This anthology contains work from Synchronized Chaos’ contributor Graciela Noemi Villaverde and may be ordered here.

Curated by John P. Portelli, Unsilenced: Poems for Palestine brings together poets from Palestine, the diaspora, and globally—including renowned names like Fady Joudah, Leila Marshy and Marwan Makhoul alongside some 50 international poets.

This collection is not just a book—it’s a fundraiser. 100% of proceeds will go to support Gaza, providing support and solidarity.

Now for this issue! Staying Human.

Haroon Rachid contemplates his country’s potential turn towards war, vowing to hold onto his humanity through culture, thought, and study. Bahora Bakhtiyorova reminds us of the impending challenge and risk of climate change. Ahmed Miqdad despairs of life in war-torn Gaza as Maria Miraglia mourns and rages about the loss of children. Mykyta Ryzhykh speaks to the trauma of surviving wartime as a civilian as well as the grief of romantic rejection and heartbreak. Mesfakus Salahin portrays a person who has lost his humanity and become like an automaton in the face of trauma. Elisa Mascia speaks to the challenges of holding onto truth and authenticity in a harsh world.

Eva Petropoulou Lianou, in a piece translated into Albanian by Eli Llajo, shares a sensitive soul’s reflection on living in a harsh world. Brooks Lindberg addresses the limitations of being in space and time with a human body. David Sapp speaks in his poetry to some of the ever-present anguish of being human: mortality and grief, anxiety and trauma, as Steven Bruce poetically expresses lonesomeness and acknowledges the inevitability of death. J.J. Campbell vents about a variety of physical, emotional, and relational pain and loneliness as Liliana Mirta Ramirez writes evocatively of an impending storm.

Soumen Roy explores both the expansive sense of feeling at one with the universe and joining in its creative energy and the despair and emptiness we feel at other times. In a similar vein, Lidia Chiarelli speaks both to the fanciful whimsy of dreams coming to life and the urgency of preserving our environment before it becomes a wasteland. Mahbub Alam also references tragedy and restoration in the human and natural world as Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa speaks to the joy of unity among people of different backgrounds and the futility of revenge.

We find solace in a variety of places.

Dr. Jernail S. Anand illuminates the healing and restorative power of poetry as Sayani Mukherjee takes joy in verse as a bee does landing on a juicy and fragrant flower. Elisa Mascia celebrates a fresh flowering of creativity.

Brian Barbeito speculates on the beauty and mystery of wild nature as Stephen Jarrell Williams describes how intertwined even modern people are with the lives of natural creatures. Isabel Gomez de Diego photographs food and blossoms, sensual joys of life. Rizal Tanjung reviews Anna Keiko’s delicate poetry about everyday experiences and thoughts. Christina Chin and Uchechukwu Onyedikam celebrate the mystery and beauty of everyday life in their joint tan-renga poems. Qurbonboyeva Dilafruz Sherimmatovna and Andaqulova Mohinur Juraqulovna share recipes and serving suggestions and a history of the Central Asian dried dairy food qurut. Kylian Cubilla Gomez’ photographs celebrate children’s colorful toys and adult knickknacks.

Murrodullayeva Makharram offers her rapturous joy at a dream visit to Mecca and the Kaaba. Maria Miraglia’s poetry explores religious doubt and the staying power of cultural belief. Izmigul Nizomova’s short story illustrates how spiritual faith can help people process intense feelings of romantic passion or grief, as Maja Milojkovic speaks to her belief in an ever-present God.

Nilufar Tokhtaboyeva’s rhyming poem mirrors the energy of the sea. Dimitris Fileles also looks to the ocean, for peace and comfort.

Balachandran Nair comically mocks artists and writers whose ego isolate them from family and community. In contrast, poet Eva Lianou Petropoulou Lianou reflects on fellow poet Vo Thi Nhu Mai’s warmth and kindness as much as her craft.

