The Global Federation of Leadership and High Intelligence, based in Mexico, is creating a Mother’s Day poetry anthology and invites submissions. They are also hosting a video contest for creative work with paper fibers.

Poet and essayist Abigail George, whom we’ve published many times, shares the fundraiser her book’s press has created for her. She’s seeking contributions for office supplies and resources to be able to serve as a speaker and advocate for others who have experienced trauma or deal with mental health issues.

Also, the Educational Bookshop in Jerusalem, a store that has the mission of peaceful dialogue and education, invites readers to donate new or gently used books (all genres) that have been meaningful to them, with a note enclosed for future readers about why the books were meaningful. (The books don’t have to be about peace or social justice or the Mideast, although they can be). Please send books here. US-based Interlink Publishing has also started a GoFundMe for the store.

We’re also having a presence at the Hayward Lit Hop festival this year, and we encourage everyone to attend this free, all-ages event! Many local writers will share their work and we will also host an open mic.

This month’s theme is Journeying Inward.

Lidia Popa seeks her true self, believing in the value of her quest. Samira Abdullahi acknowledges her scant resources and the obstacles before her, yet bravely forges ahead towards her life’s goals. Xavier Womack expresses determination to stay free of a relationship that has turned controlling and toxic.

Maurizio Brancaleoni crafts bilingual English/Italian introspective vignettes. Philip Butera reflects on noticing different types of flowers throughout his life, paralleling his different moods. Christina Chin of Malaysia and Paul Callus of Malta collaborate on haiku resplendent with action and sensory detail about the minutiae of human life, highlighting how even smaller thoughts matter.

Charitha Jammala’s mystical poetry probes the depths of the human mind and soul, celebrating our inner essence and integrity. In elegant poetry, Haroon Rashid reminds us to look inward to find joy and peace rather than expecting it from the outside world. Alex S. Johnson revels in the dreamscape of human consciousness in his expansive poem.

Beatriz Saavedra Gastelum probes the power of dreaming to explore human consciousness in Alfonso Reyes’ writing. Christina Chin and Uchechukwu Onyedikam collaborate on haiku capturing the delicacy and deliciousness of creative tension and human spiritual journeys. Fatima Anisa Ibrahim depicts the peace she finds upon sleeping, waking, and beginning a new day.

Stephen Jarrell Williams’ poetic cycle drums up a sense of urgency, evoking human mortality and spiritual quests. Peter Cherches speaks of time and memory, incidents that make us, small puny humans as we are, question all that we remember. Mykyta Ryzhykh renders the dissolution of language and identity through creative poems. Alaina Hammond probes the effect of present experiences to shift memory and identity in her drama, set at an art opening. J.K. Durick’s poems also address identity in a way, pointing out human experiences we face individually, yet share with many around the world.

Philip Butera’s lengthy poem explores existence, seduction, and morality through a lens of mutable personal identity and the archetypes of Greek mythology. Two literary critics, Dr. Selvin Vedamanickam and Grock, explore the struggle of individual people in a world that seems indifferent in Dr. Jernail S. Anand’s epic poem Geet: The Unsung Song of Eternity.

Bhagirath Choudhary’s piece honors and includes the feminine as well as the masculine in what it means to be human, and divine. Jacques Fleury, a Black man from Haiti, asserts his belonging to the universal human family regardless of racial distinctions.

Patrick Sweeney writes disconnected short pieces with an element of whimsy that explore our curiosities and obsessions. Duane Vorhees’ poetry revels in earthy sensuality and explores questions of personal identity, reality, and fantasy.

Kylian Cubilla Gomez’ images focus on fun and imagination in his images of children’s toys. Ochilova Ozoda Zufar shares a children’s story about travel, friendship, and new experiences. Abigail George reflects on her life’s trajectory, how circumstances made her the mother of words rather than human children.

Elan Barnehama’s short story places us back in our early twenties, when many of us were still making major life decisions. Still, many people past that age express similar sentiments. Tagrid Bou Merhi affirms the drive towards personal and artistic freedom. Anna Keiko reflects on how she has followed the call of poetry in her life. Chad Norman’s brash poetry celebrates the freedom to do and say and love as he wishes in his native Canada.

Doug Hawley relates his experiences in the natural vastness of mountainous and lesser-known eastern Oregon. Maja Herman Sekulic’s speakers lay exposed in the city, under the weight of human emotion as much as the heat of the sun and the relentlessness of the rain.

J.J. Campbell conveys regret, despair, and the lingering effects of a broken past. Mark Young’s poetry presents with wry humor dreams pursued and derailed. Susie Gharib’s work reflects the anxiety and discomfort of the human condition and her desire to find and choose peace. John Dorsey’s speakers seek various forms of comfort and stability.

