The Futility of Protesting Near Bustling Cemeteries
(For the Most Important Person in My Life, My Son Ahmad)
Preamble:
Take my spirit for your shirt
And use my heart’s arteries for shoelaces.
Poem
My spirit patched with raw dreams,
My soft body blemished by war’s scars,
My heart crushed and crunched like
Leaves under foot—
These are the sole signs of my existence
In a room that awaits a hurricane
That dreams of unleashing its gales.
My son,
Let me say tonight,
Objectively,
That I can’t do anything more.
2
What happens,
Happens all the time.
What doesn’t happen,
Never happens,
But we always paint a comely face
On life’s hideous visage.
Translated by William M. HutchinsFaleeha Hassan is a poet, teacher, editor, writer, and playwright born in Najaf, Iraq, in 1967, who now lives in the United States. Faleeha was the first woman to write poetry for children in Iraq.
She received her master's degree in Arabic literature, and has now published 26 books, her poems have been translated into English, Turkmen, Bosnian, Indian, French, Italian, German, Kurdish, Spain, Korean, Greek, Serbia, Albanian, Pakistani, Romanian, Malayalam, Chinese, ODIA, Nepali and Macedonian language. She is the Pulitzer Prize Nomination 2018, PushCart Prize Nomination 2019.
Member of International Writers and Artists Association.
Winner of the Women of Excellence Inspiration award from SJ magazine 2020, Winner of the Grand Jury Award (the Sahitto International Award for Literature 2021) One of the Women of Excellence selection committees 2023
Winner of women the arts award 2023
Member of Whos’ Who in America 2023
SAHITTO AWARD, JUDGING PANEL 2023
Cultural Ambassador - Iraq, USA
Email : d.fh88@yahoo.com
You You Yes
Be enough for myself
Incomplete without her
Enough for her
And in the unknown
They sometimes call it a miracle
The metamorphosis of yours
And the buzz of a bee can't distinguish
From the silence of the hornet
I'm not at the loss site
From the cross to the cross
You turn around your axis
You are somewhere
Close
On my way to Katanga
Still to come
And you exist.
Slavica Pejović is a B.Sc. Political scientist, diplomat, writer, poet, editor-in-chief of the magazine for culture and science "Majdan". She wrote three documentary books on the history of librarianship, 13 independent collections of poetry and two joint collections. Winner of numerous awards and recognitions in Serbia, Tunisia, Romania, Italy... Her poetry has been translated into many languages: Hungarian, German, Italian, Arabic, Macedonian, Russian, Bulgarian,... French, Spanish. .. She is a member of the Association of Writers of Serbia. She lives in the city of Požarevac in the Republic of Serbia.
An Ode to Night
What an enthralling night it is!
A magical realm where even all stars are engrossed
In imaginative thoughts,
Where the moon descends into the valley,
In the hushed moments.
Where overshadow the old weathers,
Where dreams have been waking since ages,
And the glowworms gleam,
But what are these piercing pangs?
In the heart of depravities
Done stealthily in the forests.
How pitch-dark night it is!
It consists of dull golden, light green,
Strange magical priding vinaceous vines.
Secrets of love
Love travels beyond the world of secrets...
How will you keep it in your fist ...
Voices of love even today
Can be heard out of tales.
What faith will you introduce love to?
Its faith begins with your beauty,
Which bars are you talking about?
It is cruelty of times that perpetuates love.
Love is a window,
It is a resting abode for clouds,
Where breathing is impossible,
Love emanates from there.
Seeing your fresh face this morning,
It finds treasures from the islands of your eyes,
Then the day moves towards twilight,
And like a poor person, tired and defeated,
It keeps counting all treasure of the journey ...
In this city of oppressors ... how Love breathes?
No sighs are allowed here,
We know it's forbidden ...
Listen to the walls ...
Even today, Anarkali's love song is humming,
But who will come
And free the living souls of these fragile hearts,
Carry on the shoulders and bury them ...
Aasma Tahir is a poetess from Lahore, Pakistan. She is a poetess of English and Urdu both. She has done Masters in English Literature. She is the member of World Nations Writers’ Union. Her writings have been published in several Anthologies and national and international literary magazines and websites. Recently her poetry book “A Lantern in the Forest” has been published.
Her interview along with fifteen English poems have been selected in an Anthology “Postmodern Voices” published from India.
As an internationally recognized poetess, she recently achieved membership of World Nation Writers’ Union, Kazakhistan and an award “Paragon of Hope” awarded by World Nations Writers’ Union.
She was invited in World Peace Summit, Nigeria by World Institute for Peace to present her poetry.
Her English poem “Woman of Art” has been selected in an Anthology of English Poetry ‘Emerging Horizons’ published from India.
