Each time I look at the headlines, I see thick dark clouds condensing into a pool of vague bloody rain, with each drop piercing deeply into this world’s melanin. Altering its colours from green to purple, boring into the deep depths ocean of this spaceship.
This ocean I say, isn’t just a billion water drops, it is not even a thousand sea fully converged to form the Atlantic this accursed world has ever seen. It is the waters of original sin sinking into the skin of dry land.
This is to say our bodies has become a vessel of transmutation, decaying into a Tabernacle caving original sin, because grief lives in us. It becomes a synonymous hyperbole of who we are.
A pillar of broken stones shattered due to Earth’s rotation, colliding like a planet that chewed itself due its body has indeed become a mechanism of digestion. Breaking flames down into minute pieces of hatred.
This world has become a filament of dead songs, composed by the torn face of wind. Floating in fireballs that even the numbers in this world lacks the vocabulary to number.
She carries this world’s flesh, she nurtures them in her womb while she patiently awaits the rise of a bloody moon.
Only then can we know the true definition of pain, because metaphors itself cannot define it, poetry can only feel it using crooked lines.
But the truth can only be seen by telescoping into torture knowing its colour, its genetic material. Untill then this is reality in a fantasy of a broken world.
Anthony Chidi Uzoechi, an obsessed Sci-fi writer whose imagination Journeys beyond the heavens of creativity. He is a bonafide member of the Hill Top Creative Art Foundation Minna, a Short story writer, a Poet, Pen artist and a Theologian. He’s an Indigen of Imo State Nigeria. Asides studying and being a Shakespeare Anthony Chidi Uzoechi is an addictive studier, he studies anything significant that comes his way.
Just like how the universe is without bound in suspense, Anthony Journeys into unraveling the deep depth of creativity through writing.
The rapid expansion of digital technologies has redefined the foundations of modern societies. This paper examines the multifaceted role of computer literacy as a determinant of human capital development in the twenty-first century. By analyzing its impact on education, professional competitiveness, information security, social interaction, and personal growth, the study underscores the necessity of integrating digital competence into both national strategies and individual development agendas.
Introduction
The twenty-first century is widely described as the era of digital transformation. The accelerated growth of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has reshaped nearly all domains of human activity, from education and healthcare to governance and business. International organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations emphasize a strong correlation between a nation’s digital capacity and its economic performance, educational quality, and institutional effectiveness [1][2]. Within this framework, computer literacy emerges not merely as a technical skill but as a strategic resource for sustainable human development in the globalized world.
The Role of Computer Literacy in Modern Society
1. Education
Digital literacy enhances learners’ autonomy and fosters innovative approaches to knowledge acquisition. Access to online databases, electronic textbooks, and interactive platforms facilitates self-directed learning and critical engagement with academic content. Empirical studies by UNESCO suggest that educational systems with high digital competence levels achieve up to 30% higher learning outcomes compared to systems with limited digital integration [3]. This demonstrates the catalytic role of technology in academic advancement.
2. Professional Development
In contemporary labor markets, computer literacy constitutes a baseline requirement rather than an added qualification. A survey conducted by the World Economic Forum in 2024 reported that 92% of employers demand at least fundamental digital competencies from potential candidates [4]. Moreover, ICT proficiency enables professionals to adapt across diverse fields, including medicine, engineering, business, and creative industries. The global shift toward remote employment further illustrates how computer literacy facilitates access to international labor markets, thus enhancing global workforce mobility.
3. Critical Thinking and Cybersecurity
Computer literacy encompasses more than operational skills; it includes the capacity for critical evaluation of digital content and responsible online behavior. Given that cybercrime inflicted economic damages exceeding 8 trillion USD worldwide in 2023 [5], awareness of cybersecurity practices has become essential. A digitally literate population is better positioned to safeguard personal information, resist disinformation, and contribute to the establishment of a secure digital ecosystem.
4. Social Interaction
ICT has revolutionized communication and collaboration, fostering both local and global integration. Tools such as video conferencing, e-learning platforms, and social media networks enable individuals to participate more actively in civic and professional life. Estonia, for example, is internationally recognized as a digital nation where over 99% of government services are provided online [6]. This model illustrates how digital competence enhances transparency, efficiency, and citizen engagement in governance.