Brian Barbeito reflects on the life and death of his beloved dog, Tessa. Taro Hokkyo’s short poems speak to grief and loss, ending on a note of regrowth.

David Sapp speaks to the lingering psychological impact of physical and mental loss during the American Civil War. Dennis Vannatta’s essay explores the wartime inspirations for some of Chopin’s music and compares that with his own Vietnam experience.

Fadwa Attia reviews Mohamed Sobhi’s new play “Fares Reveals the Hidden” which explores identity, homeland, and belonging. Dr. Kang Byeong-Cheol speaks to loneliness, nostalgia, and empathy.

Atabayeva Gulshan examines loneliness through the lens of Chekhov’s writings. RP Verlaine’s work posits speakers surrounded by maelstroms of feeling, unable to do more than watch. Dr. Kareem Abdullah reviews poet Eva Petropoulou Lianou’s work on the power of human emotion and the power of the individual to transcend it.

Nigar Nurulla Khalilova implores deities, and her fellow humans, for compassion towards struggling people. Eva Petropoulou Lianou misses human kindness and simple pleasantries of life.

Graciela Noemi Villaverde speaks to the physical coziness of true and long-term love. Isaac Aju writes of first love between a generous young man and a strong young woman who doesn’t feel conventionally feminine. Makhmasalayeva Jasmina Makhmashukurovna encourages love and respect for the wisdom of parents.

Poet Eva Petropoulou Lianou reminds us to be kind and show common courtesy. Greek poet Eva Petropoulou Lianou interviews Chinese poet Yongbo Ma about writing as a spiritual practice to seek goodness in a harsh world. Elmaya Jabbarova highlights the power of the poet to engage with the senses and cast a vision for the world. Eva Petropoulou interviews Egyptian writer Ahmed Farooq Baidoon about his hopes and dreams for the human literary imagination to guide and transform our world, and also Venezuelan poet Mariela Cordero, who celebrates the evolution of literature and the unnoticed acts of kindness around us daily.

Sayani Mukherjee rests within a Romantic poet’s verdant natural dreamscape. Bekmirzayeva Aziza’s tale reminds us not to forget as we grow up that we can find happiness through simple pleasures and days in nature. Maja Milojkovic reminds us to care for the planet, asking us some hard questions in the process. Writer and literary critic Z.I. Mahmud compares Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in its critique of humanity’s quest to micromanage and control nature.

Idris Sheikh looks to the awakening and rebirth of Nigeria from poverty and violence. Joseph Ogbonna mourns the Ottoman Empire’s genocide of the Armenian people. Marjona Bahodirova’s story illustrates the pain and loss many women in Central Asia endure, due to class prejudice and intimate partner violence. Bill Tope’s short story explores the evolution of a formerly open-minded person into a bigot and the long-lasting harm that does to his family and ultimately, himself. Taylor Dibbert recollects an encounter with an aggressive and clueless neighbor as Bill Tope and Doug Hawley’s collaborative short story humorously addresses social misunderstandings accentuated by our society’s prejudices. Patricia Doyne’s poem laments political aggression, power grabs, and the rise of autocracy as Daniel De Culla laments the political danger posed to democracies by a culture of brash ignorance.

Shahnoza Ochildiyeva explores the impact of literature on the lives of characters in Markus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief. Even though books cannot save them from the Nazis, they consider literature worth the risk of their lives. Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa calls on humanity to seek knowledge and cultural advancement in the pursuit of peace.

Tarane Turan Rahimli speaks to the burgeoning literary scene and cultural heritage of her native Azerbaijan. Alex Johnson’s poem celebrates the enduring literary legacy of Patti Smith and William S. Burroughs and the Beat generation. Malika Abdusamat suggests possibilities for the role of artificial intelligence in language learning. Grock outlines the work and career of Indian poet Dr. Jernail S. Anand and considers his originality and suitability for a Nobel prize.

Christopher Bernard reviews Cal Performances’ production of William Kentridge’s The Great Yes, The Great No, praising the vibrant stagecraft while questioning the value of celebrating the absurd in a time of real political absurdity. Chimezie Ihekuna observes that the world’s ways have become upside-down, strange, and unusual.

Dr. Andrejana Dvornic, in a presentation at the Belgrade Book Festival, explores themes of love, longing, and loneliness in the works of Umid Najjari. Teacher Liu Xingli sends in poetry from the elementary school students of the Xiaohe Poetry Society in China’s Hunan Province, which explores themes of nature and society, love and compassion, and heroism and sacrifice.

