A short break, a space to think, to work things out: his need for order, her love of silence. Outside, though the sun was bright, the wind never stopped. Sand hissed beneath the cabin door, gulls skimmed the waves, small birds flickered into bushes after night flights over the ocean. People drifted into the hard light. Inside, he over-read each word, he weighed every sentence. They had never felt so far apart. Each hesitation filled with the hiss of the spring wind. They ate at the kitchen table while sand sifted over the wooden floor. The argument, when it came, drove them back towards each other – as if stopping would be the end of them.
Metal Cabin
The cabin shook with a polar storm. My son appeared on the laptop and told me he was lonely in his new job in the city. Snow powder hissed over the metal roof. I turned up the volume. He said he went to bars almost every night but always sat on his own. I told him I was scared of the guys in the control room. He said he spent too long in chat rooms but there was nowhere else to meet people. Snow drifts pushed against the windows. I said I was always there for him and when he nodded I believed he was there for me too.
Technician
It was the first retirement party I’d ever been to, and even though they sang his praises, he was
always rude to me. Maybe he used to be helpful and kind but to me he was a bully,
resistant, angry. He was mean about people who’d done nothing wrong, yet on his last day
everyone had tears in their eyes and said they would miss him. Maybe he’d changed. Maybe
work had ground him down. It’s 45 years later, and my turn to accept a leaving gift.
My colleagues turn to the buffet and fill their plates. I’m not sure if I’ve upset them. I can’t tell
if I’ve changed or stayed the same.
Paul Bavister has published three collections of poetry with Two Rivers Press. His work has appeared in Confluence, Dream Catcher and Smoke. Starlings came highly commended in the Rialto poetry competition.
Paul Tristram is a widely published Welsh writer. He yearns to tattoo porcelain bridesmaids instead of digging empty graves for innocence at midnight; this too may pass, yet.
His novel “Crazy Like Emotion” is published by Close To The Bone. Short story collection “Kicking Back Drunk ‘Round The Candletree Graves”, and full-length poetry collections “It Is Big And It Is Clever”, “South Wales Outlaw”, “The Gutter Symposium”, “The Dark Side Of British Poetry” and “Uncivil Disobedience Is My Forte” are all published by Hunsbury Press.
I laid in bed, pondering the day, like a phantom unexpected, sleep took its way. It was one of those dreams, vivid but just a moment— imagery rising, leaving my mind in atonement.
I saw a man, burdened with life, he was drowning in pain, so full his strife. I saw him walking a field in the forest, shrubbery round him high. He stopped and pled to God, and assurance came nigh.He emerged assured, leaving the wooded setting with speed, his confidence high, God answered his need. And I awoke seconds later, wondering why the short dream— perhaps a vision, I woke with prayer in mind.
“God is Change.” — Octavia Butler, The Parable of the Sower
This month’s issue explores how individuals and societies navigate change, uncertainty, and transformation. Through poetry, essays, cultural criticism, artwork, fiction, and scholarship, these works examine what it means to stay human in a rapidly shifting world, while searching for meaning, connection, identity, and resilience.
Our issue starts with contributors looking directly into time, change, and transformation. Jacques Fleury speaks to seasons, renewal, and the passage of time. Patrick Sweeney’s monostich poems explore transitions, nostalgia, and fleeting but precious moments. J.K. Durick draws on airports as a metaphor for connection, disconnection, and transition. Roberta Beach Jacobson addresses identity, impermanence and transformation in her poetry. Nozimova Shukrona highlights how travel can facilitate personal growth, learning, and development. Tursunova Mehrinoz Oybek qiz outlines the process of self-discovery, career and intellectual development. Laskiaf Amortegui encourages readers to focus on the present and future, drawing on heartbreaks as catalysts for the future rather than letting romantic disappointment hold us back. Elaine Murray celebrates the warm, gentle beauty of the country on a spring day. Brian Barbeito speaks to the deep mystery of the sea as rendered through different works of literature, and to the continual change of seasons.
