fragile beauty,
an Inconvenient Truth silently acknowledged.

Nature's majesty shines through the lens,
a Planet Earth documentary unfolds,
revealing the extraordinary tapestry of life,
a testament to the wonders of existence.

The evolution of humanity spins a tale,
The Matrix weaves its intricate web,
where Neo and Trinity rise against the current,
defying boundaries and pushing against the unknown.

In this future world, dreams find their place,
Leonardo DiCaprio's talent embraced as a guiding light,
a tapestry of hope interwoven with anime's delight,
as we embark on an ever-unfolding journey.

Dragon Ball's power-ups and One Piece's grand saga,
ignite wonder in our souls, boundless and untamed,
Studio Ghibli's flights of whimsy inspire,
Miyazaki's spirit lives on, guiding our creative fire.

Beside us, Naruto runs with determination,
while Pikachu's electric spark lights our path,
we author our own story within the realm of anime,
laughter and love intertwined, as cherished friends abide.

Death Note's strategic moves and Attack on Titan's might,
fuel our resolve to face challenges unyielding,
we step forward like Fullmetal Alchemist's quest for truth,
alchemy of dreams fueling our eternal youth.

JoJo's iconic poses defy gravity's constraints,
Sailor Moon's celestial sway whispers of destiny,
a tapestry of hope, interwoven with anime's infinite might,
as we script our own fate beneath the moon's gentle light.



Eyeglass escapades

In the search for my specs, what a quest!
I turn on my phone's light, hoping for the best.

At breakfast, I'm like a swimmer in a sea,
Navigating cutlery, poking eggs with glee.

But wait, what lies beneath the table's edge?
Oh, just the legs, mocking my misplaced pledge.

"Mama, mama, have you seen my specs?"
I mutter, as confusion wrecks.

Books scattered on the bed, no trace in sight,
"Call me Ishmael," I read, my frustration takes flight.

Not in the closet, no frocks or kurtas to keep,
As I rummage through, chaos runs deep.

Living room, kitchen, I search with zest,
Sofas, tables, spice jars put to the test.

Even the garage, fearing it got crushed by a car,
But it's just the exhaust, nothing bizarre.

The bathroom, my final hope, oh dear!
Starting with the toothbrush holder, no specs appear.

Could it be lost in the commode's swirling flush?
My humble abode, carrying my specs, oh hush!

Accepting defeat, a new frame I must obtain,
The lens in ailing grandeur, a funny refrain.

Toiletries back in place, the mirror hangs askew,
And there I stand, wearing my specs, who knew?

Oh, the irony of the search, a comical twist,
Lost in the quest, finding it right on my wrist!

Fizza Abbas is a writer based in Karachi, Pakistan. She is fond of poetry and music. Her work has appeared in more than 90 journals, both online and in print. Her work has also been nominated for Best of The Net and shortlisted for Oxford Brookes International Poetry Competition 2021. 

In the words of Goldsmith “the good are joyful and serene, like travellers who
are going towards home; the wicked but by intervals are happy, like travellers
who are going into exile.” 

Examine the Vicar of Wakefield as a satirical prose
fiction.

Or
Examine the Vicar of Wakefield as allegorical satire and novel of sentimental
genre.
Or
“Here fears are not quelled or hopes are not fulfilled; burlesquing both
sentimental fiction and readers’ expectations.” Examine the perspective from
the main character of the Restoration novel The Vicar of Wakefield.

Goldsmith's novel is allegorical satire and prose fiction embedded with the
characters of sentimental genre, Goldsmith enshrines his novel in engravings
of an everyman Christian in the role of a materialistic clergyman engulfed by
sentimental views of paterfamilias. The abduction of Sophia and imprisonment
of George are further trials to the reconstitution and restoration to the Vicar’s
family. “The joys that fortunes bring, like trifles and decay; Friendship is but a
name and happiness is still an emptier sound”. 

The Christ-like suffering
experience of fatherhood resonates Christ's crucifixion and vicarious
atonement through the resurrection of the Vicar as well as Olivia and furthermore, the
 restoration of George and Sophia.
Goldsmith’s novel is a place where no man is fond of liberty as not to be 
desirous of subjecting the will of some individuals to his own and where virtue
 is always under siege by the likes of Thornhill, a villain motivated less by lust
than like Deborah by an impulse towards tyranny and revenge.
The vicar’s adherence to individualistic spirits to God’s laws reclaim, “ … “ Olivia’s
seduction by the promiscuity and lust of Mr. Thornhill exemplifies the
catastrophic debacle impacted in the world of rigid adherence to principles and
reaches the moral weakness or frailty of the womanhood in Olivia.  The Vicar of Wakefield broad heartedly and open mindedly embraces the returning
 repentant wretched daughter as exclaimed in his assertiveness of dialogue and
action of personae/ ‘His benevolence lies in his rhetoric and his action often
belies what he professes’ …./ 

Firstly, the Vicar storms in remonstrance and
wrathfulness upon Olivia’s escaping the domestic hearth and eloping with the
seductive Squire Thornhill “Bring me my pistols. I’ll pursue the traitor. While
he is on the earth I shall pursue him.” 

Lastly the Vicar settles down in a
 pacified manner to reclaim his lost daughter despite her wretchedness: / “ever
shall this house and this heart be open to a poor returning repentant sinner…
Yes, the wretched sinner shall be welcome to my house and my heart, tho
 stained with ten thousand vices.” /

The Vicar of Wakefield’s dialogue and rhetoric “I only studied my child’s real
happiness” and “my tenderness as a parent shall never influence my integrity
as a man”. His daughters must be killed off in an unsuccessful ploy to obtain his
 freedom and his sons must cheerfully lie in custody with their father; his wife
 must suffer shame and the penury of the situation; Mossess must labour for
the whole family and this stresses the matter of principle. 

Goldsmith's maxim of
‘submission in adversity’ has been metaphorically satirized in the sense of the
disastrous effects of audacious pride associated with the mastery of
fate. Thus, submission in adversity consecrates the Vicar’s stance as "a
 calm spectator of the flames’ whilst sermonizing lectures and preaching
 homilies to families and exhortations to prisoners and the moral
 climax of the action touches its pinnacle in the maxim of the Vicar's: 
“If our rewards are in this world alone, we are then indeed of all men the most
 miserable.”

The Vicar of Wakefield is in stark contrast to the foil of Ephraim Jenkinson and
this is profoundly evidenced in his exclaiming speech after a colossal
 catastrophe infests to pester his family in ruination as in the instances of
 abduction and elopement, murder and violence, crime and imprisonment and
 burning flames. /“May all the curses that ever sunk a soul fall heavily upon the
 murderer of my children/…/ May the flames continue burning all my
possessions…Here they are!--- I have saved my treasures (my little ones)”/

Jenkinson is an allegorical character of evil being defeated by the triumphant
 force of goodness. “Perhaps you’ll think it was generosity that made me do all
 this. To my shame I confess it, my only design was to keep the license and let 
the Squire know that I could prove it upon him whenever I thought proper and
 so make him come down whenever I wanted money.”

Further Reading and Works Consulted

'The Vicar of Wakefield and the Sentimental Novel’ 
David Durant 
University of 
Kentucky, Studies in English Literature 1500-1900, Summer 1977, Vol. 17, No.
3, Restoration and the Eighteenth Century Summer 1977, pages: 477-491
JSTOR Database George E Haggerty’s Satire and Sentiment In The Vicar of
 Wakefield.