Kakao Agit Pangyo

By Yeon Myung-ji

Heading to the agit, wearing a muffler like a holiday

On days when the wind crumbles cold

A hunger circulates in my calves

Holding each other’s shoulders to make an aerial tunnel

Migratory birds flock to the agit that gives them flutters

A tunnel that feels like New York to some groups

Rolling the winter wind round and round, spinning along the same path

If you go up to the wide-open fourth floor, you can spin even more

On the street with migratory birds, small words whisper

A delightful clamor walks to and fro.

The black rabbit has not arrived yet, but

Hexagonal snowflakes, blowing hot breaths, ho-ho

Affectionately, Merry Christmas!

Beside the tree, rabbits in pink vests are pounding a mortar

Migratory birds driven back by the cold, walking and walking again

Cheerfully, Happy New Year!

At broad daylight when the sun rises, if fishes fly up, children clap hands

In the aquarium fountain, whales cheer

Resident birds who came out dragging their slippers walk backward

A perfect place to exercise on a holiday with a muffler wrapped around

Even if the directions we come and go are different, on a cold day, 

let’s meet at Pangyo Kakao Agit

카카오 아지트 판교

연명지

휴일처럼 목도리를 두르고 아지트로 간다

바람이 차게 뭉그러지는 날이면

종아리에 시장기가 돈다

서로의 어깨를 잡고 공중 터널을 만들어

설렘을 주는 아지트로 철새들이 몰려든다

어떤 무리에게는 뉴욕 같기도 한 터널

겨울바람을 둥글게 말아 같은 길을 뱅글뱅글 돌고

뻥 뚫린 사층으로 올라가면 더 많이 돌 수 있다

철새들과의 거리에는 작은 말들이 소곤소곤

유쾌한 소란이 걸어가고, 걸어온다.

검은 토끼는 아직 도착하지 않았지만

육각형의 눈송이들 뜨거운 입김을 호호 불며

다정하게 메리 크리스마스!

트리 곁에서 분홍색 조끼를 입은 토끼들이 절구질을 한다

추위에 밀려 돌아온 철새들 걷고 또 걸으며

명랑하게 해피 뉴 이어!

해가 뜨는 한낮 물고들이 날아오르면 아이들은 박수를 보내고

수족관 속 분수에서 고래들이 환호한다

슬리퍼를 끌고 나온 텃새들은 거꾸로 걷는다

목도리를 두른 휴일에 운동하기 딱 좋은 곳

오가는 방향이 달라도 추운 날에는 판교 카카오아지트에서 만나요

The Escape of Sero

By Yeon Myung-ji

On the Serengeti plains, Mama Lulu and Papa Garo graze,
Replaying in slow motion.

In the sunlit hunting grounds, Grant’s zebras are a tribe
Whose paths forever overlap.
To leave the herd and dwell alone—
A landscape hard to fathom.
Did he long to return to the wild of his roots, to graze?

Each day left behind,
A relentless chain of anxiety.
Where did Mama and Papa go, leaving him behind?
No matter how long he waited, they never came,
So, I must leap this fence and find them, he thought.
And Sero broke free.

The keepers, those sisters and brothers,
Are not his mother and father, after all.
In the city seen for the very first time,
Though he wandered this alley and that,
Nowhere was a patch of grass to be found.

An adolescent who just passed into youth,
Was this escape his ultimate choice?
Or a clumsy rebellion?
Losing consciousness to a tranquilizer gun, he returned,
Only to face the collapsed fence.

Have Mama Lulu and Papa Garo finally joined as one,
Deep in the wilds of Africa’s Serengeti?

세로의 가출

  연명지

세렝게티 대초원에서 풀을 뜯는 루루 엄마와 가로 아빠가
느리게 재생되고 있어요

햇살 사냥터에서 그랜트 얼룩말은 겹치는 동선이 많은 종족이죠
무리를 떠나 홀로 지낸다는 것은 상상하기 어려운 풍경
고향인 야생으로 돌아가 풀을 뜯고 싶었을까요

혼자 남겨진 하루하루가 불안의 연속이지요
엄마 아빠는 그를 두고 어디로 갔을까요
아무리 기다려도 오지 않아
저 울타리를 넘어 찾으러 가야겠다고
세로는 가출을 했어요

사육사 누나와 형들은 엄마와 아빠가 아니잖아요
처음 본 도시에서
이 골목 저 골목 헤매고 다녀도 어디에도 풀밭은 없었어요

사춘기를 막 지난 청년기
가출은 그가 택한 최후의 선택일까요
어설픈 반항일까요

마취총에 정신을 잃고 돌아온 곳에는
쓰러진 울타리만 보여요

루루엄마와 가로아빠는 아프리카 세렝게티에 합사했을까요

Profile

Poet Yeon Myung-ji began her literary career in 2013 with the poetry collection 『Gashibi』, published in the Minerva Poetry Series.