Other writers speak to love, longing, and human connection. Mesfakus Salahin reflects on the importance of love and freedom in a changing and fragile world. Joshua Obirija somehow misses a place he’s never been. Stephen Jarrell Williams expresses love, longing, nostalgia, imagination, and a sense of vulnerability. Milica Tomić begs a lover to return to her and renew the early days of their relationship. Yuldasheva Xadichaxon Bahodir qizi laments a lost love. Lan Xin speaks eloquent words of comfort to those living through romantic heartbreak. Eva Lianou Petropoulou rejoices in the power of love to overcome difficult situations. Soumen Roy’s poetry “Lonely River” is a reflective and introspective piece that explores themes of love, isolation, growth, and resilience. Kholboyev Mashrab offers love and respect to his caring mother. Abdusalomova Marjona Jahongir qizi celebrates a mother’s unconditional love. Polina Moys celebrates family, kindness, children, and gratitude for everyday blessings. Bakhadirova Rukhshona remembers the love of a caring grandfather figure. Saparboyeva Laylo Hajiboy kizi’s short story relates how mothering can bring people purpose and help them move forward after loss.
Some people engage in existential reflection and the search for meaning. J.J. Campbell’s lyrical works explore disillusionment, existential crisis, and the search for meaning in a decaying world. Jelena Jovanović illuminates existential crisis, nihilism, and the search for meaning. Sterling Warner’s poems rebel against conformity and consumerism, turning instead to inward spirituality. Sayani Mukherjee explores the concept of soul, the essence of a person, and of a society.Duane Vorhees’ poetry speaks to duality, paradox, repression and authenticity, and the subconscious and the power of nature. Daniel G. Snethen and Alex S. Johnson’s spider poem suggests that existence is cyclical, with life and death being intertwined and perpetual. Elena Nedelcu’s poems present a dreamlike, iridescent view of the world, speaking to self-discovery, love and connection, and spiritual searching.
Some look into war, violence, and historical memory. Alan Catlin’s work probes propaganda, wartime violence, and the “banality of evil” with destruction amidst cultural entertainment. Joseph C. Ogbonna critiques hubris through an epic take on Napoleon’s military downfall in the Russian winter. Marjona Karshiyeva Zoxidjon speaks to war, loss, and the longing for peace. Jernail S. Anand urges people to integrate the lessons of history into today rather than consigning historical figures to the past. Su Yun’s pieces point to the impact of violence on a child’s fragile psyche and the power of art to enhance resilience.
Still others explore themes of identity, society, and cultural critique. Ken Poyner touches on the fragility of relationships and social norms and the blurred lines between order and control. Mark Young’s intertextual work sends up a mishmash of names and identities, high and low culture. Alex S. Johnson critiques the propensity of the healthcare system to use its soft power to generate clinical narratives that can override patients’ lived realities. Later, he lampoons celebrity culture through an essay on the off-screen personality of Willem Dafoe. Hilola Sharipova reminds young would-be Internet influencers to focus on character rather than fame and appearance. Muslima Murodova reminds us to look beyond first impressions and avoid snap judgements in social situations.
Literature, art, and creativity are often important vehicles by which we hold onto and communicate our humanity amid change. Kobulova Madina outlines the types of heroes presented in Russian literature and how the concept of heroism has diversified in recent years. Harinder Cheema revels in the power of poetry to foster creativity and transcend cultural boundaries. Ozodbek Narzullayev honors the power of poetry and the calling of being a poet. Shahnoza Amanboyeva adds her thoughts to the question of artificial intelligence’s effects on artistic creativity. Dr. Reda Abdul Rahim compares themes of imagination and facing the unknown in Haruki Murakami’s Murder of the Commander and the ancient epic of Gilgamesh. Murtazoeva Shakhnozabonu advocates for youth to study classical Russian literature. Fhen M. celebrates and honors the lengthy heritage of literary and popular musical and literary culture in his evocative poem. Tuychiyeva Odinaxon Axmadjon qizi looks into how globalization and nationalism are simultaneously influencing Uzbek art. In an interview with poet Eva Lianou Petropoulou about his Hyperloop project, where he collects short poems from around the world, writer Alexander Kabishev discusses what he’s learned about innovation, collaboration, and perseverance.
Several writers look to education, language, and learning as facets of human creativity. Jumanazarova Nafisa speculates on the advantages of online vs offline education. Orinboyeva Sayyora and Maxliyoxon Yuldasheva discuss various pedagogical approaches to improving student communication in foreign languages. Soliyeva Dilshoda Tokhtamatjon qizi highlights ways to use fairy tales to improve language learners’ speech. Alimardonova Gulsevar Sirojiddinovna offers up a comparative analysis of terminology in English and Uzbek. Shohista Narzulla O’ktamova qizi discusses nouns and adjectives in Uzbek dialects. Norqizilova Layla outlines the potential roles for artificial intelligence in education. Feruza Otaboyeva suggests that students should volunteer for the sake of helping others, not just to pad their resumes.
