two steps from the bar and just a drink from Hell.
SINCERITY
I wrote love poems
on the back of my hand,
always meaning
to put them on paper,
but the ink wore out
or was washed away
just like the emotion.
CONSTANCY
Some things a woman says are bridges
raising grief over happiness.
Once, I could only be satisfied
if she was always there, then just a touch
was enough, then the sound of her voice
and finally just the thought of her.
A face can grip your mind like unrelenting tongs
and wipe out everything else,
like a barrage of hail strafing
your gently swaying fields;
you wouldn’t find fire down a well
or dew on a lightning bolt,
so don’t hope for something more.
THE COCOON
I found a cocoon made of twigs
somehow stuck together in a lattice.
I don’t know why, but it never opened
and many years later I went away
leaving the cocoon behind on a shelf,
while whatever creature lay inside
never learnt what it truly was.
S.C. Flynn was born in a small town in Australia of Irish origin and now lives in Dublin. His poetry has been published in more than a hundred magazines around the world. His collection “The Colour of Extinction” (Renard Press, October 2024) was The Observer Poetry Book of the Month. “An Ocean Called Hope” (Downingfield Press, May 2025) is forthcoming.
They looked at each other, blank-eyed, after the delivery van drove off, outside.
What’s the matter. Why the look?
I told you already. I don’t like this.
Don’t like this? Don’t like what? The TV’s here, right? Look at it. There it is. What more do you need?
It still bothers me I never heard of the company you said you ordered it from.
What? Why? You said you were nervous it’d never get delivered ‘cause you never heard of the company. I could even see that, maybe. But—here it is. What’s the big deal now?
They gazed at the TV on the floor between them.
I don’t know, I—hey listen, I think anybody hit in the face with a name like the “Regulation TV set factory out West Bruce Toothpull” would think that’s fake.
Uh. Okay. So the name’s odd. But—here it is.
Yes, I know. But—oh, never mind.
No no no, wait. Here it is. It’s plugged in. It’s powered up. What were you going to say still bothers you? Come on.
Okay, okay. I almost think we shouldn’t have it, that it shouldn’t be here.
Why?
I guess because I—think its dirty—like something I can’t touch ‘cause I don’t know where its been!
Instant’s stunned silence, then, Jesus Christ, that’s crazy! How can that be?
Don’t pick at me now. You forced me to say that! I wasn’t going to say it, but you forced me—so don’t look at me that way!
Okay, okay—I didn’t mean—
Oh yes you did. I always know what you mean! You got me started now, so—shut up and listen! First, the name of the company. You see it anyplace on any paperwork we got?
I don’t know, maybe—I—
Never mind maybe. The answer is no! Next—did you see the van it came in?
Okay, sure. A big white van. So?
That’s the kind of van you always called a kidnapper van. Remember?
Huh? What—I never heard that term—kidnapper van. What is it?
Oh, again, a nice pat convenient answer. I swear, you’re so stubborn.
Stubborn? Really? When I’m simply honestly saying I don’t remember things the way you do? I just—just don’t know what a—kidnapper van, or whatever you said—I just say I don’t know what that is, and—how is that being stubborn?
Okay. Maybe not stubborn, but—what you’re admitting to can’t be true, because I can see and hear you as clear as a bell, telling me all about “kidnapper vans” way back when. Why have you decided to get your back up and lie about it to me, today?
Wait—hold it, this is going too damned far!
Really? No! I’llgrant you that liar may be just a hair too strong, maybe you’re just forcing yourself to believe you don’t remember to keep yourself clear of being an actual liar, but—
What? That’s crazy!
No, no! Never mind—pay attention! When you used that term back then, I asked you what a kidnapper van was, and you told me clear as day. You said—
No! Can’t possibly have happened! I’ve never heard of such a thing!
Hold it, don’t cut me off—yes you did, because you explained that a kidnapper van is a van of one blank color : mostly white or black—other colors are rare : with no windows in the sides or in the back door and no—
No! Can’t possibly have happened! I’ve never heard of such a thing!