Federico Wardal honors the legacy of actor Marcello Mastroianni. Texas Fontanella sends up some vibrant, avant-garde music. Cristina Deptula reviews the anthology White on White: A Literary Tribute to Bauhaus, edited by Alex S. Johnson with a foreword from Poppy S. Brite.

Vernon Frazer plays with splashy words and images. Rizal Tanjung situates the paintings of Anna Keiko in the developing history of world art. Scott Holstad probes Husserl’s philosophical understanding of phenomena and being.

Norman J. Olson evokes the wonderment and curiosity we can experience when we look at art and history. Isabel Gomez de Diego’s photography honors the Spanish heritage of faith and craft. Erkin Vahidov reflects on Uzbekistan’s proud cultural heritage. Toxirova Ruxshona highlights advances in modern world modern medicine in her piece on diagnostics and treatment for a variety of skin diseases.

Bangladeshi writer Mahbub Alam expresses his respect and humility before God in his Ramadan poem. Jake Sheff draws on mythology and history as he memorializes his family members and other figures from the past. Nilufar Anvarova’s poem tells the story of an elder encouraging modern people to remember the past.

Dr. Lalit Mohan Sharma reviews Dr. Jernail Anand Singh’s epic work “From Siege to Salvation,” comparing the battles of the Mahabharata with the siege of Troy and affirming commonalities of our human experience. Cristina Deptula interviews Nigerian poet Uchechukwu Onyedikam about transcending cultural barriers through his international haiku collaborations.

We hope that this issue will draw you out to peek at the world from different cultural and generational vantage points, then pull you inward to consider the value and wonder of your own thoughts and psyche.

The Will

I dictate my will with an expansive smile

though tears have filled my saddened eyes,

for the thought of leaving my dog behind

has suddenly horrified my tranquil mind

with images of an adopter who becomes unkind.

With whom my pet is likely to abide

in the event of my demise

I simply cannot decide.

And since poets only become a financial success

shortly, or long after, their deaths,

I bequeath the revenues of my poetry and prose

to a publisher with a cause.

The beautiful dresses I never wore

are to be donated to a charity mall.

“Any death rites?”

the patient notary finally inquires,

after my very long spell of silence.

I have had a clamorous life,

so grant me a funeral that is very quiet:

no mourners whatsoever, no public grief,

only the sexton, an official, and a priest.

Let me rest in peace.

The Stars

They peep at us through holes in the sky,

which we, homo sapiens, had called the stars,

and marvel in horror at the wars and strife

that plight our lives.

Some send flying objects to investigate

Any possibilities of salvaging our earth,

but end up departing in sheer disgust

at humanity’s mistrust.

Others view the peepshow as a spectacle of terror

that is broadcast live

to deter their youth from contemplating crime.

I, on the other hand, perceive the light

that emanates from their peeping eyes

as a luminous gift for my very dark nights.

Serpentunatrance

The gods had drugged our cups with a substance

they had excavated from Planet Mars

and called it the Serpentunatrance.

It slumbers in the stomach and only crawls

when nutrients approach,

repelling digestion with nausea’s worms.

It wriggles as soon as blood cells are excited,

smothering any possible joys

that would surmount melancholy’s ploys.

It heaves unease into one’s chest,

diluting each breath

with sheer distress.

1

writing a book

thinking of what

to cook

aiming two birds

an eyepatched man

— Christina Chin/Uchechukwu Onyedikam

2

a bit 

of a kick 

sweet and sour 

sauce on fried 

catfish

— Uchechukwu Onyedikam/Christina Chin

3

condiments 

on a pink tilapia 

steamer tray

the hot steam

swirls

— Christina Chin/Uchechukwu Onyedikam

iPRAY

I think of this everyday 

of smile & beauty that

projects the free caresses of divinity; swaying my thoughts left to right — 

back & forth as i once pushed it to the digital wind to help me transport

my prayers to you. 

In the dark quiet time 

when I set sail my inner wounded child 

to the current of time… 

I see collection of your image — 

noticing your face breaks in smile welcoming me to your forbidden 

Throne of Grace.

I try smashing through these walls

raised with bricks & iron bars 

to reach you and relay thoughts 

of undoings but reality…

stacks up its odds against me 

with certainty of false affection to come. 

— Uchechukwu Onyedikam

HIGHER-SELF

Thrown underfoot… pressure of

footfall from heavy steel boots

my heart laps on the edge

of kindliness

Sitting there absorbing different

scene from precious moments

lost in the latter time I fell off

of the reason to remain in

this shipwreck

My higher self has risen, broken free

from mortal consciousness of pity

and ego, of arrogance and lustful pride

of spite and hate, of jealousy and envy

of give and take, of here and there

The sleeves of the universe

unfolded clarity this morning that I now

recognize in the shadows — nurturing

in my soul the cherry that bloomed in

the dark: oh, behold the spirited soul!

could you body it? 