Her published works include the poetry collections 『Sitting Like an Apple』 and 『Where would the House of the Sorry’ be? 』 the e-poetry collection 『Seventeen Marco Polos,』 and the travel essay 『Step by Step, Walking the Camino.』

She has received the Tolstoy Literary Award, the Homi Literary Award, the Cheongsong Gaekju Literary Award, and the Aviation Literary Award. In 2025, she was awarded the Bronze Prize in Poetry at the Literature Asia Awards.

Her poems have been translated and published in local languages in India, Pakistan, Kosovo, Italy, Egypt, the United States, and Belgium, Greece, UK, and Iraq.

———————————————————————————-

yet they never do

i see road

signs that say

end road work

yet they never

do

all the same

faces all these

years later

if dreams keep

us alive

this place was

dead long before

i was ever born

and they wonder

why no one stays

puts down roots

the white picket

fences never make

it through the first

round of storms

hard to keep up

with which america

are we this week

longing for a sunset

a porch to fall

asleep on

something cold

to drink on a hot

summer day

————————————————-

to whatever is a life

driving the highway

in the rain

mind starting to

drift into the void

haven’t seen any

headlights in hours

a trip i was supposed

to take over thirty

years ago

nothing like eventually

getting around to finally

taking the first steps to

whatever is a life

i’m sure there will

be some woman

along the way

plenty of poems

and probably a

disease or two

didn’t exactly come

from the right side

of the tracks

and i clearly understand

the only way out of this

fucking life is death

————————————————————–

buried in their phones

yet another waiting

room with everyone

buried in their phones

black lesbian couple

laughs at some video

online

i’m over in the corner

scribbling poems like

a crazy fuck

that always makes

me laugh

not like i’m scribbling

in blood or something

trying to figure out

what restaurant was

here before it became

a dentist office

mom hates that we

had to come to one

of these places

she’s slowly figuring

out that at her age,

they would much

rather her die than

actually meet her

deductible with

her medicare

—————————————————

having never been one

bloody nose

broken neck

this is the kind

of party usually

reserved for

your twenties

this is what

happens when

a younger woman

comes along

when the old man

wants to pretend

he can still hang

with the cool

ones

having never been

one ever before

scribbling poems

in the bathroom

trying not to get

shit in the wrong

places

just enough pain

that this chance

is never going

to end well

perhaps, there’s

a tragedy in

waiting

figures, none

of that paperwork

has been filed

——————————————————

longing for death like

killing time instead

of whatever else

my inner child

plays the harmonica

thinks of himself

as a more handsome

version of tom waits

that always makes

me laugh

but soon i’ll be

walking the streets

longing for death

like a random kiss

on a hot summer

night

sure, a rose can grow

in concrete but here

we only get the weeds

dancing with fireflies

gypsies playing music

not heard for years

her eyes are an

unfolding tragedy

her tears were for

a nation that no

longer cares

mere seconds to go

until the collapse

will be complete

start up the band

the silence is ending

J.J. Campbell (1976 – ?) is old enough to know better. the 3 time Best of the Net nominee and 2 time Pushcart Prize nominee has been widely published over the years. Most recently at Yellow Mama, The Beatnik Cowboy, The Rye Whiskey Review, Night Owl Narrative and Disturb the Universe Magazine. His most recent book, to live your dreams, published by Whiskey City Press, is available to purchase on Amazon.com by going here: https://a.co/d/08MEaejk

The Play Oedipus El Rey Makes Mythological Magic at the Huntington’s Calderwood Pavilion

A Well Known story retold with inner city energy

by Jacques Fleury

Oedipus El Rey, which translates to Oedipus The King from playwright Luis Alfaro and directed by Huntington Artistic Director Loretta Greco, is a re-imagining of the ubiquitous Greek mythology Oedipus into an urbanized modern-day tale of fate and tragedy and what it means to start over. A newborn fated to kill his father and marry his mother is the story in a nutshell but upon closer inspection, it speaks to modern day scenarios about fate and destiny and whether or not one can alter that course or simply succumb to it over the course of our lifetime.