Dr. Ahmad Al-Qaisi takes pleasure in the simple joy of coffee with a friend as Kareem Abdullah crafts tender love poetry and Christopher Bernard’s poetic speaker vows to love their honest-to-a-fault friend even if love is complete foolishness. Shoxista Haydarova pays tribute to her loyal and caring father, as Manik Chakraborty reflects on the nurture of his mother. Murodullayev Umidjon speculates on the nature of friendship. Umarova Nazokat celebrates a mother’s tender love as Nurullayeva Ra’no highlights mothers’ care, devotion, and concern for their children and Dr. Jernail Anand reflects on the vital role of mothering. Maftuna Rustamova reminds us to honor and respect our parents because of the love and care they have shown us, as Graciela Noemi Villaverde describes the unique personalities of each of her beloved grandsons. Chimezie Ihekuna turns to the loyalty of family as a balm for human vulnerability as Priyanka Neogi speaks to the love and responsibilities of marriage.

Duane Vorhees’ poetry explores physical and romantic intimacy while digging deep into the self. Michael Todd Steffen presents a memorial tribute that’s a character sketch of a strong and driven person with plenty of personal agency, for good or ill.

Taylor Dibbert asserts his newfound self-love after years of experience. Babajonova Charos draws inspiration from Pablo Coelho’s characters’ journeys to self-actualization and intimacy in The Alchemist. Alan Catlin crafts a literary and personal narrative through a list of memories.

Self-respect can encompass more than merely the self, and many writers take pride in their cultures. Marjona Mardonova reflects on the strength and dignity of Uzbek women and girls as several elementary school students in China contribute poetic thoughts on their hometowns, nature, heritage, and inspiration. Rizal Tanjung translates into Indonesian an essay by Konstantin Fahs on how ancient myths still speak to Greece’s contemporary struggles and questions of identity, highlighting the universal nature of these questions.

Z.I. Mahmud explores themes of racism, misogyny, and Black women’s reasserted dignity and healing in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Daniel De Culla presents a tale of vigilante justice served at an aquarium.

Bruce Roberts recollects the decorum and honor he saw in the days of American president Abraham Lincoln and laments how far the United States has fallen since then.

Uzbek writer Azizbek Shaymurzayev celebrates and honors the soldiers and leaders who founded Uzbekistan. Dilbek Ergashev offers up a poetic tribute to Uzbek writer Muhammad Yusuf, who captured the nation’s heritage and met an untimely death. Shamsiya Khudoynazarova Turumovna finds elegance in a portrait of a woman reading.

Yet, Yusuf certainly passed along the baton in the relay race of Central Asian literary and academic thought. Farangiz Xurramova outlines grammatical differences between Uzbek and French. Yunusova Khodisa contributes many scholarly essays in the humanities, including one on the form and structure of words, another on play as a technique for teaching foreign languages to young children, a piece on the need for clarity in a language teacher’s speech, another on methods of translation and strategies for developing competence in the discipline, and finally, an article on ways to teach different types of communication activities in a foreign language.

Moving to other fields of inquiry, Azganush Abdulmajalova’s poetry finds wonder in invention, physics, and mechanics. Shermatova Hilola Mirzayevna and Tolqinboyeva Odinaxon outline possibilities of modern information technology. Aytuvova Khurshida’s essay outlines modernizing reforms in education, particularly the use of technology. Muminova Farida highlights the importance of teaching primary school students critical thinking skills.

Dr. Perwaiz Sharharyar, in poetry translated by Maria Miraglia, highlights the world-expanding power of travel. Vo Thi Nhu Mai’s gentle poetry celebrates animals, the world’s children, and the vibrant multicultural city of Perth.

Latofat Amirova craves a life of rebellion, curiosity, and adventure while Jacques Fleury probes the uncanny dark motifs of Edgar Allan Poe’s creative genius.

In a similar spirit of artistic exploration, Texas Fontanella contributes some exploratory beats and guitar chords. Vernon Frazer’s new book Nemo Under the League, reviewed by Cristina Deptula, splashes together text, line, and image. Terry Trowbridge grows a fanciful poem about a potato facing surveillance and arrest as Zeboxon Akmalova’s poem reflects the experience of overhearing fragments of conversation as J.K. Durick explores our reactions to words, sounds, and numbers in daily life. Mark Young’s “geographies” explore fanciful locations as works of art.

Finally, Bill Tope’s short story satirizes the world of small magazine publishing and reminds us all not to take rejections too seriously. Humor can prove one of the small, and larger, ways we hold onto our humanity as we navigate this world.

