Your reflection dwells in the eyes of the spiritual.
I seek You, O God —
tirelessly, in the silence of morning,
in a drop of dew,
in the breath that awakens with the dawn.
I search for You
in the touch of the wind,
in the bird that sings unseen,
in thoughts that fall silent
while the heart speaks.
I know,
You are everywhere —
in the gaze of the beggar,
in the smile of the wise,
in the hush of the temple,
and in the clamor of life.
When I kneel,
it is not before the world,
but before Your eternal goodness.
When I weep,
I do not fear sorrow —
for I know You are in every tear.
To You, O God,
I offer this verse,
let it be a bridge
between my being
and Your eternity.
Maja Milojković was born in Zaječar and divides her life between Serbia and Denmark. In Serbia, she serves as the deputy editor-in-chief at the publishing house Sfairos in Belgrade.She is also the founder and vice president of the Rtanj and Mesečev Poets’ Circle, which counts 800 members, and the editor-in-chief of the international e-magazine Area Felix, a bilingual Serbian-English publication. She writes literary reviews, and as a poet, she is represented in numerous domestic and international literary magazines, anthologies, and electronic media. Some of her poems are also available on the YouTube platform. Maja Milojković has won many international awards. She is an active member of various associations and organizations advocating for peace in the world, animal protection, and the fight against racism. She is the author of two books: Mesečev krug (Moon Circle) and Drveće Želje (Trees of Desire). She is one of the founders of the first mixed-gender club Area Felix from Zaječar, Serbia, and is currently a member of the same club. She is a member of the literary club Zlatno Pero from Knjaževac, and the association of writers and artists Gorski Vidici from Podgorica, Montenegro.
Together happiness is to cross the battle of the storm.
Marriage means long tour,
Love, respect, burdens, “to rely on mutual respect,
In the wonderful glory of each other in two lives ”,
Happy results are happy in the last day.
Short biography:Amb. Dr.Priyanka Neogi from Coochbehar. She is an administrative Controler of United Nations PAF,librarian,CEO of Lio Messi International Property & land Consultanncy, international literacy worker, sports & peace promoter, dancer, singer, reciter, live telecaster, writer, editor, researcher, Literary journalist, host, beauty queen, international Co-ordinator of Vijay Mission of Community Welfare Foundation of India.
Dr. Jernail Singh Anand, [the Seneca, Charter of Morava, Franz Kafka and Maxim Gorky awards Laureate, with an opus of 180 books, whose name adorns the Poets’ Rock in Serbia]] is a towering literary figure whose work embodies a rare fusion of creativity, intellect, and moral vision.
From Achilles’ Heel to the Path of Herakles: Greece Then, Now, and the Living Myth
Greece was not born merely from marble stones and temple ruins. It grew from the verses sung by rhapsodes, from the rage of Achilles, and from the heavy footsteps of Herakles conquering both myth and history. If Homer once portrayed humankind as the shadows of gods, modern Greece now walks the reality as the living shadow of its past. The journey from myth to the present is a long process of preservation and reinvention of identity.
Achilles: The Body, the Rage, and Modernity
Achilles in the Iliad is not merely a character; he is a metaphor: a flawless body with a hidden vulnerability, a blazing fury that shapes history. In modern art—such as Ernst Gustav Herter’s statue now standing proudly in Corfu—Achilles is portrayed as a symbol of athletic beauty and tragic downfall. His naked body is not mere aesthetics; it is a cultural legacy of humanity pushing its own limits. Modern Greece is no stranger to this inheritance. Amid economic crises, mass migration, and European Union politics, the nation reveals that the “heel of Achilles” is not always a weakness, but a compass of history that demands to be acknowledged. They understand that beauty is never sterile, and that anger, like in the Iliad, can be a source of strength. In Greece’s contemporary politics and culture, the traces of Achilles remain: fragile yet ablaze.—
Herakles: Mythic Road and a New Nationalism
Herakles, the hero who conquered Troy before Troy itself became a legend, is a symbol of perseverance, intellectual strength, and divine will grounded in humanity. In myth, he is the human son of Zeus; in modern Greek history, Herakles becomes a symbol of national revival—one that faces forward while carrying the weight of the past.Today, the “Path of Herakles” is Greece’s road to European modernity without abandoning its roots. When Greece plants solar panels in former olive fields, when Athens builds ultra-modern museums beneath the shadow of the Acropolis, when the Greek diaspora in Australia and Canada stages Homeric theater with postmodern settings—then Herakles walks again. Not to conquer monsters, but to conquer the amnesia of history.
