Essay from Maftuna Rustamova


                             Central Asian teen girl with long straight dark hair, brown eyes, and a black jacket with a zipper.

The family is our small homeland. The family various, large or small. The environment in the family is all it is considered important for dialogues. There is also such a proverb in our people.

“The bird does what it sees in the nest.” This proverb is not said for nothing. Because the little boy has a kind of eloquence, the order and decency he sees in his house and on the street, in various crowded places he will also speak in the same way. Don’t forget, whatever order and communication you see in your home, even in public places you don’t always have to adjust this. If you’ve learned beautiful and human manners and your family’s order is exemplary you leave yourself a lot with your upbringing first and set an example for your peers. This is your main achievement and will bring thanks to your family environment and help you show yourself and rise.

Bukhara region 

Jondor District

30-school 

8-“a” class student .

Poetry from Dilbar Koldoshova Nuraliyevna

Teen Central Asian girl, thick short dark hair and brown eyes, striped light colored collared top, leaning to the right.

MOTHER

      Mother is the greatest creature in the world.  Our mothers carry us in their wombs for nine months and nine days.  Then they wash us white, comb us white, and give us white milk.  Mother cannot be described in words, because Mother and Motherland stand side by side.  The definition of mother is that, “Heaven is under the feet of mothers.”

      If heaven is in the sky,

                Underneath is my mother.

If heaven is on earth

                On top of my mother.

If there is only one heaven

                Dear mother.

If there is heaven in this world,

                My heavenly mother.

     Mother cannot be described in one word.  Mother is only three letters, but one life is missing to describe her.

      When I look at your eyes, it’s wet.

      He clenched his teeth and asked for my heart.

      Your white milk is white, mother,

      One life is not enough.

      We talk about our mothers, we can’t get enough of them, but there are very few of us who actually do it.  No mother will ever do bad things to her children, instead they encourage good and show the right path.  Some people envy their companions to their mothers, “I wish my mother was like that”, and feed them with envy. But “Kaltafahm” people consider Chuchvara raw

      But I lived for six years and did not envy anyone’s parents.  Because my parents are heavenly people.  If a mother does what she does before the birth of her unborn child, the child will be like her mother.   If a mother misbehaves during pregnancy and harms people, she can expect the same from her child.   On the other hand, if a mother reads religious books and prays during pregnancy, her unborn child will grow up to be a Muslim like our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and a Muslim like our mother Aisha. 

      O my nightingale, sing it many times

      A smile from his lips.

      Laugh and see my happiness

      My prayers are with you, my mother.

        Mother and Motherland cannot be chosen in the world.  What I write is not a fairy tale.  The truth of my life.  Before I was born, my mother prayed, thank God, I bow down like my mother.

      May our mothers survive.  As long as they exist, life goes on.  After all, respected parents rock the cradle with one hand and the world with the other.

      Kashkadarya region.  Qoldoshova Dilbar Nuraliyevna, a student of the 10th grade of the 10th grade of the 43rd school of Karshi district.

Dilbar Koldoshova Nuraliyevna was born on March 5, 2007 in the Karshi district of the Kashkadarya region.

She is currently the 10th “B” student of the 43rd school. 

Dilbarhan is the queen of poetry, the owner of creativity, a singer with a beautiful voice, and a ghazal girl.

She came first in the “Leader of the Year” competition.

1st prize in the regional stage of the “Hundred Gazelles and Hundred Gems” competition.

She took part in the “Children’s Forum” category and won first place in many competitions.

She is currently the coordinator of the training department of Tallikuron MFY in Karshi district.

Kamalak captain of the opposite district.

Head captain of the “Girls There” club at school 43. 

The articles titled “Memory is immortal and precious”, “Our School” and “Mother” were published three times in Kenya Times International magazine in 2024.

In 2023, the first poems were published in the poetry collection “Yulduzlar Yogdusi” of the creative youth of the Kashkadarya region.

In 2024, ghazals of the creative youth of the Republic were published in the poetry collection “Youth of Uzbekistan”.

Essay from Mahmudova Sohibakhon

Young Central Asian woman with straight black hair behind her head, brown eyes, small earrings, and a gray collared shirt.

EASY AND FUN WAYS TO LEARN ENGLISH

ABSTRACT: This article teaches how to learn a foreign language quickly and effectively. It takes us a lot of time to learn English. I think that this article will help us learn quickly and easily by using our time properly.