Several of these writers focus on the transformation of society through labor, industry, and modernization. Rakhimova Dilafroʻz Axrorjon qizi explores the food industry as a living expression of Uzbek identity, showing how nourishment becomes a bridge between cultural continuity and modern commerce. Umarova Muattarxon Akromjon qizi similarly examines the garment industry as both a practical and symbolic force within Uzbekistan’s evolving economy, where tradition is stitched into the fabric of contemporary life. Oʻrinboyeva Ziynatjon’s discussion of big data expands this transition into the scientific and technological sphere, portraying a world increasingly shaped by information systems that redefine medicine, research, and communication. Kholdorova Durdona Odiljonovna looks deeper into medicine, outlining the physiological mechanism of inflammation. Muxtorov Xabibullo Kozimjon o‘g‘li discusses modern methods for reactive electrical power compensation. Nigora Tursunboyeva weighs the promises and dangers technology presents to younger generations, illuminating the tension between digital opportunity and emotional vulnerability. Jamilova Zaxro’s work on digital diplomacy further reflects a civilization adapting its oldest political practices to a rapidly interconnected world. Meanwhile, Jalolova Ruxshona Nosir qizi, Ubaydullayeva Fariza Sheraliyevna, and O‘rinboyeva Zarina Xabibullo qizi examine risk prediction and logistics modeling, emphasizing how modern societies increasingly rely upon technology and data to navigate uncertainty.
Yet transition is not only technological or economic; it is deeply moral and psychological. Nazarova Hamida turns toward the humanitarian wisdom of Uzbek poets Alisher Navoi and Abay Qunanbayuli, whose works remind readers that periods of change require compassion and ethical grounding. Hua Ai’s reflections in Quintessence similarly argue that meaningful social transformation begins within the self: before one changes the world, one must first confront one’s own consciousness. Zinnura Yo‘ldoshaliyeva explores the psychology of risk-taking, capturing the fragile threshold between fear and courage that accompanies every major life decision. Xasanova Aziza Kumushbek qizi encourages readers to resist the crushing weight of criticism and maintain dignity amid judgment, portraying resilience as an act of survival during moments of personal upheaval.
Many of these works also examine what it means to remain human within unstable environments. Hauwa Hassan Haruna presents one of the collection’s most striking paradoxes: women are often forced to become invisible for safety while simultaneously fighting to remain visible enough to claim dignity and rights. Erkinjonova Bibisora Elyorbek qizi offers another quiet portrait of vulnerability through her empathy for a lonely older man, suggesting how aging itself becomes a transition into isolation and invisibility. Bill Tope mourns the disappearance of inexpensive comic books and childhood treasures, tracing the painful shift from youthful abundance into nostalgic loss. His reflections remind readers that even ordinary objects become markers of changing eras.
Against these anxieties, several contributors seek refuge in tenderness, imagination, and connection with the natural world. Ananya S. Guha dissolves the boundaries between human beings and nature, envisioning love and belonging on a planet overshadowed by climate crisis. The poems suggest that humanity’s survival may depend upon rediscovering intimacy with the earth itself. Student works collected by Su Yun return readers to innocence through playful clouds and animals, preserving moments of wonder that adulthood often forgets. Christina Chin’s haiga, centered on kittens and their protective mother, offers an image of care and familial devotion amid uncertainty. Likewise, the poem by Chinese poet and music producer He Taiji portrays Lan Xin as a figure of serenity and kindness whose quiet presence becomes transformative for others, reminding readers that gentleness itself can guide people through periods of unrest.
The collection also celebrates the sustaining power of culture and community during times of transition. Rahmonova Dildora highlights the importance of cultural immersion in her piece where a traveler encounters the gentle sincerity of the Uzbek people, suggesting that identity is strengthened through openness rather than isolation. Yayra Erkin qizi Bo‘riyeva advocates for physical exercise, public competitions, and healthier urban design, envisioning communities that evolve not only economically but physically and socially. Her work imagines progress as something lived collectively through public space, movement, and shared participation.
Transition is both disruptive and necessary, integral to human and non-human nature. Even as it unsettles institutions and identities, change can open new possibilities for connection, awareness, and renewal. These works remind us that people endure, adapt, and continue searching for meaning while the world around them transforms.
