a study of the mantis shrimp

this body breathes dizzying ultraviolets and looping

polarized light. in, out. easy as breath. they blind me, 

i am blind to them. the mantis shrimp holds

sixteen photoreceptors, inhaling and exhaling colors 

imaginary to me. and what is imaginary but invisible? 

still, the mantis shrimp disappoints, like all prayers do.

it can not, does not distinguish the gasping pigments 

dancing across its exoskeleton. sacrifices sight for

survival. why? when this vision is breathing? when it is

lungs alive with color? this body breathes. in, out. out.

Tteok (떡)

Half-eaten on my desk, gelatinous flesh 

puffed where the tines of the fork slid inside, 

is a rice cake. White and fluffy with three

lone mustard yellow seeds nestled inside. Like three

sore thumbs or three dull iron eyes. They taste

like rice cake.

Pinched like petals, flour

wilts like sorrow. The best flowers 

are sour. The half-

animals that bite into them

leave them half-eaten. They always leave

them. Strewn on the floor like

metaphor turned cannibal. This is our

last defense, this was

our last stand. We taste

like rice cake.

AN OBITUARY FOR MY FATHER

after Victoria Chang

Because you used to dream in chromatic figuration and now you forget your dreams when you wake up. Because the memory of them warms your hands like a cup of liquor you can’t keep down as you stumble through the door. Because your vision fails, as in it fails you, as in it betrays you. Because you wanted to create something. Leave this world something more than your grave. Press your thumb into the soft flesh of the earth and breathe. Where does our breath go? You pray it is not back into our lungs.

Alternatively: because you warm my curious hands when I wander out to the curious stars. Because you roll down the car window to the infinite sky so we can tip our heads back. Because you don’t flinch when I pluck black hair after gray hair after white hair. Because I know I will mourn you like you mourn yourself.

Haeun (Regina) Kim is a student writer from Seoul, South Korea. An alumna of the Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship, the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference, and the Sunhouse Summer Writing Mentorship, she has been recognized by Bennington College, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, River of Words, and more. Her writing has been published or is forthcoming in Rust and Moth, Stone Soup, and The Galway Review, among others. An editor at Polyphony Lit, she serves as the founder of MISO-JIEUM. When not writing, she can be found painting in an art studio or struggling through amateur ballet.

Erin Kim is a student attending a school in Seoul, South Korea. When she has not trapped herself in her room alone working on her art, she enjoys playing tennis. 

Somewhere Between. 

*For John Dorsey. 

The dusk and the blanket of night, 

the temptation and trepidation, 

the aromatic handful of fries  

and the grease stained takeaway carton,

the ageing and the attrition, 

the nostalgia and the cautious optimism – 

we write, 

because it’s either that, or go crazy.

The BB Gun War of 2004. 

The greatest shot 

of the BB gun war 

of 2004 – 

was a complete fluke. 

One that at I’d FIRED 

from the top of the stairs,

at my brother who 

was hiding

under my dad’s chair 

reloading,

in the kitchen 

as our old man 

ate leftover lasagne. 

It sailed through 

the air and tiny square on 

the back of the chair 

to pierce flesh. 

Nobody appreciating 

the chances. 

of the shot connecting 

even if I’d tried, 

especially not my dad,

who’d just been shot 

straight in the arse.

A Memory of Basque Summer Rain. 

Sat at the desk, listening to thunder, 

drinking cheap wine – 

once again, I was the boy that nobody 

owned and I was alone in every sense 

that evening.

Through the window – 

a lightning bolt hit the ground and 

illuminated the tops of the palm trees – 

another storm having rolled in off 

The Bay of Biscay. 

The swing windows tapped against the wall, 

the stiff latch mysteriously undoing itself 

once again that evening – 

which only added to the strange series 

of events that had unfolded in that flat. 

I continued to sit there, waiting on both 

something and nothing, 

swearing that the lightning bolts outside 

were inching ever closer – 

certain that change was coming with them.

Why I Took Down The Dreamcatcher.   

I no longer dream about 

the one who got away, 

or the sinking mud that I’d fall into alone 

in that beautiful forest – 

where I’d eventually go down in awe, 

staring up at a cloudless sky. 

Yet, I see now that those dreams 

were the ones that I truly felt alive – 

with everything else 

feeling like a night shift where life 

passes idly by. 

Gwil James Thomas is a poet, novelist and inept musician. He lives in his home town of Bristol, England, but has also lived in London, Brighton and Spain. His second poetry collection The P45 Power Ballad is available from Yellow King Press and his nineteenth chapbook of poetry Until The Autumnal Sundown is forthcoming from Two Key Customs. Some of his poetry has been archived by The National Poetry Library in the UK. He is part English, part Welsh and part wolf. IG: @gwiljamesthomas.