KEY WORDS: strong passion, daily practice, type of skills, learning grammar, increasing vocabulary, pronunciation, repetition, proper use of smartphone.

ENTRANCE:By the end of the 20th century, English had finally established itself as a world language. Today, the ability to know foreign languages ​​is becoming one of the integral parts of professional education. Due to the high rate of cooperation with foreign partners among specialists in various fields, there is a high demand for them to learn the language. In modern society, foreign languages ​​are becoming an important component of professional education. People learn such knowledge first at school, college, high school, and then at institutes, training courses or independently by getting acquainted with the basic information sets that help to learn a foreign language.

LITERATURE ANALYSIS AND METHODS

Popular methods of teaching and learning English and Internet resources were used in the research process. During the writing of the article, the principles of theoretical deductive conclusion, analysis and synthesis, logicality were used.

Today, many language courses are held for two hours one or two days a week, which is not good for us. Because on other days we are busy with daily chores. Usually, before the lesson, he forgets the topics of the previous lesson, which slows down the learning process. When we learn any foreign language, it should be studied and repeated daily. Only then the learning process will be much faster. First of all, we must make a commitment to ourselves. For example, “I spend two hours studying English every day, regardless of the situation!” Then our recall results will increase dramatically. Many people say that they should do this method, but they do not do it in practice. We have to adapt ourselves to this day’s training. Only then can we achieve the desired result. Type of abilities.

Linguists have divided the study of the English language into four major directions;

-Reading is the ability to read and understand a text in a foreign language. 

-Hearing (listening) is the ability to hear and understand the chat language.

-Writing-the ability to write in a foreign language.

Speaking is the ability to express one’s thoughts and ideas in a foreign language.

 In order to achieve this, it is important to master the three most necessary things. These are: grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation.

1. Learning grammar will definitely not be easy for a child. Whether we like it or not, the most difficult part of learning a language is grammar. We often observe that most people focus on memorizing rules when learning grammar. Memorizing the rules does not mean learning grammar. Unfortunately, there are many such people. They know the rules of grammar and phonetics of a foreign language by heart, but they cannot make a more complicated sentence in the language. You don’t have to memorize all the rules, just memorize the most used ones. Once you have memorized all the rules, you will only apply 30% of them. You don’t use the rest. This can cause you various boredom and confusion. Repeat what you have learned every day and build on them simple and then more complex sentences. In a simple sentence, it mainly consists of possessor + participle + complement.

2. Vocabulary memorization.

Even in this process, memorizing yourself for years is a wrong method. I used to memorize 10 words a day. The problem is that I could not use these when I spoke in English, I almost did not use such words. This did not give any results.

 We have the concepts of “Active vocabulary” and “Passive vocabulary” for this. To summarize, you can use the words in “active vocabulary” without any problems. You can use them without any difficulties. But it If the words fall into the “passive vocabulary”, you can remember the word only by seeing or hearing it briefly. The words in the passive vocabulary are very dangerous. There is a possibility that the words will be forgotten. For this, we can save the words from the “active vocabulary” and transfer the words from the “passive vocabulary” to the “active vocabulary”. We need to translate all the unfamiliar words in the movies or videos and pay attention to their pronunciation.

 3. Pronunciation.

 Every language has its own pronunciation. Nowadays, technical progress has developed. This is why we all have access to mass media.

If we listen to different English movies and English songs, our pronunciation will improve a lot. Another way is to use it for another purpose when listening to a song in a foreign language. Find the lyrics of your favorite song in a foreign language and translate it into your language using a dictionary. Or work a lot with English lyrics so that you can mark and translate unfamiliar words. Then you translate the unfamiliar words that cover that text from English to your own language without looking at the translation. Then you will remember them and know when to use them. Another useful way is to listen to native speakers and have conversations with them. Nowadays, we all have the opportunity to communicate online. . That is, we can use this to communicate with native speakers and get various information to improve our pronunciation.

I would like to give some more incentives for us to learn English quickly and effectively.

Define the goal clearly.

If you have to do anything, especially in language learning, it is not for success. Therefore, think about what you want to learn English for. Nowadays, many people are going to learn a language without being interested in the opinion of their family or others. First of all, you should have an interest and a goal. For example, after learning English, I will enter the world languages ​​university as the first grant, “I will enter the University of Westminster on a grand basis” or “I will go abroad to study and work in high positions”, and “I will open new campaigns in cooperation with foreign countries.” “, you can set a goal. Do not forget that the more serious the goal, the faster and more effective language learning will be.