Comparison: From Epic to Economy
Aspect Ancient Myth Modern Greece
Central Figures Achilles & Herakles
The People and the State
Challenges War, Gods, Monsters
Economic crises, migration, identity
Symbolic Body Athletic ideal & ruin Nationalism, defiance of EU stereotypes
Core Discourse The will of the gods The will of the people, modern democracy
Struggle Against fate (moira) Against rootless globalization—Architecture, Identity, and Memory
Just as the statue of Achilles sheds the heavy Mycenaean armor for a more dramatic aesthetic, Greece today sheds the burden of history to present itself as a center of new cultural dialogue. It does not dwell in the past, but uses the past as a tool—diplomatic, economic, and artistic. As Pliny the Elder once recorded the beauty of the nude in Greek art, so too does modern Greece expose itself—naked in debt, in crisis, in struggle. Yet from that vulnerability emerges European solidarity, a rethinking of democracy, and a reinvention of Mediterranean identity.
The Path of Herakles Is Not Yet Finished
Myths never die. They merely change form. Achilles today is the youth of Greece protesting in the streets of Athens. Herakles is now the cultural architect rebuilding Greece with knowledge and innovation. From gods to parliamentary democracy, one thing remains: Greece continues to rewrite itself—with pen, with sculpture, and with the courage to defy fate. In the land of the gods now ruled by bureaucracy, the path of Herakles goes ever onward.
West Sumatra, 2025…………“Dari Tumit Achilles ke Jalan Herakles: Yunani Dulu, Kini, dan Mitos yang Hidup”Oleh: Rizal Tanjung Yunani tidak hanya lahir dari bebatuan marmer dan reruntuhan kuil. Ia tumbuh dari syair yang dinyanyikan para rhapsode, dari amarah seorang Achilles, dan dari langkah berat Herakles yang berjalan menaklukkan mitos dan sejarah. Bila dulu kisah Homeros menggambarkan manusia sebagai bayangan para dewa, kini Yunani modern menapak realitas sebagai bayangan masa lalu yang terus dihidupkan. Perjalanan dari mitos ke masa kini adalah proses panjang antara pelestarian dan penciptaan ulang identitas.
Achilles: Tubuh, Amarah, dan Modernitas
Achilles dalam Iliad bukan hanya tokoh, ia adalah metafora: tubuh sempurna dengan kelemahan tersembunyi, kemarahan yang membakar namun membentuk sejarah. Dalam seni modern, seperti patung karya Ernst Gustav Herter yang kini berdiri megah di Corfu, Achilles dihadirkan sebagai simbol keindahan atletik dan kehancuran tragis. Tubuh telanjangnya bukan sekadar estetika; itu adalah warisan budaya tentang manusia yang melampaui batas.Yunani kini tidak asing dengan warisan ini. Di tengah krisis ekonomi, migrasi besar-besaran, dan debat politik Uni Eropa, bangsa ini menunjukkan bahwa “tumit Achilles” tidak selalu kelemahan, tetapi juga penanda arah sejarah yang tak bisa diabaikan. Mereka sadar bahwa keindahan tidak pernah steril, dan bahwa kemarahan, seperti dalam Iliad, bisa menjadi sumber kekuatan. Dalam politik dan budaya Yunani kontemporer, tampak jejak Achilles: rapuh namun membara.
Herakles: Jalan Mitis dan Nasionalisme Baru
Herakles, sang pahlawan yang menaklukkan Troya sebelum Troya sendiri menjadi legenda, adalah simbol dari ketekunan, kekuatan intelektual, dan kehendak ilahi yang “membumi”. Dalam mitos, ia adalah anak Zeus yang manusiawi; dalam sejarah Yunani modern, Herakles menjadi simbol dari kebangkitan bangsa — yang menatap masa depan sambil memikul masa lalu.“Jalan Herakles” hari ini adalah jalan Yunani menuju modernitas Eropa tanpa meninggalkan akar.