DAMN it don’t talk over me! Uh—okay, a van with no lettering of any kind and even sometimes with blanked-out license plates, this all being so, so that—
No! Can’t possibly have happened! I’ve never heard of such a thing!
—the victim can be snatched, and thrown in the back there, and then with the doors locked the kidnappers can drive away to the secret site of their choice to do what they wish to the victim in secret, and—
No! Can’t possibly have happened! I’ve never heard of such a thing!
—and if even someone saw them grab the victim and take off, there’d be nothing unique about the vehicle to tell the police to look for—
No! Can’t possibly have happened! I’ve never heard of such a thing!
—and you capped all that off with some kidnappers even take the van to a scrap dealer for crushing, once they’ve used it in the kidnapping grab and—
No! Can’t possibly have happened! I’ve never heard of such a thing!
—then they can proceed with the rest of their plan for the use of the victim for this that or the other—and then you said—
No! Can’t possibly have happened! I’ve never heard of such a thing!
—you said that was all that there was to be known ‘bout a kidnapping van.
No! Can’t possibly have happened! I’ve never heard of such a thing!
But, the description I’ve just recounted, I got from youway back then!
No! No! I’ve never heard of such a thing! What are you—you are calling me a liar?
Uh—isn’t it possible you may just have forgotten what it is? That wouldn’t mean you are a liar. Perhaps a bit forgetful, but—
What?
—but no way could you be considered a liar. That is, if you claim to have simply forgot.
{wink}
What? NO! I did not forget, and am not a liar, both. Both things, and both, and—
Hold it HOLD it just one more thing—and that is why I fear this damned TV—I fear what may have been done to it—and what it may do to us in revengeif we let down our guard!
{crazy eye}
Step back—
{crazy eye}
Dear God!
Look down, up, away, and into straight into pierce probe prod and stab-b-b-b w’, the n say softly as humanly possible—Let’s talk about something else now, okay?
Okay sure. If you’ll admit you believe me.
—NO but I never no b-b-b-ut I it’s always but I this, and but I that—Let’s talk about something else I tell you say one damned more syllable—
Ah. Okay. Sure. I believe you.
Good. Deep silence in-tween in-tween, deep silence—both then turned and left the tense airless room after one pulled the plug on the no-name TV and pushed it into a corner. Over there in the corner it sits to this day under stuff come on top more and more and so under that stuff on top of it there, under it all, there it sits alone; the dark room
Philip received his MS in Psychology from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada. He has published Five books of poetry: Mirror Images and Shards of Glass, Dark Images at Sea, I Never Finished Loving You, Falls from Grace, Favor and High Places, and Forever Was Never On My Mind. Three novels, Caught Between (Which is also a 24 episodes Radio Drama Podcast https://wprnpublicradio.com/caught-between-teaser/), Art and Mystery: The Missing Poe Manuscript, and Far From Here. Two plays, The Apparition and The Poet’s Masque. Philip has a column in the quarterly magazine Per Niente. He enjoys all things artistic.
Too Many of Us . . .
I hear a shaking of wings.
When I open my eyes, what I see
is what I see no more.—Cavafy
The gentle ones retreat into the dark
without a flourish.
They leave behind a smile
naked and surprised.
Their kind eyes are embarrassed;
death is not only tragic; it is tactless;
it reminds of everything the living want to forget.
The line of footprints in the sand
stops here . . .
But how can this be?
As though a hawk
(or an angel, if you believe in angels)
fell, seized the walker with its talons,
then soared away with him into the sky.
for Carlos Ramirez, Stephen Mackin, Don Brennan, Stephen Kopel, Iván Arguëlles, and Marvin R. Hiemstra
Christopher Bernard is a San Francisco poet, writer, and essayist.