Language is based on repetition.

A language cannot be learned without constant repetition. You can memorize 15 new words a day, but if you do not repeat these words after 2-3 days, it is natural that they will be forgotten. For this, you can effectively use the places where your eyes fall the most. Personally, I stick my newly learned words on a small piece of paper or on various stacks on the door of my room and on my desk.

Communication.

Language is a means of communication. We all know that communication plays an important role in language learning. Go to Speaking Clubs at study centers or resource centres. Never be shy to speak even if you are not fluent yet. The one who tries to speak, even if he does not know the language better, wins than the one who is shy to participate in conversations. Never be shy to speak in general, keep speaking even if you make mistakes.

Or you can find a partner for constant training. Another advantage is that this method creates a unique competitive environment among partners. For example, you try to memorize in order not to fall behind your partner.

Adapt the language learning process to your daily life.

When learning a language, fit everything into your daily life. For example, if you go to the institute or school by bus every day, you will lose at least 30-35 minutes of your time. You can use this time effectively. You can listen to various exercises or audios to develop Listening Comprehension.

Use your smartphone correctly and effectively, you should use easy methods to learn quickly in the process of language learning. Your smartphone will help you with this. Using your smartphone, you can download free English language learning programs and use them without attending paid courses. You can also watch various English movies with subtitles.

The main reasons for this are the natural tendency of children to learn languages, the fact that they have a strong ability to imitate, and the fact that children have more time than adults. It should be noted that 6-7-year-old children do not understand the meaning of information, but memorize it mechanically. Therefore, it is necessary not to start teaching English to elementary school students with grammatical concepts. Otherwise, from the first step of teaching a foreign language, it is possible to strain the child and extinguish his interest. Therefore, teaching a foreign language to young children is very difficult and responsible. The following methods can be used to teach children English in a meaningful and interesting way

 -To teach by means of songs and poems the letters or combinations that are difficult to explain or remember, that do not have meaning.

For example, it can be shown that children learning the English alphabet by singing is more effective than just memorizing. – games related to mental and physical activities;

-Cartoons;

While children do not understand the words in the cartoon during language learning, they try to understand the words they use through the actions of the cartoon characters. This is an interesting and effective way for children to learn the language.

– role play, the teacher should role-play or play it to children while teaching some information, for example, the names of animals or birds. For example: one student shows a dog howling, a cat meowing, another student can show which animal these sounds are.

– subject environment;

Children learn the language better if the teacher can create that environment depending on the subject. For example: traveling, birthday, in the kitchen, etc. On the topic of traveling, the teacher organizes a trip, information about the importance of traveling (foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, airplane), where to travel (Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, England, USA) will give. This situation strengthens the students’ vocabulary, language abilities, and expands their worldview.

RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Children have a strong interest in finding answers to riddles. Therefore, when the teacher says the riddle in English or Uzbek, he should ask the children to say the answer in English. Then children learn words quickly.

Practical training (tasting fruits and other foods, smelling flowers); This sentence can be explained by the thoughts of a practicing psychologist: “The pedagogue, who wants something to be firmly fixed in the children’s memory, should use as many of the child’s sensory organs as possible: eyes, ears, sound organs, muscle sensations, and even if if possible, he should try to involve the sense of smell and taste in the process of remembering”. For example: when a student tastes an apple, its color is red or green, He should give information about whether it is sweet (tasty) or big (small), and after feeding other students, he should ask the children to give information about that fruit in English If the teacher asks the students the English name of the colors, the child will immediately remember that they are red-red and green-green. Ensures that information is kept in memory for a long time. – through gestures, facial expressions; When the teacher says something to the child or gives an order, for example, it is understandable to the child if he uses gestures in sentences such as come here, open the book, stand up, look at the blackboard. .