 “We can make connections between the classic text and our own extraordinary histories,” says playwright Luis Alfaro. He goes on to explain what he loves about Greek mythology. He said, “The Greeks…don’t give you answers. They ask questions.” And that is exactly what the play does, it juxtaposes Greek fantasy with modern day reality by depicting people of color, also known as ‘the other’ in experiencing hard knock gang life on the streets resulting in the boomerang of the prison pipeline “where the line to get in…is longer than the life to get out” as said by one of the characters. According to one character, who explained how fathers often willingly commit crimes to get themselves into prison just to be able to raise their sons. 

With a close range and sparse set, it felt like the performance was taking place in my own living room. The production made effective use of, at times, ethereal lighting, props dropping from the ceiling, mythological costuming and sound effects, infusions of erotic sensuality, surprising festive audience participation and effective use of Spanglish, which is a combination of English and Spanish, that brought a level of cultural spice. One audience member in particular, who laughed out loud several times, said she “enjoyed the cultural aspects of the play ” upon my inquiry. Although I did familiarize myself with the myth of Oedipus prior to seeing the play, it is not imperative in order to follow the plot and understand thematic elements. Conversely, the audience member I spoke to was unfamiliar with the story and purposefully did not read about the original mythology so that she can view the play with “fresh eyes” and she found the play to be an “escape” from what is currently going on in America and the world.

I find Oedipus El Rey to be a brilliant and valiant stroke of engineered creativity using European mythology that depict the unequivocally caustic reality of ‘the other’ in American society. It begs the question: can we alter our destiny in spite of the foreboding societal schema that preceded our very own existence? Being a member of ‘the other’ myself as a ‘black’ American man of Caribbean descent, I can certainly identify with challenging the notion of fate and destiny; which I used as an opportunity to thrive rather than surrender to the negative expectations and stereotypes laid out for me and my kind.

The play ended how it began, in classic cyclical fashion, which I thought framed the story quite fittingly in the context of proffering the characters an opportunity to “start over.”  This aspect of the play is reminiscent of what American-born British Poet and pioneer of literary modernism T.S. Eliot wrote about beginnings and endings in his master work: Little Gidding: “We shall not cease from exploration/And the end of all our exploring/Will be to arrive where we started/And know the place for the first time.”

Giving this philosophical urbanized mythological ethereal laugh out loud and culturally explosive raucous a five out of five stars is no myth.

For more information visit here: 

Jacques Fleury is a Boston Globe featured and internationally published Haitian American poet, theater reviewer, educator, author of numerous books of essays, reviews, fiction, poetry and literary arts student through Harvard University. It’s Always Sunrise Somewhere and Other Stories among other titles are available at all Massachusetts public libraries, the University of Massachusetts Healey Library, Wyoming University, Askews and Holts Library Services, the leading library supply specialist in the United Kingdom, The Harvard Bookstore and the oldest poetry bookstore in America: The Grolier Poetry Book Shop (est. 1927)  has hosted great American poets E. E. Cummings and Alen Ginsberg and online bookstores worldwide such as Bookshop dot com, amazon etc…

ARTISTIC-AESTHETIC INTERPRETATION OF THE IDEA OF PATRIOTISM IN THE POETRY OF ERKIN VOHIDOV

University of Business and Science. Filologiya oʻzbek tili yoʻnalishi 2-kurs talabasi Egamberdiyeva Diloromxon Olloberdi qizi.

Introduction: The second half of the twentieth century in Uzbek poetry is distinguished by a new stage in the development of national self-awareness and the idea of patriotism. During this period, the творчество of Erkin Vohidov became one of the brightest expressions of inner resistance and the aspiration for freedom formed under colonial conditions. In the poet’s works, patriotism is interpreted not as ordinary sentimental love, but as a philosophical-aesthetic category connecting national identity, historical memory, and future prospects. Although the idea of patriotism in literary studies has often been examined within ideological or emotional contexts, its semiotic and stylistic mechanisms within the artistic system have not been sufficiently analyzed. This article aims to fill that gap by examining the patriotic motifs in the poet’s major works from the perspective of poetic language, imagery, and symbolic systems.