This four session virtual workshop will provide poets and writers of all levels, genres, and backgrounds with the tools to write from their experiences with atrocity, the traumas produced by atrocity, and the healing (personally, communally, nationally) your words can make of it. Featuring Ellen Bass, Jacqueline Osherow, Joy Ladin, Geoffrey Philp, Jehanne Dubrow, among others. Moderated by Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum. Four consecutive weekly sessions (January 7, 14, 21, 28 ).
Each session includes content from the forthcoming book The Wounded Line: A Guide to Writing Poems of Trauma (“ethical concerns and helpful craft elements for writing poems [and other writing] that engage with trauma”) presented by the author Jehanne Dubrow, and session related writing prompts and open review of selected flash fiction, poems, etc. as submitted by attendees. Each registrant receives New Voices: Contemporary Writers Confronting the Holocaust suggested readings from which coordinate with the workshop series. Session recordings will be made available to registrants unable to attend specific sessions upon request. Registration fee includes all four sessions. Limited registration closes December 30. Presented by the New Voices Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. newvoicesproject.org and you may sign up for the workshop here.
Now for our issue’s theme, Plumbing the Depths. We look into the varied aspects, not always visible at first glance, of people’s interior and social lives, human societies, the natural world, and our artwork, history, and culture.
Chuck Taylor’s story reminds us about the complex layers of each person’s life, that we are more than our most obnoxious moments. Paul Tristram explores everyday human feelings and interactions in his “street poetry,” claiming them as a worthy literary subject.
Gabriel Kang speaks to the important issue of men’s mental health by illustrating men’s struggles passed down through generations. David Sapp delves into Middle American family life in the 1970s through a cascade of shifting perspectives.
Daniel De Culla laments relationships inside and outside of the church which are exploitative rather than nurturing.
Ivan Pozzoni brings a comically psychoanalytic perspective to digital and analog aspects of modern life. Mykyta Ryzhykh illuminates the internal and external destruction of total war with a landscape suffering from PTSD. Alexander Kabishev evokes the displacement of civilians during wartime in his continuing epic of the siege of Leningrad. Muheez Olawale’s dramatic tale of escape and survival highlights the tragedy of human trafficking and the slave trade. Nicolas Gunter evokes the hopelessness of a person displaced and oppressed within a cruel climate.
Daniel De Culla’s fragmented near-death dream vision excoriates the political and economic power structures of the modern Western world. Noah Berlatsky illustrates the grotesque nature of hate and vitriol through his consciously repulsive imagery. Patricia Doyne excoriates the rising tide of racist and anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.S. Jake Cosmos Aller lambastes the political climate of the United States. Howard Debs preserves the words of and speculates along with the hosts of The View, wondering about Trump’s recent victory. Christopher Bernard suggests that America’s unique mix of cultural values and priorities helped to produce a leader akin to Trump. Bruce Roberts registers disgust at Trump’s voice, attitude, and behavior.
Turgunov Jonpolat describes how he stopped his peers from bullying him by reminding them that they were not all that important in life. Ivanov Reyez crafts vignettes of people determined to live and thrive despite the small and larger cruelties of the world around them.
Nuraini Mohamed Usman’s tale of enemies-to-lovers takes place within a secondary school. Ahmad Al-Khatat describes two broken people finding and healing each other in an unexpected love story. Mesfakus Salahin offers his gentle love to someone for whom he cares very much. Lan Qyqualla poetically immortalizes his late wife Lora in his mythical verse. Taylor Dibbert conveys continuing grief over the loss of a beloved canine companion. Kodirova Barchinoy Shavkatovna mourns the loss of her grandfather’s kind and poetic soul. Faizullayeva Gulasal reflects on how her love and respect for her parents helped her get through sheltering in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. Cameron Carter describes a love that inspires him to become a better version of himself.
Harinder Lamba presents a love story between a couple, their baby, and the Earth as they help our planet navigate climate change.
Michael Robinson leans on the poetic voice of Rumi to describe his spiritual intimacy with Jesus. Brian Barbeito evokes the mystical feeling that can come with staring into the deep daytime or nighttime sky as Sayani Mukherjee offers up a sensuous take on fallen leaves.
