***

Autumn leaves us badly,

Fall down dear maple trees…

Autumn is hard for us

Began to sell faiths, plows.

The price will be high,

Endless love means.

Last winter was like a famine

I have had enough of patience.

…Oh, it’s winter!

The blanket of the village is on fire!

Every ignorant, stupid person dried the pillow.

Be:

“I write!

I don’t care!”

I walk one step,

of wide hills

Can I restore your clothes?

In which sun will I dry now,

Dad’s waterproof boots.

The eyelashes of pleasant gardens are wet,

Like me, he reads and cries at night.

This is a village, even if it is a patchwork

He had a whole heart!

When the foxes outside tease

Snakes wait in the shelter,

Wow!

Hey!

Thief dogs are fun

My dad’s only boot is amazing!

Nilufar Ergasheva was born in 2005 in Fergana region. Erkin Vahidov graduated from creative school. Currently, she is a student of the 1st stage of UzMU. Winner of the State Prize named after Zulfiya.

DAVID HOLMES: THE BOY WHO LIVED – A Documentary About Healing, Defying Gravity, and Living after the Fall

David Holmes always wanted to defy gravity. At such a young age, he had a desire to play God, since he was merely a child, David tested his limits, and his heart -as his mother and father affirmed- never knew fear. A dream that turned into the reality of life when David flew and flew until, like Icarus, the laws of the universe decided to intervene and restructure his life.

It was like fear shrunk and coagulated, becoming smaller and smaller, occupying less and less space in his heart. David Holmes was invincible like a Greek prince from Greek mythology, Hercules or Atlas. And this young Hercules set his sails for “Harry Potter,” a magical beyond magical set for kids, a place where he could stretch his divine muscles and reach the heights of Mount Olympus.

On movie sets, dynamics are different. Actors are not the only ones who shine. They are not the ones who attract the most attention, and sometimes they’re not the heroes of the story, at least not the true ones. So in Daniel Radcliffe’s eyes, David Holmes was a hero, someone larger than life. To Daniel, David was the real Harry Potter, strong, confident, and defying gravity, in a game of Quidditch, David could have easily been the winner.

But this movie is not about defying gravity, it’s about defying what weighs people to the ground. David Holmes in all his cheery acceptance and also struggling with a new life, gives an example of a friend whom everybody needs during tough times. David oozes hope despite the hardships of a newfound condition and the difficulty of coping with friends and family the most; those who love but sometimes can’t separate the past and the present from their mindsets.

“DAVID HOLMES: THE BOY WHO LIVED” is an eye-opener to a world I haven’t had an idea about before. Have you ever been mesmerized by the skill and athleticism of stunt performers? The way they effortlessly maneuver their bodies, manipulating bones and muscles to execute daring feats is truly awe-inspiring! They are in tune with all the scary prosthetics and harnesses, they hang up from high distances, get kicked and shoved, and get the full treatment. How actors are sometimes the ones left starstruck with people who are doing the real work. In “Harry Potter”, those were the stuntpeople like David and Marc Mailley.

One of the things I liked about this documentary, was how Daniel receded into the background, allowing David to have his moment and shine. It wasn’t a vanity project for Daniel where he could flex his muscles and make himself the focus of the narrative but gave David the air to breathe and fully express himself.

Dan Hartley does a great job of orchestrating this whole movie and leading a cast of actors and non-actors, the interviews were fresh and highly engaging, interweaved with the massive and compelling behind-the-scenes footage of David as the true Harry Potter, the real wizard whom “film people” used as the vessel on which they could place Daniel’s movie star face, and create magic. It was strange to see the tragedies behind a story that compelled millions and millions of kids worldwide, but it was also a testament to the power of filmmaking, the resilience of a human spirit, and the real love between friends, the love that made Marc stay by David’s side, and Daniel executive-produce his friend’s story, eager to let it out into the world.

I left this film feeling good about the world.

FRIENDSHIP IN WAR

THIS IS A STORY OF A WARRIOR MEANS ABOUT A FREEDOM FIGHTER, WHO WAS IN THE MOHIUDDIN JAHANGIR’S TEAM.

The day was 12th December 1971. Yes this is a story that was happened in the liberation war. A warrior named Abdul Motin was eating his food after two days because the supplies were off for two days. Suddenly their captain Mohiuddin Jahangir came and told them:

Mohiuddin: Hey my brave warriors, there is a good news that our country is almost independent but we have to kill Pakistani enemies to free Chapainawabganj.

Mokshed: Yes captain we will!

Kinu: But captain, we don’t have enough resources to fight.
Mohiuddin: Yes, I already sent a message and I think the recourses will come soon.

Motin: Inshallah captain, Joy Bangla.
Mohiuddin: Joy Bangla

After that day the freedom fighter team of Gazi Rahim Uddin came and said,
Rahim Uddin: Hey, Mohiuddin, your team can’t fight against the Pakistani army. Please give the opportunity to us to free Chapainawabganj.

Mohiuddin: NO! Rahim, I know my team is not as powerful as your team but we have enough mind power and confidence to beat them.
Rahim Uddin: Ok, but you have only the next day to prove your team. If you can’t, my team will smash them.

Mohiuddin: Oh! my warrior brother.
On that 13th December night there was a meeting with Mohi Uddin’s team that how they could attack next day.

Mohi Uddin was briefing the plan:
Mohiuddin: I and Mokshed will remain in the front and we will always fight to make them surrender.  Then Kinu will throw bomb if there were any barracks or barricades. Got it?