Muhammad Yusuf is Muhammad Yusuf

Born in Andijan, where he took root,

To poetry, he brought his tribute,

His aching heart poured words absolute,

Muhammad Yusuf is Muhammad Yusuf.

A simple poet, his face sincere,

His words are humble, his gaze is clear,

His verses we cherish, hold them dear,

Muhammad Yusuf is Muhammad Yusuf.

His poems are famous in his land,

In Andijan, Namangan, and Kokand.

Such poets are rare across the strand,

Muhammad Yusuf is Muhammad Yusuf.

He wrote of his nation’s silent cries,

Of gazelles with tears in their eyes,

Of venomous scorpions in disguise,

Muhammad Yusuf is Muhammad Yusuf.

The ram was slaughtered at a whim,

A white steed left without a claim.

Love burned his heart with ruthless flame,

Muhammad Yusuf is Muhammad Yusuf.

He loved a Turkmen girl, fate turned cruel,

Her portrait burned with a passion fuel.

Confessing love, he broke his rule,

Muhammad Yusuf is Muhammad Yusuf.

His homeland’s history in verse he traced,

Red tulips in sorrow, their petals embraced.

In Ellikqala, his breath was erased,

Muhammad Yusuf is Muhammad Yusuf.

A legacy vast he left behind,

His words still echo in heart and mind.

Letters to his mother, tenderly signed,

Muhammad Yusuf is Muhammad Yusuf.

A songbird son of Uzbek soil,

Born in a farmer’s hands, free of guile.

His poetry binds hearts with style,

Muhammad Yusuf is Muhammad Yusuf.

Dilbek Ergashev is a 3rd year student of the direction of organization and management of the activities of cultural and art institutions at the State Institute of Art and Culture of Uzbekistan.

Vernon Frazer’s concrete poetry collection “Nemo Under the League” recalls Jules Verne’s underwater sea exploration journey in its title. Like Captain Nemo, Frazer’s poems probe lesser-explored and lesser-mapped areas: aesthetics and the subconscious. Black, white, and grey text, text boxes, lines and shapes appear on the page with the focus more on the aesthetic effect of each composition than on the literal meaning of the words. 

The phrases and their arrangement on the page may seem random at first glance. However, there’s usually a directionality to pieces, such as “Blocking the Inevitable” which guides viewers’ eyes to the right, and “Reflection Locked in Reflection,” which follows a diagonal or elliptical path to suggest light bouncing off a mirror. 

Sometimes the images evoke clip art, as in “Desire After the Elms,” or comic books, traffic lights, or even soup cans, as in “Career Moves.” Or even art deco motifs, as in “Birthing an Ungiven Given.” The text will occasionally relate to the title or presumed theme of the poem (such as “hordes of insufficient data” in “Finding a Reaction” and “overblown deduction guides tax the patience excessively” in “In Charge of What Follows”) but tangentially, creating the effect of a composition inspired by the idea rather than the linear development of a thought. 

At times, while reading, I speculated on what colors and shades Frazer would choose had he decided to incorporate colors. Sometimes my mind suggested possible shades of deep blue, or vivid orange, or light green. The monochromatic feel works, though, to focus attention on the words themselves as the artwork rather than splashy colorful shapes. 

In some pieces, “Flayed Nerve Endings Frayed” and “Reeling Toward the Reel” text itself forms into oval egg shapes or curlicues. Elsewhere, words appear in mirror images of themselves, vertically, diagonally, penetrated by arrows. Words become not just representatives of images or ideas, but as images and design implements themselves, while remaining readable. 

The very last poem in Frazer’s collection, “The Transverse Clatter Balcony,” ends with text cascading down to the end of the lower right of the page. It reads “the last word … cast overboard … definition matter … soaked … in the lumbago sea with Carthage.” Words and meaning are not impermeable or permanent here, but forms of matter subject to the weathering of time, nature and history. 

I recently came across Dr. Leonard Shlain’s The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image, in which the cultural anthropologist argues that the development of abstract, linear, alphabet-focused language rewired human brains and changed ancient societies. These changes brought about modern technologies but also fostered war, competition and hierarchy, religious extremism, legalism, and the subjugation of women and the natural world. As an author himself, Dr. Shlain advocates, not for the eradication of books and alphabets, but for greater balance between holistic, image-focused understanding and reductionist, linear ways of making meaning. 