Sidnei Rosa da Silva gently chronicles a ladybug’s climb up a sand dune as Muslima Murodova relates the tender tale of a beautiful but short-lived butterfly.
Kylian Cubilla Gomez zooms in on bits of nature and culture from unusual angles, cultivating a sense of childlike wonder. Isabel Gomez de Diego’s work accomplishes something similar with scenes of cultivated nature: sheep on a hillside and seaside lookouts. Raquel Barbeito also gets up and close with nature, sketching outdoor scenes as well as a closeup of a person’s eye.
Duane Vorhees’ poetic speakers merge with nature in their own way in his descriptions of passion and indigestion.
Sarvinoz Quramboyeva highlights the beauty of Uzbekistan and its people’s optimism. Nilufar Anvarova celebrates the beauty of her Uzbek village and the kindness of its people while Ilhomova Mohichehra highlights the goodness of Uzbeks. Mansurova Sarvinoz Hassan, an Uzbek writer, relates her educational and professional accomplishments and thanks those who have supported her.
Zafarbek Jakbaraliyev outlines the language and distribution of the world’s Turkic-speaking peoples. Irodaxon Ibragimova relates the history of the Bekobod area of Uzbekistan. Sarvinoz Tuliyeva elucidates the history and importance of Uzbekistan’s Shaikhontohur Ensemble. Dilbar Koldoshova Nuraliyevna highlights the elegance and history of the Uzbek language as Farangiz Abduvohidova explores proverbs in Uzbekistan’s culture and Shamsiyeva Gavhar celebrates the beauty and rich history of the Uzbek language and its integral role in Uzbek culture. Maftuna Rustamova praises the wisdom of the Uzbek constitution.
Z.I. Mahmud draws out themes of nationalism and civilization vs wild nature in his analysis of Ted Hughes’ poetic works. Ari Nystrom-Rice illuminates the sheer force of nature, rainwater crashing into the sea. Kass evokes images of nature and plant life overtaking cities. Olivia Brody revels in melding with the beach, merging with wind and sand and ice plants.
Niginabonu Amirova blusters about the power of wind to transform a day and a landscape. Federico Wardal celebrates the lush landscapes and many talents of emerging Egyptian painter Nour Kassem. Nathan Anderson highlights the pure blunt force of Rus Khomutoff’s new poetry collection Kaos Karma as John Dorsey celebrates the soft and tender melodies of jazz. Jacques Fleury’s poetic mishmash twists and turns syntax around into a kerfluffle.
Joshua Martin weaves biological and mechanical images into his elaborate syntax-adventurous poetry. Mark Young’s “geographies” adjust, alter, and repurpose images and style elements. Texas Fontanella also probes the edges of conscious thought with his stream-of-consciousness text-message dialogues.
Also through a stream-of-consciousness form, Abigail George recollects personal struggles and a lost love in a poetic and descriptive essay. Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa shares her own journey through poetry, towards balancing compassion for self with that for others. Bill Tope’s short story calls attention to the silent suffering of many with misophonia, sound sensitivity, through its depiction of a person’s quest for outer and inner peace.
J.J. Campbell speculates through vignettes from his own life on our place in the world, among time, history, and other creatures, and whether we are learning and growing as time passes.
Mahbub Alam compares the cycles of life to stops along a train route, as our world continually moves and changes. Through the tale of good clothes hung up and set aside, Faleeha Hassan reminds us not to save our entire lives for some amorphous special occasion.
Richard Stimac comments on the rhythms of life and human experience through the metaphor of Argentinian tango as Sara Goyceli Serifova rejoices in the look and feel of a long-awaited hopeful night.
We hope this issue will help plumb the depths behind the surface of the headlines and wring some hope from the sodden fabric of the world.