In Erkin Vohidov’s poetry, the representation of the national spirit is expressed through artistic images and symbols, interpretations of national values, and love for the mother tongue. The idea of patriotism appears not merely as a theme, but as the central axis of the entire poetic system. Under Soviet rule, this idea was conveyed not openly, but in metaphorical forms. In the poet’s lyrics, the image of the Motherland is often embodied through symbols such as mother, mountains, rivers, and soil. These symbols possess not only emotional but also deep semiotic meanings: they express the symbolic resistance of national identity against the “alien” culture of colonialism. For example, through images of nature (mountains and rivers), the poet emphasizes the thousand-year historical stability and resilience of the people.

Main Part

The artistic-aesthetic interpretation of patriotism in Erkin Vohidov’s works is most vividly reflected in the qasida “Oʻzbegim” (1968) and the epic poem “Ruhlar isyoni” (“Rebellion of Spirits”). These works reveal the motives of inner rebellion and the preservation of national identity under colonial conditions.

The qasida “Oʻzbegim” is one of the most important examples of national pride and self-awareness in Erkin Vohidov’s creativity. The qasida is distinguished by being written in the aruz meter and by its closeness to the classical qasida genre, yet in content it is interpreted as a new call for national awakening under colonial conditions. In the qasida, the word “oʻzbegim” gains rhetorical power through repetition (anaphora), thus enabling a transition from personal address to collective national identity.

The beginning of the qasida emphasizes historical depth:

• “Your history has remained hidden through thousands of centuries, my Uzbek,

Your peers are Pamir and the white-haired Tianshan, my Uzbek.”

In these lines, the image of the Motherland is embodied through mountains and nature. The Pamir and Tianshan mountains symbolize not only geography, but also the thousand-year historical strength of the people and the hidden endurance of the national spirit. By mentioning great ancestors such as Afrosiyob, the Orkhon inscriptions, Al-Biruni, Al-Khwarizmi, and Al-Farabi, the poet awakens national pride. Through the lines:

• “Descendant of Al-Biruni, Al-Khwarizmi, Al-Farabi,

Perhaps your true lineage is Ozluq, perhaps Tarkhan, my Uzbek,”

He emphasizes the great scientific and cultural heritage of the Uzbek people. These symbols become aesthetic means for preserving and restoring national identity during the colonial era.

In the qasida, the heavy blows of colonialism are expressed in the lines:

• “Many khans and many sultans

Passed over your poor head, brandishing their swords.”

Here, historical tragedies are presented metaphorically, and the poet avoids direct political criticism by expressing inner resistance through symbolic language. The repetition of the word “oʻzbegim” carries not only rhythmic but also emotional and philosophical weight — it ensures the transition from the personal “I” to the collective national “we.” As a result, the qasida becomes not simply a hymn, but a manifesto of national awakening. Its popularity in the musical performance of Sherali Joʻrayev also demonstrates how deeply it penetrated the hearts of the people.

Another vivid expression of patriotism can be observed in the epic poem “Ruhlar isyoni” (“Rebellion of Spirits”) (1978–1979). Dedicated to the life of the Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, the work expresses the aspiration for freedom of the Uzbek people through his image. The poem consists of several legends and deeply artistically analyzes such urgent issues as human destiny, social injustice, and the struggle for freedom.

In “Ruhlar isyoni,” the spirit of freedom and rebellion occupies a central place. The appeal in the introduction:

• “You were born free — remain forever free!”

Defines the spirit of the entire poem.

In the section “Legend about Eternity,” through the depiction of a caravan struck by disaster in the desert and a traveler who survives, the eternal struggle of humanity, spiritual endurance, and aspiration for freedom are portrayed. Here, Vohidov uses a philosophical-aesthetic approach, elevating patriotism from an individual spiritual rebellion to a collective national awakening. Through the image of Nazrul Islam, he metaphorically expresses the colonial condition of the Uzbek people.

Although the poem is written in epic form, it is enriched with lyrical emotions and philosophical reflections. Its system of symbols (spirits, rebellion, eternity) transforms patriotism from a mere emotional feeling into a profound philosophical category.