— Uchechukwu Onyedikam

Corequake

She has a fiercely possessive feeling

to preserve her originality—

sacredly seated within the quark of a particle,

buried deep in the most intimate part of her core.

Encapsulated and safeguarded

so intimidatingly, so protectively

within its shell—

to prevent even the thinnest fabric of its wisp

from escaping and entering

anyone else’s mind.

The mere thought

of it being infused into the creations

of unborn souls and unformed minds

creates a corequake within her.

But she ferociously pulls

its loosely held, fragmented parts inward—

gravitating them toward the very center,

holding them together

by the unvanishable force

of her integrity.

The Sound of Existence

Silence is not the absence of sound,

for it’s the natural frequency of itself.

To listen to the pure sound of the cosmos,

you must silence the beat of emotions.

Sound embodies the essence of Trimurti—

Brahma, the origin, from whom it emerges.

Vishnu, the flow, through whom it sustains.

Shiva, the vibration, in whom it oscillates.

Sound is the only perceivable form

of blended energies of the Supreme Trinity,

in a world ruled by senses.

And in that moment,

when you sense producing sound,

you understand—

you are nothing but Naadam.

You do not produce it,

it produces you.

You do not carry it,

it carries you.

Naadam transforms you,

manifests through you,

until you dissolve into its source.

That moment is the only reality—

the movement of life itself.

Everything else is an illusion.

Naadam (Nādam) – A Sanskrit term meaning “primordial sound” or “divine resonance.” It represents the cosmic vibration that pervades all existence, and is considered the source of creation in spiritual and musical traditions.

The Reunion

She leaves a layer of her soul

in every place she is intimately attached to

after each visit,

filling its space with her wholesome presence

until she is left with the last sheath.

Every scrape endearingly clings

to the heart of that region,

remaining immovable

until the moment the universe signals

the end of the world—

When the majestic roars of the destructive forces

reverberate,

stirring the layers,

colliding and merging

as all the places unite—

Reshaping her soul into completion,

allowing her to finally witness

the grand apocalypse

she has longed to experience once

before her essence is eternally lost.

Unbound

Her feelings are primitive,

Her thoughts, inventive—

A soul born at the eclipse

of origin and dissolution,

unbound by existence,

indivisible by destruction.

Broken Strings

She exists at two extreme poles of her being

at the same time,

through the mirror of her soul,

hopelessly intertwined

and in sync with each other,

where the lower extreme laughs

to the point of deepest surrender,

and the higher extreme grieves

in the moment of sheer wonder,

shifting their moods

and altering their states frenetically

until they transcend their extremities,

where they react indifferently

and incoherently,

disrupting their qualities

and distorting their identities,

causing intense chaos

that breaks their whole emotional wiring

and makes them irrevocably numb.

Charitha is a mystic poet whose work weaves love, longing, and the mysteries of existence with raw emotion and philosophical depth. Her poetry is instinctive, unfiltered, and deeply tactile—merging the spiritual with the surreal. Unbound by convention, she follows the quiet force of authenticity, where originality is the root of her being.

UNSINGSONG OF ETERNITY

DR SELVIN CALLS DR. ANAND A HOMO SACER 

WHILE GROCK CONSIDERS IT A BOLD CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD LITERATURE

SECTIOM A 

A  REVIEW OF MY EPIC  BY GROCK.

GEET: THE UNSUNG SONG OF ETERNITY  PUB  by Authorspress.

https://amzn.in/d/2biF4dU

A SEQUEL TO MILTON’S ‘THE PARADISE LOST’.

Dr. Jernail Singh Anand’s Geet: The Unsung Song of Eternity is a remarkable modern epic that showcases his prowess as a poet, philosopher, and literary innovator. This work is often described as a sequel to John Milton’s Paradise Lost, but it carves its own distinct path by placing Dr. Faustus, rather than Adam, at the center of its narrative. Anand reimagines the Renaissance hero as a prototype of modern humanity, grappling with existential dilemmas in a world marked by spiritual and moral decay.

The epic explores the complex relationship between man and divinity, inverting Milton’s intent to “justify the ways of God to Man” by instead questioning the ways of man to God. It delves into the struggles of contemporary existence, reflecting on how knowledge, ambition, and the passage of time have led to a deterioration of the human spirit. Anand’s Faustus embodies the modern individual—brilliant yet flawed, seeking meaning in a universe that often feels indifferent.