Ketika Yunani menanam panel surya di bekas ladang zaitun, ketika Athena membangun museum ultra-modern di bawah bayang-bayang Akropolis, ketika diaspora Yunani di Australia dan Kanada memanggungkan teater Homeros dengan latar pasca-modern — maka Herakles berjalan lagi. Bukan menaklukkan monster, tapi menaklukkan amnesia sejarah.
Perbandingan: Dari Epos ke EkonomiAspek Mitos Kuno Yunani KiniFigur Sentral Achilles & Herakles Rakyat dan NegaraTantangan Perang, Dewa, Monster Krisis ekonomi, migrasi, identitas budaya
Simbol Tubuh Ideal atletis & kehancuran Nasionalisme, perlawanan terhadap stereotipe EropaWacana Utama Kehendak para dewa Kehendak rakyat, demokrasi modernPerjuangan Melawan takdir (moira) Melawan globalisasi tanpa akarArsitektur, Identitas, dan IngatanSebagaimana patung Achilles menolak zirah berat Mykenai demi estetika yang lebih dramatis, Yunani hari ini menanggalkan beban sejarah untuk menampilkan diri sebagai pusat dialog budaya baru. Mereka tidak hidup di masa lalu, tetapi menggunakan masa lalu sebagai senjata diplomatik, ekonomi, dan seni.
Sebagaimana Plinius Tua mencatat keindahan telanjang dalam seni Yunani, begitu pula Yunani modern membuka dirinya—telanjang dalam utang, dalam krisis, dalam perjuangan. Tapi dari sana pula muncul solidaritas Eropa, pemikiran ulang tentang demokrasi, dan penciptaan ulang identitas Mediterrania.Jalan Herakles Belum SelesaiMitos tidak pernah mati. Ia hanya berubah bentuk. Achilles kini adalah generasi muda Yunani yang memprotes di jalanan Athena. Herakles kini adalah arsitek budaya yang membangun kembali Yunani dengan pengetahuan dan inovasi. Dari dewa-dewa ke demokrasi parlementer, satu hal yang tetap: Yunani terus menulis ulang dirinya — dengan pena, patung, dan keberanian melawan takdir.Di negeri para dewa yang kini dikuasai birokrasi, Jalan Herakles terus berlanjut.Sumatera Barat, 2025…….
Poetry submissions to North of Oxford’s Streur Anthology are now open!
North of Oxford would like to pay tribute to the late Russell Streur, poet and publisher of The Camel Saloon and The Plum Tree Tavern with an online anthology dedicated to Nature. Send us your poems of Nature, of floral and fauna, of forests and trees, of rivers, creeks and streams. Of farms, of urban nature, of parks and sanctuaries, of oceans and bays, of islands, of all things, Nature.
Send one to three poems for consideration of publication to North of Oxford at sahmsguarnieriandreutter@gmail.comSubject line of submission: Streur Anthology. Submissions will be accepted until 5/31/25. Only submissions attached as word doc will be reviewed. Please include a 100-word bio within the word doc.
Jacques Fleury’s book You Are Enough: The Journey Towards Understanding Your Authentic Self
Eva Petropolou Lianou shares a short film inspired by NASA’s inclusion of her poetry in a capsule launched to the moon.
Synopsis On 26th February 2025 NASA launched a capsule with poems to the moon, one of them was the anti-war poem “Happy Birthday”. Written by Eva Lianou Petropoulou, Directed & Animated by Zina Papadopoulou, Music & Sound by Grigoris Grigoropoulos
Lunar codex, Athena, Minerva Excelsior, The Vagabond Anthology, edited by Mark Lipman, dedicated to the Palestinian poet Ahmed Miqdad
Also, our contributor Brian Barbeito’s new book has just come out, When I Hear the Night. This is a prose poem and landscape photography book. Included with the words and pictures are two literary and dynamic introductory essays, one by poet and editor Jude Goodwin, and another by the writer and editor Mary Buchanan Sellers, figures current and thus well-informed in the field. There are also author notes and question-and-answer sections. The writings can be said to have interesting elements of memoir, essay, belle-lettres, poetry, and short story forms. Their content often includes the mystic and inner vision of the author coupled with the outside world of nature walking and travel.
