Poetry from Christopher Bernard

If Love Is Folly…


“If love is folly, I’m your fool. Give him 
    your pity, not your hate,”
he said upon the Junebug’s shell.
The ring of fire rounds the house.
Prevarication’s not your vice: you speak 
    black truth to summer’s eye.
You are not always loved for this. The 
    wanton greensward pecks the grass.
Perhaps a throw of rug would toss the air 
    with whiskers, spiders, mice.
A dodehexahedron stands immaculate on  
    green fields of ice.
I cannot say. I cannot know. For I am 
    mad for you, you know.
I break to justice, loss, and fate.
I litter pillows with my tears,
am lost in the forest of the years,
and no birds listen to my name.	

And yet I have of wisdom won these few 
    aspersions to its rule.
Have you a right to happiness in this 
    one life you only know?
There is no other where but here;
the trick is catching fireflies before 
    they cinder to the skies.
Be kind to the thing that you call “me,”
you will be kind to humanity.
We are lost in the labyrinth
of time and space; infinity
is eternity’s other face.
Power, wealth and fame are phantoms,
and love is a beautiful illusion.
The distant battles end in war,
and there is the mouth of the cave. I feel
the thread that will save me from 
    the Minotaur.

_____

Christopher Bernard’s book The Socialist’s Garden of Verses won a PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award and was named one of the “Top 100 Indie Books of 2021” by Kirkus Reviews.

Short story from Ismigul Nizomova

Photo of a Central Asian woman with long dark hair, brown jacket, and dark patterned blouse inside a school ID with gold colors on a black and brown background.

Nizomova Ismigul Zarif qizi, Shakhrisabz State Pedagogical Institute Master’s student

Meeting

       Eyes meet.  The boy smiles at the girl.  The girl noticed it.  His heart began to beat as if it had burst out of its sheath.  He slowly looked at the ground and asked permission from his companion.

      Wow, man was created and he is destined to descend into a place of testing called the world.  Man’s life, love, career and even death is a test.  Only the Almighty knows the greatness and smallness of the trial and the level of his servant in the presence of God.  But love was not a simple test either.  It was a great test.  It was a hard test.  It was a test that every lover could not bear and could not receive his love.  It was a test of pure love, similar to the test of Yusuf and Zulaikha.  This is what the girl thought (she realized it when she grew up).   Thinking about it, the girl was at a loss for words.  He looked only into the eyes of the man in front of him.  He looked into the eyes of his beloved Suigani, the one he couldn’t forget even after years, the one he hoped to be together in heaven after the separation of the world.  The eyes in front of him smiled.  The girl couldn’t laugh.  The feelings are confused.

How must she feel, poor girl?  He didn’t notice as he walked out of his office.  What if we worked on the same team, if our gazes met every day.  He didn’t even know how he stopped the car with such thoughts in his head.  He cried on the way.  From the window of the car, she admired the beauty of the countryside in her youth, where she dreamed of going as a bride when she grew up.  But no such luck.   I wish it were as beautiful as this scene!  Sometimes ordinary eyes are not enough to notice beauty.  To realize the truth of beauty, besides two eyes, one also needs sight, that is, the eye of the heart.

Among the people of our time, those eyes are a blessing given only to the beloved of Allah.  “We didn’t get it,” the girl read.  ‘Well, I was young, but he is a man.  Are you happy now?  Is the world beautiful without me for the man who once said the world is beautiful with me?

      A few years ago, the girl noticed that the hardships, aches and pains in her heart began to affect not only her soul, but her body as well.  He realized this again when he looked in the mirror in his room.  Complaining of fever, headache, insomnia, he began to cry again in his dark room.  Complaining to anyone.  There is a reward for the pains that were not told to the mother.  This girl has pains and sorrows that she has not even told her mother about.  How can she tell her mother that the one love of her life, the God-given love of her life, has re-entered her life and begun to affect her feelings?

      No! No! I can’t tell her.  She records the sounds of her heart in her journal.  She seals it to make it easier for her.  Why is he smiling at me?  Or laughing at me?  Why was I surrounded by incomprehensible feelings: sadness, humiliation, crying, deceit?

      I was someone who loved, fought and lost.  That’s all.  I confessed.  My goal is near the valley of loneliness.  He loves me as his slave.

      Years later, she realized  That the only one she should trust, love, rely on and tell of her suffering was Allah.  Now, as always, she remembered a verse of her favorite song, “They don’t call him a rich man, he has no country, for he’s a piece of heart.”  “Yes, I have no country to my liking.  I must keep this wealth and riches pure and prepare to meet God who created me, loved me, made me love, tested me, blessed me and made me dearer than all.” 