Moreover, her English poem “Blood Festival” has been selected in an Anthology ‘Jallianwala Bagh Poetic Tributes’ published from India. Her poems “Daemonic Tales”, “Breathing in Love” and “Imitation of Life” have been published in BHARATHVISION.INFO (online magazine, affiliated with ‘Motivational Strips’). Her acrostic poem “Romance” got the first position in Tunision Asian Poetry contest and received winner certificate.
Moreover, her English poems “A New Moon of the Deep Chasm”, “Imitation of Life” and “The Lost File of Love” have been published by Sir Sajid Hussain in his book ‘A Bouquet of Triple Colours’.
Furthermore, her several poems have been translated in Bangla language and published in the newspaper ‘The Daily Gour Bangla’.
Wings of Knowledge
I'm a Girl, Don't Break My Wings,
Let me soar with the joy learning brings.
In this world of challenges, I face,
Education is my saving grace.
An orphan, I've known hardship's touch,
No shoes on my feet, but a pen I clutch.
Toys don't entice, books are my desire,
With knowledge, my dreams will reach higher.
Don't burden me with adult strife,
Let childhood be a time of life.
Give me the gift of knowledge's sip,
For education, I'll take the leap.
I'll polish shoes, bathe the dogs,
I'll do whatever it takes, no logs.
But don't steal from me the right,
To education's guiding light.
I'm not asking for pizza or pastry,
Just the chance to learn, oh so necessary.
God made me poor, that's true,
But it's in your hands to help me through.
So let me carry a bag filled with books,
Unlocking minds, with curious looks.
Education is my path to rise,
To shape my future, reach the skies.
I'm a girl, with dreams so grand,
Give me knowledge, hand in hand.
Don't break my heart, don't clip my wings,
With education, my spirit sings.
Anila Bukhari is an extraordinary achiever, receiving multiple national awards for her outstanding work in girls' education worldwide. Her contributions have been so impactful that she was honored with the prestigious International Best Community Service Award by the House of Parliament in London in 2023. In 2021, she also received the International Book Peace Award from Italy. Anila's remarkable journey is filled with beautiful moments. She has authored 11 books and numerous anthologies, inspiring readers around the globe. Her dedication to social work and the arts has garnered global recognition, with artists paying tribute to her incredible achievements. Not only that, but Anila has also selflessly donated dolls and her hair to uplift cancer patients. Her story is a testament to the power of determination and compassion.
Desired Pain
When he told me to give happiness
Then I wanted-
Please, give me pain;
Make a fuss
hard as like as Sidr.
Like as an uprooted tree
with the cry of landless loneliness.
Give me sorrow;
Like as fluffy mud
in the emptiness of cultivated land-
Primitive tale which is filled with
glaireous wild smell.
Feeling happiness is meaningless game ;
Retouch of past Rafkhata.
Presented cagey happiness is blanket wrap of mourning-
So which you will give me later
Or else I wanted it before.
Aklima Ankhi, poet, storyteller and translator from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Born in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. She has a published poetry named "Guptokothar Shobdochabi" written in Bangla.She is a post graduate in English Literature. As a profession she is a Lecturer in English.
The Love Castle
Life is so beautiful, you are mine
You laugh out, the morning sun smiles on
You touch me and I survive in the morning breeze
The waves of the ocean run through in the veins
I become forgetful
The building stands on before us
The world can see the beauty of The Taj Mahal at Agra
The love castle - the eternal love story.
Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh
28 October, 2023
In the Autumn Morning
How sweet the morning breeze!
In this autumn morning
No firefighting, no dismal display
Over the natural sight
The birds chirping near me
The sweet scent of the roses
The grass flowers on the bushes
All smile on at my bare foot walk by the way
By the river side and lake
I walk on and the autumn beauty welcomes me
The soft blowing of the catkins waving on the heart
The colorful butterflies and
The open sky round circle birds over head
Celebrating the bright morning
In my turning home feeling nostalgic to be with the childhood age
How wonderful the lambs and ducks on the ground and lake!
Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh
31 October, 2023
Md. Mahbubul Alam is from Bangladesh. His writer name is Mahbub John in Bangladesh. He is a Senior Teacher (English) of Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh. Chapainawabganj is a district town of Bangladesh. He is an MA in English Literature from Rajshahi College under National University. He has published three books of poems in Bangla. He writes mainly poems but other branches of writings such as prose, article, essay etc. also have been published in national and local newspapers, magazines, little magazines. He has achieved three times Best Teacher Certificate and Crest in National Education Week in the District Wise Competition in Chapainawabganj District. He has gained many literary awards from home abroad. His English writings have been being published in an International Online Magazine - Synchronized Chaos from America for seven years. He is a father of two daughters. He is living with his family at Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh
Love
Love is a feeling, gentle and true,
It's what connects me and you.
Like a bond that's strong and bright,
Love's a guiding star in the darkest night.
It's in the smiles and laughter we share,
A feeling that shows how much we care.
In times of joy or when we're sad,
Love's the best friend we've ever had.
Wazed Abdullah is a student of grade 8 in Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.