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS

In conclusion, it should be said that teaching a modern language is aimed at forming a more cultured person, who has the skills of self-analysis and systematization of new knowledge. Innovative methods are an integral part of the modernization of the entire system. This ensures that teachers can familiarize themselves with the most advanced approaches and then integrate them and use them in their work to achieve significant growth in the education system. Many organizations are moving to a new level by using multimedia capabilities to send and receive information. The use of computers and other devices determines the success of the entire educational process. Speech skills in the trainings held during the educational process. Sufficient attention should be paid to formation and development of social flexibility. In addition, the success of each lesson in education largely depends on the correct organization of the training. The lesson should be based on the creative cooperation of the teacher and the student. Only then will students be able to think independently and will be educated. Learning English is not easy. It requires you to set a clear goal, constantly repeat new words, communicate without shame when you have the opportunity, adapt the process of learning English to your life, and finally, use technology effectively.

LIST OF REFERENCES:

Project-Based Learning Using Information Technology By David Moursund International Society for Technology in Education, 2003

Middle School Students as Multimedia Designers: A Project-Based Learning Approach By Liu, Min; Hsiao, Yu-PingJournal of Interactive Learning Research, Vol. 13, No. 4, Winter 2002

3. British Council (http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/)

4. Cambridge University Press (www.cambridgemobileapps.com)

5.Jalolov. ―English language teaching methods‖ ―Teacher‖ publishing house Tashkent

6.Tokhtasinova, N. R. Q., & Soibjonova, M. T. O. Q. (2022). A PRAGMATIC STUDY OF THE PHENOMENON OF TAGMA’NA AND PRESUPPOSITION (as an example of Abdullah Qahhar’s works). Central Asian Research Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies (CARJIS), 2(4), 141-146.

Essay from Nozima Raximova

The period of national renaissance is modernism in our country

movement

Nozima Raximova G`ayrat qizi

 Kimyo International University  in Tashkent

Student of the 2nd stage of “Primary Education”

Jadidism first arose in the 80s of the XIX century in the Crimea under the leadership of Ismail Gaspirali among the Crimean Tatars. The representatives of the Jadid movement often called themselves progressives, later Jadids. The advanced progressive forces of that time, first of all, the intellectuals, felt that the local population was lagging behind the global development and realized the need to reform the society.

The term “Renaissance” refers to ancient literature and refers to the revival of science in the Middle Ages. Its scope varies in different countries, covering the period from the 9th to the 15th century. “National revival” is based on the realization of the nation’s identity. When we say the literature of the “National Renaissance” period, we mean the literature of the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It is a unique era.

It is known that the word “jadid” means “new”, “innovation”. There has never been a place and time in the history of mankind, when the innovation that entered the life of the society was not met with great resistance. The harmony of society and human life will sooner or later lead to decline. That is why the leading intellectuals of their time were considered to need new ideas to fight against or prevent the decline that started yesterday in society and human life.

The period of national renaissance is an important period in the historical development of every nation, in which the nation strives to understand its identity, culture and history, and to form new views based on the requirements of the times. The Jadidism movement that arose in our country in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century is a vivid example of such a period of national renaissance.

The modernist movement was mainly formed in response to the colonial policy of the Russian Empire, the main goal of which was to preserve the national identity and arm the people with modern knowledge. Jadids, that is, supporters of renewal, sought to develop modern education and culture without abandoning old traditions.

Abdulla Qadiri is one of the prominent representatives of the Jadidchilik movement, who widely promoted the ideas of realizing national identity and preserving national values ​​through his novel “Otkan Kunlar”. Also, modernists such as Fitrat, Munavvarqori Abdurashidkhanov, Hamza Hakimzada Niyazi contributed greatly to the development of this movement with their works and activities.

The Jadidism movement played a major role in the cultural and scientific development of our country during the period of national renaissance. Thanks to this movement, important steps were taken to realize the national identity, increase the level of education of the people and reform the society. People’s literacy increased, national culture and literature developed through the schools established by Jadids, newspapers and magazines published.

The period of national renaissance and modernism occupy an important place in the history of our country. Through this movement, our nation realized its identity, took important steps towards acquiring modern knowledge and renewing society. The ideas and activities of Jadids have not lost their importance even today, and they are an example for the younger generation. Therefore, it is the duty of each of us to study the history of the Jadidist movement and its achievements, to preserve the legacy of our great ancestors.

Poetry from Taylor Dibbert

The Snow

Snow has 

Really hit DC

For the first time

This winter

His London

Would have hated

This weather.

Taylor Dibbert is a writer, journalist, and poet in Washington, DC. He’s author of, most recently, the poetry collection “Takoma.”