“In sha Allah, the trials of life will one day end.  The answers to the exam will be tested.  And we will be victorious.  Our meeting will be beautiful.  Because you saved your money, I kept my love in my heart pure, and because I was able to laugh in this life even if it was hard.  My liquid!  Go and enjoy the ocean of knowledge, your students.  I said: “Allah.  I have a sea of patience.  With wishes for a beautiful meeting,” said the girl, entrusting her beloved to God, and went to sleep.

Poetry from Michael Todd Steffen

Your Last Video

There’s our Jo Jo, in the video she

took of herself preparing a recipe for

braised beef neck bone and seasoned turnips

only a week or so before the accident

that devastated us. For the longest time

I couldn’t bring myself to watch the clip,

sorely aware that hand, pinching the salt,

busy with the knife and onion, now lay cold

in cherrywood in the Wisconsin earth.

The oaks through winter aptly wore no green.

Wind ushered cloudy skies. I’d forgotten

about it altogether. Then one day

there it was in my files, jo jo_s julia

hovering out on a new PC’s large screen,

her voice chirping on to my astonishment.

Stir the vinegar briskly, adding oil,

a drop or two—oops, three… Strange how cooking

draws out the intensity in her, the swallowed

husky voice, her look’s aimed fire.

Why doesn’t Jo Jo smile? her mom frowned.

That isn’t my little girl. True to the mother

that somehow may never be consoled.

She was determined to succeed at everything,

shadow and pith, the hairbrush in her mirror

to the subtleties in settlement depositions—

vying for partnership in the firm.

Clyde her husband didn’t grasp every hand

extended from the sleeves of their tailored suits.

Her driver’s heavy foot was notorious.

Either you slow down, I once barked at her

from my squirming passenger seat,

or stop the damn car and let me out.

I’ll walk, I told her. Kill yourself if you want to.

I told her that. I didn’t mean it that way

of course, and how I deal with having said it

is with admiration for her persistence that could

make me say a thing because I meant it

beyond how out of line it was. Courage,

I often wonder, or restraint from offending,

which is the greater virtue? Honesty or kindness—

wholly ignoring the context of that morning

as though it were all fate for a type

of personality, all her will. And nothing to do with

the unseen ice on the road into the curve.

Essay from Shermatova Hilola Mirzayevna and Tolqinboyeva Odinaxon

THE ROLE OF THE IT SECTOR IN OUR LIVES

Shermatova Hilola Mirzayevna

Associate Professor, Department of Information Technology, Fergana State University

shermatovahilola1978@gmail.com

Tolqinboyeva Odinaxon Dilshodbek qizi

1st-year student, Faculty of Information Systems and Technologies, Fergana State University

Odinatolqinboyeva8@gmail.com

Annotation:

This topic highlights the role and significance of the IT (Information Technology) sector in modern society. IT technologies are widely used in everyday life, as well as in education, healthcare, industry, and business. They help simplify human activities and provide quick and effective solutions. Therefore, the development of the IT sector is one of the key factors in the progress of any society.

Keywords:

Information Technology, modern life, efficiency, development, digitalization

The Role of the IT Sector in Our Lives

Information technologies (IT) have become an integral part of human progress today. The use of IT solutions is increasing in every sphere of our lives. These technologies not only simplify daily tasks but also lead to economic, social, and cultural changes on a global scale. The rapid development of the IT sector affects all layers of modern society and takes processes like information exchange, education, production, and management to a completely new level.

The Role of IT in Everyday Life

Nowadays, everyone feels the convenience of IT through tools like smartphones, computers, and the internet. People communicate instantly via social networks and messengers, shop online, and access services remotely. It’s even possible to order food, pay bills, receive education, or get medical advice without leaving home. All of this is the result of IT development.

IT Technologies in Education

One of the greatest achievements of the IT sector is the transformation of the education system. Through e-textbooks, online courses, and distance learning platforms (such as Coursera, Udemy, Khan Academy), students from any part of the world can receive a quality education. This became especially important during the pandemic, which clearly demonstrated the crucial role of IT in education.

IT Applications in Healthcare

In the medical field, information about patients is stored electronically, and doctors can access necessary test results within seconds. Telemedicine, AI-assisted diagnosis, and surgical operations using robotic assistants are among the most advanced IT achievements in healthcare. These technologies make health services faster, more accurate, and safer.

IT Advancements in Business and Industry

Modern business and manufacturing are unimaginable without IT technologies. Automated systems, financial apps, CRM systems, and AI-based analytical tools help companies simplify operations and increase profits. The e-commerce market is rapidly expanding and becoming a key branch of the global economy.

Importance of Cybersecurity

With the growth of information technologies, security has become a pressing issue. Protecting personal data, ensuring the safety of financial transactions, and maintaining the stability of government systems make cybersecurity an essential area. Therefore, cybersecurity experts are in high demand today.

IT Opportunities for Youth

The IT sector opens wide opportunities for young people. Young professionals are building careers in areas such as programming, web design, artificial intelligence, network security, and data analytics — achieving success not only locally but also internationally. The internet allows for self-learning, acquiring knowledge, and launching startups, which is one of the major advantages of IT.