Now, for May 2025’s first issue: Paradoxical Understandings. In this issue, we explore various perspectives and vantage points, how multiple things can be true at once in our complex universe.
On a more personal level, Peter Cherches writes of understandings and misunderstandings, how much we can come to know or forget about those closest to us. Aziza Xazanova urges human understanding through avoiding assumptions and listening with empathy. Daniel De Culla relates a story where a person in trouble simply seeks a listening ear, not rescue.
One way people can understand each other better is by learning each other’s languages. Several contributors discuss pedagogical methods for language teaching.
Other contributors reinterpret language in concrete and abstract ways. Jerome Berglund renders different poetic forms into concrete images. Noah Berlatsky contributes a humorous poem about procrastination that uses repetition as a literary device. Christina Chin and Uchechukwu Onyedikam craft joint tan-renga poems, finishing each other’s pieces with images of music, nature, rest, and memories. Rus Khomutoff’s concrete poetry takes us on a journey of surrealism, music, and romance.
Like Khomutoff, other writers travel deep into their own psyches. Brian Barbeito reflects on his thought process and creative journeys, considering how he both opens his mind to emptiness and enlightenment and, like a skilled hockey player, remembers the basics of his craft. On another note, Nigar Nurulla Khalilova evokes writers’ block and an intense, foul mood as harsh as the Arab Simoom wind.
Mesfakus Salahin ponders the fragility of human identity and self-concept. Mark Young’s poetry explores creative processes, relationships, and the search for meaning. Texas Fontanella’s music digs deep for a dose of duende. Tagrid Bou Merhi draws on train travel as a metaphor for introspection and longing for one’s past or future. Stephen Jarrell Williams crafts a series of verses describing a person’s inner struggle and renewal. Ari Nystrom-Rice explores identity, wondering who he truly is underneath the surface. Mexribon Shodiyeva’s poetry celebrates the fragile butterfly and the beauty of being yourself. Shamsiya Khudoynazarova Turumovna relates having had the courage to free herself from an unhealthy situation and walk her own path.
Paul Cordeiro speaks to the aftermath of significant relationships and events and to how our feelings can reshape our memories. On a less serious level, Mark Blickley develops a farcical story of unemployment fraud inspired by a photo of a man with a sheep skull, where a character invests deeply into reinventing himself.
On a more cosmic level, Jack Mellender’s work looks at space, time, and humanity’s place in the universe. Ummnusalma Nasir Mukhtar relates a fanciful and expansive dream where she traveled to the moon and stars and gathered her strength. Jacques Fleury’s photography encourages us to view life from different vantage points, exploring concepts as varied as travel, physical attraction, thought, and justice.
Duane Vorhees reflects on ancient archetypes and how we tell stories about ourselves. Sayani Mukherjee reflects on the constant turbulence of human and natural history. Dr. Jernail S. Anand probes some basic paradoxes of modern human life.
Rezauddin Stalin reflects on the beauty and the price of freedom as Blue Chynoweth reflects on the blessing and curse of being able to contemplate one’s place in the universe rather than living by instinct.
Mahbub Alam wonders whether love or self-destruction will win the day. As a person of faith grappling with these issues, Chimezie Ihekuna addresses life’s seemingly intractable struggles, suffering, and human evil, and also God’s implacable goodness in a paradoxical couplet of poems. Lilian Dipasupil’s paired poems take a similar approach, warning of child kidnapping while honoring the love and sacrifice of Jesus.
As writers, one of the ways we can respond to evil is to bear witness and document it as a warning. This is one of the roles of journalism. Davronova Asilabonu affirms the value of journalism and speculates on the field’s future.