Mokshed: Yes, captain.
Kinu: Yes, captain.
Mohiuddin: Now Motin, Karim and Hakim will cover us firing.

Then Mohiuddin made 10 teams with these patterns and they started to go with the street of Mahanada river because the Pakistani base camp was situated at the other side of the river.

Now that was the war time, Captain Mohiuddin Jahangir was walking and saw the base camp but suddenly there was an artillery attack and captain shouted "attack down’’. Many of them jump to bunker. 

The enemy was informed that they will attack and they were ready. But Mohiuddin was a very brave man. He took a machine gun and firing to the enemy, he does not have the fear of death and his partner Kinu was throwing bombs and destroy the bunkers with
Mohiuddin. 

But then the Pakistani military started firing rapidly with their modern
weapons. Suddenly a bullet hit to the head of Mohiuddin Jahangir and he fell down. The captain was down and the team was like a boat without a controller. Suddenly an artillery blasts beside Motin. 

He jumped in the bunker but when he stood and looked that he was
surrounded by four Pakistani army and he couldn’t fight with them because he had a rifle which could only fire one bullet in one round. When he was on the corner of the death, his best friend Mokshed saw it and he had a machine gun and he fired rapidly to save his best friend’s life and his accuracy saved Motin. The war finished after 30 minutes. Mohiuddin sacrificed his life to free Chapainawabganj. 

The next day the team of Gazi Rahim Uddin came to fight and won the battle. And finally, on the 16th of December, 1971, Bangladesh officially got their independence.

We lost a hero just two days before the independence.

N.B: The story was inspired by a real story about Motin and Kinu is my grandfather.

Fahim is a student of grade 7 in Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.

Caballo sobre mi espalda
Mis piernas pegadas a tu flanco sudoroso, 
Apretando con fuerza, mis manos sujetando tus crines. Sin rumbo corremos desbocados. 
Tus cascos golpeando mi tierra, sonido de castañuelas. Levantando polvo, haciendo camino en tierras de nadie. 
Ritmo y movimiento, tierra adentro. 
Adrenalina y susto nos recorren, una bestia sin pensamiento me lleva sin destino. El viento silva en mis cabellos y se cuela entre mis brazos  tensos. 
Nadie lleva las riendas. Corcoveando, tus músculos fibrosos te dirigen. 
Coordinamos tu carrera. Subimos y somos aire por un momento, caemos y somos tierra al instante. Llano adentro. Donde todo es verde, vigoroso y equilibrado. Me dejo llevar y me convierto en una amazona griega. Llegamos a donde pertenezco, el límite exterior del mundo conocido y lo cruzó, sin fronteras.
Soy yo sobre tu espalda o tú sobre la mía. Cabalgando como uno.


horse on my back
My legs stuck to your sweaty flank,
Squeezing hard, my hands holding your mane. Without direction we run wild.
Your hooves hitting my land, sound of castanets. Kicking up dust, making way in no man's land.
Rhythm and movement, inland.
Adrenaline and fear run through us, a beast without thought takes me without a destination. The wind whistles through my hair and sneaks through my tense arms.
Nobody takes the reins. Bucking, your sinewy muscles direct you.
We coordinate your career. We rise and are air for a moment, we fall and are earth instantly. Flat inside. Where everything is green, vigorous and balanced. I let myself go and become a Greek Amazon. We reached where I belong, the outer limit of the known world and crossed it, without borders.
It's me on your back or you on mine. Riding like one.

Changes

He spent his twenties

Going to weddings 

And his thirties

Learning about divorces,

Who knows what

His forties

Will bring.

Taylor Dibbert is a writer, journalist, and poet in Washington, DC. He’s author of the Peace Corps memoir “Fiesta of Sunset,” and the forthcoming poetry collection “Home Again.”

When The Seasons Change

When the leaves turn

And the world starts to burn

Vibrant colors of joy return

When the seasons change.

When the air cools

And our sadness pools

We whine like fools

When the seasons change.

Everyday is a miracle

And we can enjoy the spectacle

It is so magical

When the seasons change.

We can turn over a new leaf

We only have to hold our belief

And it can be such relief

When the seasons change.

With the first snow

Everything seems to slow

This too will go

When the seasons change.

When the love birds sing

And the world thaws to spring

We made it through everything

When the seasons change.

In The Early Morning Rain

Got the word today

My buddy passed away

Got the word today

In the early morning rain.

With poppies in the hand

Tears drench the sand

Another life for this land

In the early morning rain.

It feels hell is so near

I could die right here

I just can’t see clear

In the early morning rain.

The poppies grow now

I feel so alone now

The poppies grow now

In the early morning rain.

We were brothers to the end

Our friendship will never bend

Know, we will fight to the end

In the early morning rain.

Now my head hangs low

With the sorrow I show

Hard to let you go

In the early morning rain.

With poppies in my hand

In the early morning rain

Tears drench the land

In the early morning rain.

I raise my glass to you

You helped me get through

I raise my glass to you

In the early morning rain.

From South-Western, Michigan, Jerry Langdon lives in Germany since the early 90’s. He is an Artist and Poet. His works bathe in a darker side of emotion and fantasy. He has released five books of Poetry titled “Temperate Darkness an Behind the Twilight Veil”, “Death and other cold things” “Rollercoaster Heart” and “Frosted Dreams” Jerry is also the editor and publisher of the literary magazine Raven Cage Zine poetry and prose. His poetic inspirations are derived from poets such as Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Frost and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. As well as from various Rock Bands. His apparently twisted mind, twists and intertwines fantasy with reality.