5. Personal Growth
On an individual level, computer literacy broadens opportunities for lifelong learning, entrepreneurship, and creativity. Platforms such as Coursera and Udemy democratize access to education, allowing millions of learners worldwide to acquire new skills and advance their careers [7]. Furthermore, digital tools encourage personal development by supporting creative expression, intellectual exploration, and participation in the global knowledge economy.
Conclusion
Computer literacy has evolved into a fundamental prerequisite for success in the contemporary world. It contributes not only to academic and professional advancement but also to the protection of digital security, the strengthening of civic participation, and the enrichment of personal life. Consequently, policymakers should prioritize the integration of computer literacy within national education and development strategies, while individuals should recognize it as an indispensable component of lifelong growth. Ultimately, digital literacy represents the cornerstone of sustainable progress in the information society.
Hasanbayev Sardorbek Ne’matjon oglu — born on January 1, 2009, in Namangan district, Namangan region. He studied at Secondary School No. 22 in the district until the 6th grade, completed the 7th grade at Specialized State Boarding School No. 21, and is currently an 11th-grade student at the Namangan District Specialized School. From childhood, he has been passionate about English, mastered it thoroughly, and holds an international IELTS certificate.
I gather the faces of people, in the treasure of folly, engraving upon my poor dress a song, a silent prayer. I add colors to creation, to weave a metamorphosis, one after another, echoing the depths of happiness. I am your dream, O people of reason, a condition veiled in wonder, eyes gazing towards tomorrow. The streets are empty, hearts outstretched, trodden by the weight of silent doubt. I adapt to grandeur, inhabiting an incapacity, visible to all, my nakedness, my fragility. My feet are nailed to the pavement’s face, showcases of sorrow, where hope feels faint. Sometimes it sighs, and sometimes it softens, your dream, O people of words, is sweeter, but often forgotten. For I am the one who wanders, or do people wander with me? A dervish in a circle, lost in a memory. I emerge, my soul pours forth, between its lines, the strings of longing for the sanctuary’s robe, and the blessings that true love brings. They slept upon the shoulders of time, testimony of interwoven moments, signs of exchange, a miracle yet to be found. ***
A Martyr Sign me up, right here, To a womb that defies history’s commute. Inscribe my name. Never did I nurse from the breasts of women in a slave market. I could not trust mystics, Nor did their bells ring recognition in my heart. A million fears My fears, multiplied a millionfold, When I find death staring into my life, When I see coffins stacked, Black as the tears of rain. May God grant you a long life, To console homes filled with sorrow— The bodies of the martyrs, Whose lives gifted you freedom. Beside the widows and orphans, Gallows craft your dreams, Selling your heart on the very first road. Be a martyr. *** A frame to image painful Sorrows planted deep inside hearts, Awakening seeds of fear, With horror facts concealed and capped. Dressed in the wear of silence, The sorrows of the day were sown— A sign upon a grave, a dub To the slow death of man, unknown. Silence is no picture of them, Without a paint, it’s stark and grim. Accepted: you die anonymous, Though in your truth, you live a dream. Though your heart in desert carries home, Though your age was right for your own land, Accepted: you die anonymous, Like Zia’s glory, a vanishing strand. When such a spirit’s light extinguishes, And disappears, a beautiful dream ends, Accepted: you die anonymous. Too, houses died, their doors against walls bend. Her streets, they mourned; the night came, withered, Leaving a body, chronically loved, A shiny star, whose songs no longer tethered To the moon, now silently removed. Rumored, the last beats from your heart, You felt and then announced absence. Faces passed like dreams, printed apart On the plate-blooded board of lost essence. Regrets the eye which saw of leaving At mystery. It was not inspiring— A frame to image aching, ever grieving.