THE ROLE OF YOUTH IN THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE OF SOCIETY AND THE OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED TO THEM

Khudoyqulova Shahzoda Sherali qizi
Student of the Faculty of History, Karshi State University

Annotation: This article discusses the attention and opportunities our state provides to women, young people with disabilities, and socially vulnerable groups, in order to ensure that the youth of our society grow into healthy, educated, hardworking, and independent-minded individuals.

Keywords: Society, youth, neighborhood, state, gender equality, authority, women, leader.

Today, youth have become an integral part of shaping state governance, influencing the country’s domestic and foreign policy, and participating in its activities. The role of young people in the relationship between the state and society is significantly increasing. This is also true in Uzbekistan, where the indicator continues to grow.

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, stated:
“We will continue the state policy on youth without any deviation and with full determination. Not only will we continue it, but we will also raise this policy to the highest level required by today’s era as our top priority. We will mobilize all the power and resources of our state and society so that our youth can think independently, possess high intellectual and moral potential, and become people who do not lag behind their peers in any field on a global scale, and live a happy life.”
[Mirziyoyev Sh.M. We Will Build a Free, Prosperous, and Democratic Uzbekistan Together. Tashkent: “Uzbekistan”, 2016, p.14]

This statement is a clear example of the great attention paid to youth. Since the future, development, and progress of a country are in the hands of young people, it is necessary to first refer to the international concepts and definitions of youth.

In different countries, the age range defining youth varies. For example, in the USA and Japan, individuals aged 13–14 to 29–30 are considered youth; in Bulgaria, it is from 15 to 29; in Russia, from 15 to 30. In Germany, “younger youth” are 14–18 years old, and “older youth” are 18–27 years old. In the Republic of Uzbekistan, according to Article 3 of the Law “On State Youth Policy,” individuals aged 14 to 30 fall into the youth category.
[http://blog.xabar.uz/post/yoshlar-orasida-huquqiy-savodxonlikni-oshirishda-huquqiy-ta-lim]

From this, we can understand that young people make up a large portion of our society’s population. When discussing youth, it is important to highlight the opportunities provided for them. In Uzbekistan, broad opportunities are provided to increase the role of youth and nurture them as important figures for the country’s future. One example is the democratic reforms introduced into the management system of the mahalla (neighborhood) institution.

New management mechanisms for working with youth have been introduced, a vertical system for youth engagement has been created, youth issues are addressed directly in neighborhoods, and efforts are being made to improve the effectiveness of educational, moral, and upbringing activities in educational institutions.

According to the Presidential Decree “On Measures to Radically Improve the System of Working with Youth in Neighborhoods” (PQ-92, January 19, 2022) [https://lex.uz/uz/docs/-5831865], the position of youth leader was introduced in every neighborhood. Youth leaders are responsible for forming the “Youth Balance,” collecting necessary information about young people in the “Youth Register” and “Youth Portal” electronic platforms, and overseeing various youth support programs.

Based on the recommendations of youth leaders, different forms of assistance are provided, such as:

• One-time financial aid of up to 4 times the base calculation amount for low-income youth.
• Monthly rent subsidies of up to 3 times the base calculation amount for up to 12 months for socially vulnerable young families.
• Subsidies of up to 50 times the base calculation amount to cover up to 50% of tuition fees for talented but socially vulnerable students in vocational and higher education institutions.
• Subsidies of up to 4 times the base calculation amount to cover the cost of driving courses for socially vulnerable youth in state and non-state educational institutions.

A large portion of youth-oriented opportunities are allocated specifically to women. According to the Presidential Decree “On Accelerating Systematic Support for Families and Women” (PF-87, March 7, 2022) [https://lex.uz/docs/-5899498], reforms are being implemented to protect women’s rights and legal interests, increase their economic, social, and political activity, ensure their health, provide vocational training and employment, involve them in entrepreneurship, support women in need, and ensure gender equality, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In the education system, many opportunities are also being created. For example, socially active youth are given special privileges in admission to higher education institutions. The Presidential Grant is awarded to the top 200 applicants with the highest entrance exam scores in state higher education institutions. Education loans are provided for students studying on a contract basis, and 35% of tuition fees are covered for students who have completed military service or are socially active.

The introduction of the “Youth Register” to ensure the employment of unemployed youth has taken youth policy to a new level. Thousands of unemployed youth aged 18–30 in need of social, economic, and psychological support have been included in the register, and funds have been allocated through “Youth Funds” to solve their problems locally.