Patriotism in the poet’s other poems such as “Mother Soil,” “Landscape of Dawn,” and “Spring” is also expressed through images of nature, love for the mother tongue, and historical memory. Symbols of nature (rivers, soil, mountains) signify the stability of national identity, while language represents the foundation of the national spirit. Through these elements, patriotism in Vohidov’s poetry appears not only as an emotional phenomenon but also as an aesthetic and philosophical instrument.

The poet’s style, while simple and close to the people, possesses deep metaphorical and semiotic layers. This has made his work one of the brightest examples of Uzbek poetry.

Conclusion

In Erkin Vohidov’s poetry, the idea of patriotism is interpreted at a highly artistic and aesthetic level. In the qasida “Oʻzbegim” and the epic poem “Ruhlar isyoni,” the poet expresses national pride, the aspiration for freedom, and the spirit of independence through symbols, metaphors, and rhetorical devices. Under colonial conditions, metaphorical language and symbolic systems reveal the motives of inner rebellion and the preservation of national identity.

As a result, patriotism in Vohidov’s works becomes not merely an emotional feeling, but also a philosophical-aesthetic instrument. Even today, his works play an important role in educating the younger generation in the spirit of patriotism and in strengthening national self-awareness. The poet’s legacy remains one of the golden pages of Uzbek literature and serves as an example of national pride and the spirit of freedom for future generations.

This analysis demonstrates that the aesthetic power of Erkin Vohidov’s poetry lies in his ability to deeply artistically interpret the idea of patriotism. His творчество deserves even deeper study in Uzbek literary scholarship.

The Writer Monk 2026 Awards | Winner of Distinguished Writer 

If Tomorrow Spoke

Poem by Lan Xin (Lanxin Samei)（China）

I am the Tomorrow foretold in human ancient prophecies

I traverse myriad realms across the tides of future time

With bowed brows and boundless mercy I behold all beings on the azure planet

Human greed delusion and rage have left the earth wounded and scarred

Calamities surge endlessly across the mortal world

Endless plunder brings torment to all creatures between heaven and earth

Lost in chaotic darkness mortal souls wander astray with no way forward

No disaster arises by chance all stem from darkness hidden deep in human hearts

The pure land and paradise mankind yearns for can never be sought outside

They dwell within every thought and every deed of all living souls

Only great love and compassion born deep within the heart

Can soothe catastrophes and heal the vicissitudes of the world

Love is the origin of the cosmos the eternal law of heaven and earth

Love is the universal tongue connecting all beings across boundless space

Love is the radiant path leading toward a brilliant promising future

Love is the supreme treasure that heals all worldly hatred and strife

Love stands as the ultimate answer to every plight in mortal existence

I am Tomorrow the embodiment of truth goodness beauty and boundless love

I carry the true law of heaven as well as profound cosmic mysteries

I wait silently amid ancient prophecies for you who walk in light and love

MEMORIAL DAY 2026

I’ll feed you, house you, offer you a job—
but die for you? Give up my life? No way!
Who goes that far? Who sacrifices life?
Well, Jesus did. We thank him when we pray.

And one more category—saints or fools—
who put their bodies in the line of fire:
our military troops, young girls and boys
who fight our battles, hoping to retire

and live out normal lives-- with grandkids, peace,
and future, just like all the rest of us. 
Instead, they’re killed.  Statistics of a war
that weighs its gains against “acceptable loss.”

Yet those who die for causes simply trust
that martyrdom will make life’s wrongs more just.

Copyright 5/2026	Patricia Doyne


ODORS FROM THE EPSTEIN FILES
     Trump watched as girl’s newborn was murdered and dumped in lake, Epstein document says. – LGBTQ Nation, May 21, 2026

I’m 13, but I’ve never been a child.
My uncle Jeffrey sold me to his friends,
and someone got me pregnant.  Many men
made use of me. They liked their victims young.
Compliant. Scared. Too scared to sneer or shame
grown men who bully children. Hateful men.

And now, nine months are up. I’m racked with pain--
but soon my daughter gives triumphant cries.
My uncle grabs her. Kills her. Dumps my child
Into Lake Michigan, to be erased.
Another man looks on. “Apprentice” star.
He watched my uncle kill my newborn baby.

The FBI did nothing.  I’m a whore,
and whores are things, not people. But my tale
is part of the enormous Epstein file
released today. The head of DOJ
said no one should believe my nasty smear.
Will POTUS lawyers keep him in the clear?

Copyright 5/2026             Patricia Doyne