Haze
The autumn windfall of fallen leaves
A shadowy misty river water
Sat by the upfront the river cried
A dozen zenith full of wavering sadness
I churned the fall from the seasons
Of Tulip's most unkempt secret
A lonely hazardous blush garden
All around a throny buzzing
Fall came with its basket
By the river it was
As I carried the leaves with the moisty touch
So all were symphony of a cacophonous haze.
(Young Central Asian woman with a black and white vest and pants, a white collared top, and white sandals. She has long dark hair and is holding textbooks).
Artistic interpretation of folk proverbs in the poetry of Boborahim Mashrab.
Abduvahidova Farangiz
2nd stage student of Samarkand State University named after Sharof Rashidov.
Mashrab’s creativity has been captivating hearts with its charm, charm and sincerity. Therefore, many scientists and researchers are trying to reveal Mashrab’s poetry and make it easier to understand. One of such literary experts, A. Abdugafurov, commented on the unique style of the poet: “He created an attractive and charming mashrabona style in poetry. “Shokh weight and sonorous radif – rhymes, effective use of the lively language of the people, giving speed and enthusiasm to each verse are the unique qualities of the mashrabona style,” he writes.
Undoubtedly, although the poet did not create special didactic works during his career, he widely and effectively used proverbs, which are examples of folk art, and in this way taught people to be virtuous, to do good and meritorious deeds. wrote verses in the spirit of advice.
You are the best person in the world.
If you break the heart, the floating Kaaba will not be broken? (p. 159).
Through this verse, he exhorts the reader not to hurt someone’s heart, and he exclaims that you should forgive the language of the people, because the destruction of one heart is equal to the destruction of a hundred Kaaba. The meaning of this verse is consistent with the sayings of our people such as “Building one heart is a visit to the Ka’bah of a thousand Meccas” or “Dil ozori – God’s bully”.
Mashrab called everyone to do good deeds, saying that alimi guffar – a scholar of speech, that is, not only a speaker, but a virtuous deed – virtuous in practice, that is, be the owner of good behavior and good deeds. advises:
Don’t be a scholar, be a virtuous deed.
On the Day of Judgment, you will ask for the truth of the servants. (page 109)
The content of this verse is closely related to the content of the proverb “Knowledge to the wise, knowledge to the foolish”.
Mashrab talks about humility, which is one of the most unique characteristics of a person, saying that no matter how much the fruit of the tree is, the head is still (crooked), and he calls people not to be arrogant and proud.
If your head reaches the Throne,
Don’t lose your temper
Every tree has a lot of fruit
Raw… (page 125)
The main idea of this stanza can be equated with the meaning of proverbs such as “Even with a small load, a camel kneels” and “Even if your head reaches the sky, walk towards the earth”.
In Mashrab’s work, we can see that he put forward ideas such as work and hard work, striving to master a craft.
A flower without a thorn, a flower without a pearl, there is no craft without hard work,
You can’t get to the bottom of the road without doing math. (page 149)
In fact, our people have long praised work and tried to raise children in the spirit of hard work. Therefore, the idea of hard work is considered one of the leading ideas in our rich spiritual heritage, and a number of proverbs were created in this regard:
Work is pleasure at the base of work.
Work is the foundation of pleasure.
Work is the mother of pleasure.
We find these proverbs in a different form in mashrab interpretation:
I work to have fun
If you do, you will cry. (page 11)
In conclusion, the verses of the folk proverbs used above, which contain deep thoughts, reflect creation with a spirit of mashraban. He enriched his lyrics through our proverbs that have been refined over the centuries. Boborahim mashrab’s work is one of the masterpieces of Uzbek literature, and this charming and charming poem contributed a lot to the development of original human qualities such as hard work, humility, generosity, nobility, humanity, and respect in the young generation.
List of used literature:
1) Uzbek folk proverbs. T.: Sharq, 2005. Pages 27-28.
2) Kh-davron.uz
3) Sh. Shomaksudov, Sh. Shorahmedov. Wisdom. T.: 1990.