Healthy, educated, experienced, and forward-thinking youth are the greatest driving force for positive changes in society. As the First President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, stated:
“The future of our Motherland, the well-being of our people, and the country’s prestige in the international arena depend primarily on how our children grow up, what kind of people they become, and how they enter life. We must never forget this absolute truth.”
[Islam Karimov. High Spirituality is an Invincible Force. Tashkent: “Ma’naviyat”, 2008]

Among the opportunities provided to youth, special attention is given to people with disabilities. According to the Presidential Decree “On Additional Measures to Improve the System of Supporting Persons with Disabilities” (PQ-74, February 27, 2023) [https://www.lex.uz/docs/6391378], privileges are granted such as priority access to public services for persons with disabilities and their caregivers, strengthening their legal guarantees, and improving the system of providing legal assistance to them.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted:
“Building a New Uzbekistan is not just a wish or a subjective process, but an objective necessity based on deep historical foundations, the current political, legal, socio-economic, and moral-cultural realities of our country, and the age-old aspirations of our people. On this path, we must fully mobilize the knowledge, potential, and capabilities of our citizens, who are the main driving force of our reforms. Only then will our country become a strong, prosperous, and respected state in the world, as our people have dreamed of.”
[Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan. Tashkent: “Uzbekistan”, 2022]

Conclusion: Indeed, the attention and opportunities given to youth are among the strongest factors motivating us to move forward. If every young person knows how to use these opportunities wisely, they will undoubtedly grow into qualified specialists contributing greatly to the country’s development.

The continuous improvements and facilities in the education system are a source of pride. They aim to raise initiative-taking, intelligent young people, and to instill in them a sense of pride for living in a fully developed country.

Not only in education but also in other fields, youth are being supported. For example, loans are provided for young people to start their own businesses, vocational training is offered, and unemployed youth are assisted in finding jobs.

Significant attention is also given to sports, with our athletes raising our national flag high in international competitions and Olympic Games, proving the success of the country’s sports system.

It is also worth noting that young people with disabilities are given equal opportunities, and many have achieved great success in sports, arts, education, business, and leadership. Despite physical limitations, they have healthy minds, hearts, and spirits, and the state works to ensure they can contribute to society just like any other citizen.

From this, it is clear that our state maintains equal opportunities for all citizens, regardless of whether they are healthy or have disabilities. This not only pleases us as youth but also motivates us to work harder for our country.

Piano

The faint piano desk at my back

The church prayers of oblong hault

Numerous passengers thronged through

It came a virtuous glance

The rain smelled of Piccadilly

The London traffic, the Paris rainbow

All imbued on a harmonic tribe

I came and saw the victorious mansions

The fairy tale chiaroscuro of uncharted lamps

It is a place of folly of penmanship and a little trinket

I perched on the jammed trampoline

The loneliness ever growing on

As the peace was costlier than love.

Don’t Lie to Me, Mother

I know you wait for me with hope so bright,
You cry in silence deep into the night,
Just one request I ask with all my might —
Don’t hide your pain inside, my dearest mother,
Don’t say “I’m fine” and lie to me, dear mother.

No matter what — please tell me, let me share,
Let me be your healer, show I care,
Let me be the shield you always wear,
Don’t hide your pain inside, my dearest mother,
Don’t say “I’m fine” and lie to me, dear mother.

Without you, what would this world mean to me?
Without you, my days would empty be.
Tell me your sorrow — I beg you, set it free,
Don’t hide your pain inside, my dearest mother,
Don’t say “I’m fine” and lie to me, dear mother.

In every word, your kindness I can trace,
In every glance — deep love I still embrace,
To me, you’re life’s most sacred, tender grace,
Don’t hide your pain inside, my dearest mother,
Don’t say “I’m fine” and lie to me, dear mother.

When you smile, my heart is full of light,
When you tear, my soul weeps through the night,
Your son Ozodbek thinks of you each night,
Don’t hide your pain inside, my dearest mother,
Don’t say “I’m fine” and lie to me, dear mother.

Ozodbek Narzullayev was born on December 20, 2006, in the village of Bo‘ston, Koson district, Qashqadaryo region. His works have been published in several anthologies. He has participated in numerous creative competitions and has won top prizes. He is the author of the book titled “The Heart’s Emotions.”

Revolution 

We are holding out for a hero. With our forehead carved of multi versa wisdoms, 

Sent rowing on a boat designed for a destined night 

Stuck in a time lapse of revolutionary haibun 

With a soothing arctic cooling of illiteracy volcanic tears dripping on a night breast 

Calming flames of corruption 

Ascending on a house of cleaning the world dark stains

Said as he who calm anger with knowing, 

He who freezes the  magma flow of belittled burnt on nightmares 

He who spreads wisdom like wild fire. Wouldn’t sought barricades on a night songs face 

Hamza Kamar is a 16 years old Nigerian poet, painter, and Content Creator. currently studying at Legend International School. He is also member of Hill-top Creative Art Foundation (HCAF).