Vernon Frazer’s Nemo Under the League represents an effort at re-calibrating that societal balance by integrating words and images inextricably. It’s worth a read, or a perusal!

How do you match up the words you use to their backgrounds? Is there a pattern, or do you choose what feels right each time? 

It seems different each time, but I probably work with several patterns that I’ve acquired from doing the work.

Even in these pieces, which involve composition, improvisation always plays a role at some point, directing me to choose what, basically, feels right at the time I’m writing it. During improvisational thinking, more elaborate plans do emerge: I can see a full page design or pattern of several pages at times.

What makes a word interesting to you? Sound, shape, length? 

Sound is probably the foremost. Sometimes I feel like a jazz musician whose instrument is language. Generally, when I have difficulty finding the right phrase, I choose the one that sounds the most musical to my ears.  It almost always turns out to be the best choice. Sometimes working with the shape of a letter or word leads to a phrase, a verse or a visual pattern.

Would you ever work in color? What inspired you to choose a black, white, and gray color scheme? 

My equipment and the economics. My old color printer used an ink cartridge for every page I printed and the cost of printing a color book would make the sale price too high. Over the years, technology changed many things, as we all know. Ten or fifteen years ago, I talked about trying to do this work in color but my life didn’t make it a priority. When I joined the C22 Poetry Collective a few years ago, their aggressive experimentation led me to try it. So, I wrote a color book called SIGHTING I did that’s online, but not yet officially published. It’s officially coming out May 7.

When words occur to you, how do you decide whether to put them into a concrete poem or free verse? 

More my mood in the moment, I’d say. When I feel I’m starting to stagnate, I’m more likely to do a concrete poem or a multimedia video to relieve my dissatisfaction. Those are the most demanding, after all. Sometimes I write textual poems because I don’t want to meet a more demanding challenge. Nothing is entirely easy, but some days I want to work in a different way, say, strictly with text and either a projective or left-margin pattern. Each method plays a role in my life.

Do you have any other writers or artists who have inspired or influenced you? Anyone whose work you find especially interesting? 

I have many influences and hope I’ve made something of my own from all that I’ve learned. Jack Kerouac started me as a writer at 15. William Burroughs and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 shaped my prose style. Until age 36, I aspired to be a novelist. But Charles Olson was an early influence at 15 and a major influence on my poetry until about 1988, when my style changed considerably. Peter Ganick introduced me to language and visual poetry. I absorbed many writers he published. My writing began to reflect the experimental work bassist Bertram Turetzky exposed me to in the mid-60s, when I studied bass with him. Peter’s publications revived those interests. Then, Steve McCaffery and bp Nichol influenced my work around 2002. I’ve read and absorbed many others; I was a literary omnivore.

Vernon Frazer’s Nemo Under the League is available here from the publisher.

Muhsin kizi, student of Polytechnic No. 1
Phone number 94 326 58 50

Annotation

When every Uzbek girl says these words, she feels a sense of pride in herself, as if there is a divine feeling in these words. Of course, after all, this is what she says, I am an Uzbek girl. Do you know what makes Uzbek girls Uzbek?. An Uzbek girl is distinguished from representatives of other nations, first of all, by her honor and pride, because with these we proudly say that we are Uzbeks. Throughout history, Uzbek women have stood out from women of other nations with this feature and still do. When we hear these women, the brave Tümaris and Tümaris followers, we sincerely envy them. The woman who paved the way for literature, science, and thinkers, Nodirabegim Uvaysi Zulfiyakhanim, is following in their footsteps and is raising the Uzbek flag all over the world and proclaiming that she is an Uzbek girl.

Key words: Uzbek girl, nation, family, upbringing, demands of the times, science, culture, nationality,

Introduction
Uzbek girls receive their first and foremost upbringing from their own family. Of course, mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, and fathers are responsible for this. Generally speaking, seven neighborhoods are responsible for an Uzbek girl. Every girl is told from a young age that in the future she will be the head of a family, the mother of a child, the companion of a man, the daughter-in-law of a family. As she grows older, she is taught household chores, greetings, and from these ranks. In many cases, there is a discrepancy between traditional views and the requirements of modern life. However, by adapting this discrepancy, the image of Uzbek girls is enriched more and more.