Poetry from Mickey Corrigan

4 Poems on
Iconic Writers’ Habitats

Chateau Marmont
(1929-present)

a Gothic French princess on a hill
overlooking the Sunset Strip
a white stone beauty with
a casual toss of gray
head of slate roofing
earthquake proof, turreted
the castle still stands
almost a hundred
years of tread and wear
parties, scandals, affairs
of musicians and actors
of writers making history.

They came under cover
of darkness entered silently
through the garage, no need
for anyone to spot them
no bright-lit lobby
their shame, their value
in the critical eyes of a culture
where privacy not guaranteed
but at the castle they could
mourn, drink, create
inspired and protected
by the knowing kindly staff.

A glamorous shabby-chic
version of the Loire Valley’s
Chateau d’Amboise
opened as apartments
on the teeter edge
of the stock market crash
cheap rooms with cachet.

The movie studios funded
Chateau suites for cheats
to preserve their stars’ gleam
the new owner made it safe
for Hollywood royalty
the hunchback manager
the in-house phone operator
the Garage Boys valets
and maids always silent
on the misfits, iconoclasts,
outcasts, deviants, gays
after the drunken fights
trashed rooms, broken hearts
the news had no clue.

The New York writers came
uncomfortable in LA
at home in the Chateau
Hollywood-on-the-Hudson
and they wrote scripts
Rebel without a Cause,
Sunset Boulevard,
Music Man, Ben-Hur
articles by Dominick Dunne
on the infamous O.J. trial
and so much more.

Run by eccentrics for eccentrics
the castle fell to careless hands
holding companies, banks
threatened foreclosure
the downslide of the aging belle
at the seedy top of the hill
shag rugs patched with tape
peeling paint in shreds, must
furnishings broken fixtures
shabby-genteel, a place
outside of time.

The new owner updated
an elegant conversion
with old-world charm
a historic cultural monument
where hijinks could continue:
Jim Morrison fell off the roof
a lyricist shot himself
John Belushi overdosed
the hideout hit the papers
the Chateau an open secret
of legendary, fashionable funk.

A new era, a new owner
New York nightclub magnate
full restoration upgrade
to a chic upscale loftiness
a buzzy bar scene, swanky
showbiz party exclusives
splashy bashes for the stars
their premieres and awards.

So now the old girl
looks down a long nose
from her perch on the hill
over the new Hollywood
still classic, still historic
with a modern LA brand.

The Chelsea
(1884-present)

“You’ve got a great future behind you.”
—old billboard in Times Square

New York’s most illustrious
third-rate hotel the place
Leonard Cohen made love
to an unforgiving Janis Joplin
and Thomas Wolfe wrote
You Can’t Go Home Again
and Arthur C. Clarke 
2001: A Space Odyssey
Arthur Miller the play
on his iconic ex-wife
Bob Dylan the lyrics
for Blonde on Blonde
and Dylan Thomas drank
until he died young.

The largest, longest lasting
creative community
in the world designed
as a haven for artists
in the old theater district
a cooperative building
twelve stories of red brick
in Queen Anne Revival style
with wrought iron balconies
a homey atmosphere
in-room fireplaces
a rooftop terrace
a basement kitchen
with dumbwaiters
private dining rooms
and a public café.

Attracting a cross-section
of all social classes
the rent affordable
the rooms soundproofed
for musicians and writers
north-facing windows
in studios for painters
short-term or long-term
a friendly residence
an experiment in living
in harmony with others.

By 1905 the co-op failing
financially forcing subdivision
from 125 rooms to 300
smaller spaces
then bankruptcy
after the Depression
and Hungarian émigrés
purchased and protected
the hotel and the artists
for 75 more years.

The theater district gone
meant a downhill slide
a rundown neighborhood
seedy offices, tawdry bars
and gradual hotel decay
clanging heating pipes
shabby rooms, dirty rugs
with further subdivisions
to 400 dingy rooms
still popular, still housing
knowns and unknowns
long-distance truckers
pensioners, burlesque dancers
novelists, crackpots, drunks.

A miniature Ellis Island
of the odd and avant-garde
through the ’40s and ’50s
the bohemians, the beatniks
Kerouac and Ginsberg
and the drug-fueled ’60s
Christo and Warhol
Pop artists, rock bands
Jefferson Airplane, Janis
slugging Southern Comfort
Alice Cooper with a python
wrapped around his neck.