*** Probability
The wheat stalks breathe you in, Braid your letters for the evenings. And stir your songs the day they met Upon his face, the silence… the flock of stillness. Depart to where we began our journey, Indeed, the streams hold but fragments. To a time squandered, Forgive my death when I choose you, To the mercy of the devout, in protest, To the dwelling of the wound, The distance of desolation. And your endurance was to borrow From the star, the day of collapse’s rituals. Within you, the debasement of poems eludes, Towards the sunrise. And you quiet above some plains The languages of apprehension, In your sailing times. You soothe the blaze of solitude… cities, And pour into the eye the tears of reunion, Branches from the beginning we were, For the land of severance. We carry to it the beseeching letters, To write in love, The beloved’s spinning song. And you still swear by the earthquake, So as to prepare a new homeland, Which the questions lost in their lament, And the impossible bolted its gates With bursts of time that began to depart. You never left the harvests of remembrance, That we were quenching. With your silence, visions will not overflow The boundaries of emptiness. And we… Are in vain.
***
The child residing deep inside me
The child residing deep inside me, When fear ignites, blazes with delight, Shattering every frame, Out into the street, he openly proclaims His right to taste a morsel of truth. With utter innocence, he’d plead with the sun’s rays, As they arrived to confiscate tomorrow’s darkness. He never knew that the morrow, Lying slain on the heart’s threshold, Was already sacrificed. The child residing deep inside me, Quietly gathers fragments from the shadow Of the girl fallen from the window of desire. He passes from beneath the navel, To the furthest lip at the edge of the house, Retreating to the corner, at the furthest bank, And in the dark rooms, he rattles Matchboxes. The child residing deep inside me, Has but one hand, With it, he gathers the world before him, Drawing it in clusters. And within his notebook of dreams, He scribbles, then redraws. The child residing deep inside me, Is inherently stubborn. He demolishes every dream in an instant, The moment he awakens To a new dawn.
Abdel Latif Mubarak, also known by his Arabic name عبد اللطيف مبارك, is an Egyptian poet and lyricist born in 1964 in Suez . He is widely recognized as one of the most important poets of the 1980s. His poems have been published in numerous literary journals in Egypt and the Arab world, including Arab Magazine, Kuwait Magazine, News Literature, Republic Newspaper, AI-Ahram, and The New Publishing Culture . [ 1 ]
Abdel Latif Mubarak’s fame rests on his distinctive poetic style, which skillfully combines the beauty of words with profound reflection on aspects of life and humanity. His verses are imbued with sensitivity, emotion, and a profound understanding of the human condition.
Over the years, Mubarak has received numerous awards and accolades for his work. In 2014, he was honored with the Arab Media Union’s Shield of Excellence and Creativity, recognizing his significant impact on poetry and literature. In 2021, he also won the prestigious East Academy Shield of Excellence and Creativity, a testament to his continued perseverance and dedication to his craft.
Poem in Which an Eclipse Passes, but You Still Don’t Love Me
That day, I watch two dancing fish
in our campus garden’s pond. I call
the pale one Moon and red one Sun
and imagine they are us.
Empty-bellied, light-deprived,
Moon brushes Sun’s face with their tail
until the dance stops.
Moon swims away,
alone.
That’s how I know Moon is me—
queer fish in a straight pond—
and you are just another Sun.
That day, you watch the real eclipse
somewhere else on campus,
staying far from my orbit.
I sit with the fish and plead:
Can we at least love each other
in Eclipse Time?
That transient, mystical minute when
moon and sun can embrace?
But the moon strays from the sun again,
and you don’t come to dance with me.
We are still who we are, and
even an eclipse can’t change us.
Sea in Me
“But [my love] is all as hungry as the sea,
And can digest as much.”
—Twelfth Night
What’s inside me isn’t sad.
It leaks not just from my eyes.
It’s soaked my insides all
this time. Those who’ve waded by
never dared to dive
into the depths of
desperation
gurgling in my guts.
But you have whetted the sea
in me: waters I swallowed
for so long.
Ink in your hair has
dissolved in my skin.
Now my body aches to regurgitate
you in floods of liquid love
I’ve never shared on paper.
You see them in their sea-green glory:
saliva-waves of love,
acid-waves of love,
sweat-waves of love,
milk-waves of love,
blood-waves of love!
You baptize yourself in it all.
I will let it lap you up.
Ollie Sikes (they/them) is a young queer writer based in Dallas, TX. They hold a double BA in Creative Writing and Theatre from Butler University. Currently, they’re interning with Copper Canyon Press and EJL Editing and serving as Editorial Assistant for Broad Ripple Review. Though they were published multiple times in Butler’s undergrad lit mag, this would be their first professional publication.