More traditionally literary writing can bear witness as well. Yucheng Tao provides a sobering reminder of the historical massacres of the indigenous people of the American West by European settlers and of many Cambodians later in history by the Khmer Rouge. Z.I. Mahmud explores how Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles brought realism into detective fiction, illustrating the monstrosity of human greed and vengeance. Rahmat Muhammad laments how people where she lives in northern Nigeria no longer honor elders and ancestors as much as they should.
Shuhratbekova Gulzoda describes the historical contributions of the humanist Jadid leaders of Uzbekistan to art, literature, science, and culture. Dilobar Maxmarejabova expresses her pride in her Uzbek heritage and her hometown of Qashqadaryo. Hashimjonova Durdana affirms her pride in her Uzbek heritage and culture. Nozima Gofurova outlines the many achievements of today’s Uzbek youth.
Bhagirath Choudhary points to the role of literature in terms of helping people and societies evolve to become more humane. Dr. Jernail S. Anand illuminates the power of art and literature to touch people’s hearts and souls and inspire wiser and more compassionate behavior.
Alexander Klujev highlights connections between Russian music and Russian philosophy and how both honor the triumph of life over death.
Various contributions celebrate different aspects of life. Shahnoza Ochildiyeva enjoys a picnic with her classmates on a sunny spring day. Su Yun evokes the struggle and beauty of flowers growing in an urban environment. Isabel Gomez de Diego photographs childhood exuberance in a neighborhood where humans coexist with nature, trees and bike paths near city apartments. Eva Petropolou Lianou crafts a story around the evocatively named “Hero’s Path,” a hiking trail near a European monastery. She finds simple joy in nature and travel. Manik Chakraborty takes poetic inspiration from misty mountains as Taro Hokkyo honors his muse and the land on which he writes.
Marjona Jorayeva Baxtiyorovna expresses her respect for women and the feminine, which she links to nurturing and compassion. Gulsanam Qurbonova celebrates the tender nurturing of a mother’s love. Vo Thi Nhu Mai reflects on the warmth and tenderness of her childhood in Vietnam and how that inspired her creativity. Kylian Cubilla Gomez’ photography captures vintage childhood images: Snoopy, old Easter themed toys, a colorful frog, even possibly Dad’s aftershave. David Sapp enters the mind of a three-year-old, excited about cereal and dogs. Marjona Jo’rayeva relates her enthusiasm for a fresh term at school.
Kristy Raines expresses the simple yet profound joy of two souls finding true love and choosing each other. Eid Saleh writes in English and Arabic of the meeting of souls in a similar way, and refers both to romance and to close friendship. Qaraboyeva Zilola expresses the tender urgency, trepidation, and obsession of young love. Marley Manalo-Ladicho ignites a fiery love feast in his poetry.
However, as Taylor Dibbert points out in his brief poem, romances, and other sources of happiness, aren’t guaranteed to last.
Tuliyeva Sarvinoz’ elegant poetry laments lost love as Mirta Liliana Ramirez honors the memory of a beloved, asserting that she’s not yet ready to move forward. Eva Petropolou Lianou touches on the tenderness of human hearts and how many of us carry emotional trauma. J.J. Campbell’s poems describe a soul’s slow descent into misery and cynicism. Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal speaks to social and psychological entrapment, stuck with folks tired of his old stories. Linda S. Gunther’s short story “Bake Me a Banyan Tree” explores what we owe our loved ones and how far we would go for them.
Eric Barr’s poetry reflects the realities of navigating life after a stroke. Manik Chakraborty laments destruction caused by a fire as Mykyta Ryzhykh reimagines the Three Little Pigs into a futuristic dystopia in light of environmental destruction. Don Bormon evokes extreme desert heat and the specter of climate change.
Alex S. Johnson takes us on a mythical journey to transmute sorrow in a poem translated into Greek by Cassandra Alogoskoufi.
Sometimes what one needs to overcome suffering isn’t as complex as alchemy, but can just be time at home curled up with one’s cat. Nicholas Gunther’s poem describes a weary soul’s desire to return home after a long journey. Bill Tope’s short story explores how a senior cat helped bring an older woman out of depression after society made both feel useless.
We hope that Synchronized Chaos can inspire creativity, bear witness to the joys and pains of the world, and transform sorrow and stagnation. Please enjoy this issue!