Marijuana smoke wafting
tattered halls, tattered tenants
paying overdue rent in art
displayed on lobby walls
and hiding from hustlers
pushers, hookers, pimps
holdups, gunfire, junkies
room fires, overdoses, leaps
from the roof or out windows.

A city no longer doable
for artists, the young or old
the hotel sold, closed down
the power of the creative
community forgotten
as history made way
for the fortunate few
rooftop gardens torn up
the wall art torn down
rooms gutted and enlarged
into 155 elite suites
a lobby full of new art
a lobby bar full of chic.

In the city of ashes
the city of gold, the Chelsea
on the Register of Historic Places
the icon casts a glitter sheen
for influencer appeal.

Key West

The southernmost isle
once called Cayo Hueso
the island of bones—
bones from a battle
or Indian burial ground
so there was always this
legacy of lawlessness:
pirates, wreckers, smugglers
drugs, drinking, wilderness
only reachable by boat
the glistening white sand
water jade green and aqua
where ocean and Gulf met.

Pirates hunted for booty
until the Navy arrived
built a base, a busy port
for Greek sponge divers
for Cuban cigar makers
treasure hunters seeking
shipwrecks and sunken gold
then the hotels and shops
cottage homes and bars
the Conch Republic born
of Caribbean and Cuban influx
and escapees from elsewhere
creating a rough culture.

Henry Flagler linked the chain
Palm Beach to the Keys
the East Coast Railway
and a hotel for visitors
escaping winter storms
Prohibition’s restrictions
to where liquor flowed
the Conchs smuggling in
fat boatloads of booze
after a deadly hurricane
blew down the railroad
the Overseas Highway
the route to Key West
the tropical oasis
otherworldly, exotic
a seaside sanctuary
where art could flourish.

Hemingway in residence
fishing, drinking, writing
his most significant works
he nicknamed his island
the St. Tropez of the poor
and Tennessee Williams
bought a bungalow refuge
brought gay friends to stay
in the laissez faire outpost
of the next literary star
Thomas McGuane filming
his rock ‘n’ roll novel
Ninety-Two in the Shade
his pal Jimmy Buffett
on the soundtrack
with no real music scene
in the eclectic bars where
everyone gathered, all types:
politicians and criminals
hippies and rednecks
artists and bums and
he sang for free drinks
began to write story-songs
on the laidback island life.

When “Margaritaville” hit
the charts and the tourists
flocked to the happy hours
cheeseburgers in paradise
cruise ships, mad crowds
crime, trash and trinkets
new rents and home prices
nobody could afford
so the writers left
the millionaires, developers
vacationers and wannabes
an alcohol-fueled theme park
the old island of bones
the legacy of pirates
seeking others’ treasure
blind to it themselves.

Provincetown

A finger of land at the very tip
a sandbar to mainland Mass
a salty spit of gray isolation
after the Mayflower anchored
the women washed, their men
stole Indian corn, skirmished
before moving on to Plymouth
and Portuguese whalers arrived
harpooning thick pods to sell
whale oil, bones, baleen, the cod
catch plush so they sent for family
the railroad down from Boston and
the Cape Cod School of Art
in the diverse community
of immigrants, artists, outsiders.

Ensconced in a lunar dunescape
in the old Life-Saving Station
young Eugene O’Neill penned
19 short plays, 7 long, his first
performed in a decrepit fish shed
Bound East for Cardiff giving birth
to modern American drama
Anna Christie about the fishermen
on the island: a grand place
to be alone and undisturbed.

John Dos Passos down the street
on Commercial faced the harbor and
Norman Mailer’s house where he wrote
the majority of his books in summers
and spent his final years in:
the freest town in America
that was naturally spooky off-season
a place for murderers and suicides
with cold sea air with a bottomless chill.

Painters came for the crystal purity
of the aquatic light, translucent
fleets of squid, flocks of white
gulls drafting faded scallop boats
squawking terns chasing scarlet crabs
red-faced men on creaky piers
inhaling deep the briny scent
the slap of foamy waves
against the rocky shore.

Mary Oliver wrote for decades
lush poems on the beauty
of the island she called home
the skittish skunk, rusty fox
glistening sand and scrubby pines
the endless surf, the unending call
of the foghorn’s haunting note
winters windswept and desolate
and summer’s blast of blues
sunset orange on the salt flats
soft music in the misty dawn
of inspiration and retreat.