Main part
Today’s Uzbek girl is choosing a specialist in science, a scientist, a researcher, a politician, an athlete and a number of universal professions and is improving her knowledge and skills in these areas theoretically and practically. Uzbek girls are not only preserving their national values, but also declaring themselves in any professions around the world, of course, raising the flag of Uzbekistan to the sky and saying that we are Uzbek women and girls, seeing these results, Uzbek women and girls are giving themselves the strength, energy and motivation to achieve their goals and dreams, and seeing these results, one is delighted.

Conclusion
The Uzbek woman is not only the trust of the family, but also the trust of the entire society, the pride of the nation and the mirror of culture.

References

1. Norboyeva G. – Sociology of the Family – Tashkent Uzbekistan 2020.
2. Kadirova M. Women and Society Gender Equality Issues – Tashkent Social Thought 2019
3. Kurbonov D. Ancient Customs and Traditions of the People of Uzbekistan – Tashkent Akademnashr 2014

A WOMAN READS A BOOK…

(Thoughts upon gazing at a portrait)

Leaning against a majestic tree,

A woman reads, lost in reverie.

Ashamed of a world of deceit and disgrace,

She escapes—seeking words’ embrace…

A woman reads, her voice so light,

Spreading love, her soul shines bright.

Like the world’s most beautiful sound—

Beethoven watches from afar, spellbound…

Mozart, entranced by her silent “notes,”

Her fingers “play” as the pages float.

Delicate echoes cradle the air,

Gifted through colors, vibrant and rare…

Blue turns green, azure deepens bright,

Pinks grow pale, crimson burns to bordeaux.

Yellows like amber, in shifting light,

Colors intensify as moments flow…

Emotions surge, metaphors rise,

Thoughts spark like spring’s electric skies.

The sun bows gently, offering its beams,

Waves roll softly over boundless dreams…

The deserts hush, the storms subside,

Day and Night sign their silent “treaties.”

Nowruz gathers melodies inside,

To hear her rhythm’s wondrous beauties…

Fairies hover in reverence near,

To seal this moment, rare and divine.

The finest paintings now appear—

Van Gogh is in awe, Dali lost in time! …

A quiet corner of the world.

Beneath a tree,

A woman immerses in wisdom’s sea.

Cradling grace in her tender sight,

She buries herself in words so bright…

The stars, the oceans, listen in peace,

The shores bear witness to wisdom’s feast.

A woman reads, dusting the past,

Yet… only the ignorant fail to grasp.

A woman reads.

   The Alchemist is a novel by Paulo Coelho that begins with the protagonist, a young boy named Santiago, having a dream twice, in which he finds a treasure near the pyramids. Santiago was a shepherd and could read and write. Although he had not traveled the world, his interests and dreams led him to travel to distant lands. In this, he finds the treasure he saw in his dream and follows the path of his dreams. 

   There is a beautiful sentence in the work “The Alchemist”: “When you really want something, you will definitely achieve it, because your dream also appears in the Spirit of the Universe, you were created for this, and the Spirit of the Universe helps you to make your dream come true, just like the signs given to Santiago, the advice of the gypsy woman and King Melchizedek, the help of the crystal seller, his journey through the desert with the English Alchemist, and his meeting with the real Alchemist, and finally his encounter with the robbers. 

   Also, in the work “The Alchemist”, it is shown that love and affection are not obstacles on the path to dreams, the pure love of the desert girl Fatima for Santiago and her support for the boy to find the treasure he is looking for on the path of his dreams, which encourages the boy to move towards his dreams. Because active a person who truly cares about the good of a person, who is always ready to support him, who is ready to understand and support him. 

   The story ends with Santiago, shedding tears, climbing the pyramids, where signs show the treasure through the crawling of a dung beetle, digging for the treasure and confronting the robbers there. A robber tells him his dream and gives him a sign, which causes Santiago to find the treasure he was looking for in the church. So he found his treasure, achieved his dream, even though he faced many difficulties, life truly rewards those who follow their destiny. Therefore, never give up on your dreams. Turn your dreams into goals, have good intentions, fill your heart with gratitude, and most importantly, work hard and strive for your goals, and you will definitely achieve your dreams! 

Babajonova Charos is the daughter of Anvar Urganch State University, Faculty of Socio-Economic Sciences, 4rd stage student of history education.