Conclusion

Information technologies are fundamentally transforming society. They bring convenience, speed, and efficiency to human life. The development of the IT sector is not only a technical achievement but also a driver of cultural and social progress. Therefore, every young person should strive to study this field deeply and use it effectively.

References:

1. Xamidov S., To‘xtayev A. – Fundamentals of Information Technology, Tashkent, 2021.

2. Karimov I. – Fundamentals of Computers and the Internet, Tashkent, “O‘qituvchi” Publishing House, 2020.

3. Website: www.uzedu.uz – Information on the development of IT in Uzbekistan’s education system.

4. Website: www.stat.uz – Data from the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan (IT sector statistics).

5. Website: www.techradar.com – Articles on global development of modern IT technologies.

6. Website: www.who.int – The role of IT in healthcare (World Health Organization).

7. Online courses: Coursera.org and Khanacademy.org – Educational materials on IT.

8. UNESCO and ITU reports – Global indicators on information technology and digital development.

Poetry from J.K. Durick

Sounds of Work

Works going on down the street.

I can’t see it, but there’s plenty

Of noise coming this way. There’s

The noise of machines and trucks

Coming and going – grinding and

Whirring and crunching, the usual

Sounds of men at work; no, better

Yet – the eternal sounds of work

Getting done. The gangs of slaves

Slaving over the pyramids must

Have sounded like this. All that

Sand and geometry playing out.

Or the sound of that day they built

Rome. The Colosseum alone must

Clamored, like this, for attention. 

I’m feeling what all those Pharaohs

And Emperors must have felt with

Noise playing out down their streets.

My gathering may be smaller, but

With all their machines and voices

Raised in the eternal workmen’s

Chorus about building, the sound

Must be almost the same.

         $50.20

The amount is there

Hanging in space.

I owe them

This amount.

It’s overdue.

I owe an overdue

Amount.

They’re sure I do.

This second notice

Seems serious.

They’ll offer a plan

To pay the amount

Over time

Monthly installments.

When I ask why I owe

This overdue amount

They become vague.

I just wonder

How I can owe and

They can’t tell me

Any details about

What they did or

What I might have done

To get this

Now overdue amount.

                   11:07

11:07 it says, even though 11:08

Is ready to pop up, a foregone

Conclusion. It does that, keeps

Moving up, moving along. It’s time

And never waits, is never polite

About the way it treats us. There

Once was the minute hand always

Sweeping along, chasing us as we

Made the best of what’s happening.

Now the numbers in the bottom left

Corner of the screen measure us

Push us, pull us, threaten us, cajole

Us, remind us, remind us of these

Numbers piling up. Am I late again?

Early? Then, what’s next to do, to be

Done? 11:07 is moving fast, is getting

Away, became 11:08, 09 …. While I

Was sitting here trying to still their

Shifting, their forever mounting up.

It’s now 11:26. 19 minutes have gone

By, disappeared into where I’m going

Moving into time, becoming part of

The past that’s kept carefully by my

Laptop, down in the left-hand corner

Just above the day/month/year that

I’m stuck in.

Poetry from Manik Chakraborty

Middle aged South Asian man sits in a wooden carved chair with a red patterned cushion. He's got a trimmed mustache and short brown hair and a white collared shirt and some flowers behind him.

Mother

Mother, who puts me to sleep, 

The moonlight, 

The darkness disappears after receiving the caress of mother’s hand.

I listen to the story of mother’s face, 

In the land of the princess, 

I get lost in the dream, 

In that unknown land.

Mother, who is the smile on my face, 

The happiness that makes my mind forget, 

When I get mother near me, 

There is no more sorrow. 

Mother, who is full of my love

The bright green sheet,

I was born in my mother’s lap

All my love.

Mother is the language of my mouth

Mother is my land

Holding mother’s gentle hand

I walk with the happiness of my heart

Poetry from Murodullayev Umidjon

Central Asian teen boy in a serious school uniform, black suit and tie with gold designs draws geometric designs at a table.

WHO IS A FRIEND?

Just yesterday, I saw a question posed,

Asking for a definition of true friends.

I paused, lost in thought, considering my response,

Six letters came to mind, a word so grand.

What qualities define a genuine friend?

The question pierced my heart, sharp and profound.

Then, with sincere hope, I could finally contend,

A pure heart, noble intentions, all around.

In times of hardship, a true friend will seek,

To offer solace, a companion’s embrace.

Words fail to capture the qualities we speak,

The kind of comrade humanity would embrace.

I haven’t found what my heart truly desires,

A true friend, a figure like parents so dear.

This longing within my soul still transpires,

For a bond so strong, a friend always near.

Murodullayev Umidjon Rustam o’g’li was born on November 2,2006,in the Narpay district of the Samarkand region.

He is currently a student of Tashkent State of Transport University.