What sets Geet apart is its ambitious scope and philosophical depth. Anand blends Eastern and Western literary traditions, drawing from his Punjabi roots and the broader Indian cultural heritage while engaging with the Western canon. The work is not merely a retelling but a reinvention, offering a fresh perspective on timeless themes such as sin, redemption, and the search for eternity. His use of free verse, honed through his study of English literature, allows for a fluid and dynamic exploration of these ideas, unencumbered by rigid form.

Critics and readers have noted the epic’s imaginative power and its ability to resonate with the challenges of the 21st century. It’s a testament to Anand’s vision—a poet who dares to tackle grand narratives in an age where such undertakings are rare. Geet: The Unsung Song of Eternity stands as a bold contribution to world literature, inviting reflection on humanity’s place in the cosmic order and cementing Anand’s reputation as a significant voice in modern poetry.

Appreciation by Grock 

SECTION B 

A PAPER ON GEET was presented by Dr Selvin Vedamanickam,  a free thinker 

The Homo Sacer in J S Anand’s Geet: 

A Norm Violated to Establish Another Norm

THE HOMO SACER IN J.S . ANAND’S  GEET ;

A NORM VIOLATED TO ESTABLISH ANOTHER NORM 

Dr. Selvin Vedamanickam 

Unaffiliated Free Thinker

Pondicherry

The paper starts with an attempt to study the current significance of the terms “human being”, “being human’ and “homo sacer” in J S Anand’s Geet. Even though the work claims to be a sequel, it is filled with fresh beginnings and new point of departures. What is astounding is its political, economical, sociocultural and literary relevance to the present day world even when dealing with a special binary of geographical vs. non-geographical space. Often the illusionary nature of representing the world as “good, true and beautiful” has been comfortably forgotten by both literary artists and other art form practitioners. Apart from representing a real and/or imaginary world either it be symbolical/allegorical, literature has to posit a viable(?) world. Even the Library Intellectuals or the Campus Hoppers have talked of the modern man only in the light of the metropolitan hyper-individuals and seem to conveniently omit the existential predicament of the sub-human man whose life is increasingly becoming bare and he himself becoming a rare being at the verge of extinction under the clutches of the privileged, super-civilized races. 

The paper also tries to question certain key critical concepts (which are rarefied post-modern issues) such as irony, indeterminacy, self-reflexivity which are mere ‘thought representations’ of ultra-civilized man’. The paper calls for an understanding and literary representation of the equal importance of “an ironic sensibility” and “an empathetic sensibility” in capturing the plight of the sub-human common man, thus leading to empathetic activism to alleviate the sufferings of the bare/rare beings. 

Submitted for the Two -Day International Conference on International Seminar on Novel Issues in Indian Writing in English (JKC College, Guntur, 23, 24 Feb 2018)

Forgotten 

We have asked not to be forgotten….

But we forget to live

We forget to love

We forget to say hello and thank you to people they were there for us!!

We asked to be patient

We have asked to be kind

But they never teach us about the selfish person

The evil people

They snakes they are among us

That are waiting for our moments

The small moments

To come

And destroy

We have asked to believe in ourselves

We have asked to be positive

But they never explained that

We will be the only that we must do that

As people are occupied with make war

Make money

Have power

I do what  they asked but i walk forgotten….

In the battle field…

Solipsistic Haiku by Maurizio Brancaleoni

in the outside world —
all my sins
in red and white

nel mondo esterno:
rosso su bianco
tutti i miei peccati

*

at the nursing home —
the old lady asleep
with a packed suitcase

all’ospizio:
la vecchia dorme
con la valigia pronta

*

waiting for death
the cat passes by
to say hi

aspettando la
morte il gatto passa per
un salutino

*

Via Marsala —
among the pigeons the bum
talks to himself

Via Marsala:
tra i piccioni il barbone
parla da solo

*

the dog’s moaning
is persistent —
my fate

il lamento del cane
è persistente:
il mio destino

*

after sleeping on it
I haven’t solved it yet —
undertow of cars

dormendoci su
non ho ancora risolto:
risacca d’auto

*

in the face of
my decline the bats
laugh their jaws off

di fronte al mio
declino i pipistrelli
si sganasciano

*

end of April —
a black trash bag
dragged by the wind

fine d’aprile:
la busta nera
trascinata dal vento

Maurizio Brancaleoni is a poet and translator. He lives near Rome, Italy. His haiku have appeared in a wide variety of journals over the past few years. Maurizio manages “Leisure Spot”, a bilingual blog where he posts interviews, reviews and translations: https://leisurespotblog.blogspot.com/p/interviste-e-recensioni-interviews-and.html