BOBONOVA ZULFIYA

UNIVERSITY OF INNOVATION TECHNOLOGIES

UZBEKISTAN

For the 34th Dawn of My Homeland

Time passed, and the old wounds slowly healed,
You endured much oppression, many pains concealed.
Every inch of your soil now has flower-beds revealed,
May you ever bloom and prosper, garden and meadow blessed,
My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!

Your snowy peaks embraced the sunlight’s gentle ray,
Because of you, Fitrat and Cholpon’s names were cleared today,
Hearts have found where dreams and hopes can once again stay.
You are the balm for aching hearts, the cure for all distress,
My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!

Your fields drank not water, but my nation’s blood, I deem,
My people, in dark times, lived in sorrow’s endless stream.
My people, who in hope, awaited freedom’s dream.
Oh, my motherland, may your head be safe, hard as stone,
My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!

May your harvest overflow, your blessings never cease,
I would use your sacred herbs to grant my eyesight peace.
I’d kiss your cheek to honor you, but you have no cheek’s release.
May your name be a great epic, in every tongue increased,
My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!

Your brave, courageous son stands with a mountain’s might,
His loyalty to you is an oath of solemn height.
Blessed indeed is he who’s born within your light.
Stay safe forever, oh you ancient Land of Turan,
My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!

Not for nothing are you called the Motherland so dear,
I lived all these years, your sorrows mine to bear.
I’ve not thanked you enough for your bread and salt to share.
Please forgive my faults, whether they were wrong or right,
My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!

Behold today, this wondrous, radiant day has come,
The glorious day your independence was won.
Congratulations on this blessed, triumphant one!
Live for millennia, my free and blooming Gulistan,
My soul is sacrificed for you, my Uzbekistan!

In Beauty

Contemplate its beauty

Through trees big and small

Greens, yellows subject to whim of the wind.

Streams meet rocks

Offering pleasant sound to ears

Facilitating the meditation of spiritualists.

Birds of all species

Traveling from north to south

Create pleasure

For nature lovers.

Life is beautiful

The boat centered among seas

Followed by dolphins in flight

A fascinating sight

For travelers passionate about sea life.

-Roodly Laurore

En Rose

La vie est belle 

Contemplons sa beauté 

À travers les arbres grands et petits 

Verts, jaunes soumis au caprice du vent. 

Les cours d’eau rencontrent les cailloux 

Offrant à l’ouïe un son agréable 

Facilitant la méditation des spiritualistes. 

Les oiseaux de toutes espèces 

Voyageant du nord au sud

Procurent le plaisir 

Aux amants de la nature. 

La vie est belle 

Le bateau au fond des mers 

Suivi par des dauphins en vol d’oiseau 

Un spectacle fascinant 

Aux voyageurs passionnés des poissons. 

-Roodly Laurore

Roodly Laurore was born and raised in Haiti. He is an engineer and poet. His poems, widely published, are included in: Synchronized Chaos; Spirit Fire Review; Welter University of Baltimore; Taos Journal of Poetry; Kosmos Journal; Autism Parenting Magazine; Solstice Literary Magazine; The New Verse News; Jerry Jazz Musician and others. He is the father of two sons.

Jerrice J. Baptiste is an artist poet and author of nine books. She has been published in The Yale Review; Kosmos Journal; The Tulane Review; Eco Theo Review; The Caribbean Writer and many others. Jerrice enjoys playing the role of translator and illustrator. She teaches poetry where she lives in New York!

It starts from Astana… Our country is free and free, A beauty beyond description. Water, gas, and electricity, A truly priceless wealth! Saving and preserving them, Starts from childhood. Our love for everyone, Starts from Astana. We learned to preserve our wealth, From our grandfathers. We learned freedom and purity, From our grandmothers. We are the future of the country, We will justify your trust. For a happy future, We will preserve our wealth!

Farzona Hoshimova Fergana region Margilan city 8th grade student of the Erkin Vohidov creative school

The only truth is your name

Your name, pearly like the sea
with moonlit glimmers
and as white as mother-of-pearl
tastes of honey and water
of secrets from yesterday and today.

Your name makes me green again
and stirs my heart
with your deep kisses
and sweet, soft hands
that caress my skin
with the certain hope
of faithful love and passion
to live with humility.

A writer, mediator, and visual arts technician, she has published six books: Verses of the People; History of the First Constitutional Governor of Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz in Flames; Being With…; Man’s Anxiety; Paths of the Soul; more than seventy-five anthologies; magazines, newspapers, and cultural radio programs such as “Aonikenk” and “Cultural Bonfire,” as well as television programs, etc. She has received national and international awards. A member of the C.F.C. of SADE, president of IALL, she is involved in several cultural groups such as “Together for Letters,” “Literary Sparks,” and “Artemanaike,” etc.

The Colour Of Grief 

With  every word I perched  my name on the wall of history

It is our story labelled on the teeth of fire

Believe me, I try to wear it light but it wears dark instead

Carrying this grief of a thousand pounds 

When blood is used as  ink in this poem

And tears is used as the fuel,  pain echoes loudly 

through my veins when my inside is darker than the coat of the devil

my balls are wrapped around the rings of fire

the sensation of bullets seems to be the holy 

Where guns and bullets are being used as spoon and forks in this harsh world

I  drawn and cave my feet into fire

A communal thoughts left out of a bouquet 

this rotten pain roars through my vein

like lions in the African jungle

And am drawn Into fire like flies are drawn to feces 

This pain echoes loudly through my veins

And as we end this chapter in monologue of grief 

we covered our eyes so this bloody mixture wouldn’t consume us

second smoke
a signal
of what's to come


overnight flood
what if our tarot reader
was right


storing
life's tragedies
frontal lobe


medical bill my designer stitches


her death a temporary absence


another day another court ruling


mashed potato mountain lightly salted


curled up in the tuba rattler


grand central thalamus


on my plate something absurd


in the buttery beveled eggs


fifth-generation funnel clown


dining table of contents


waiting
for the reply
that never comes


locked up in her mind
how to navigate
polar bears

Fake Life Behind the Numbers

Social media was originally created to connect people, share ideas, and unite the world. However, today it has become a powerful platform that significantly affects human psychology. Every day, millions of people showcase the most beautiful moments of their lives online, while others compare these “perfect” scenes to their own lives, quietly feeling inadequate.

According to global statistics, there are 5.24 billion social media users, who spend an average of 2 hours and 21 minutes per day on these platforms. Over the course of a year, this amounts to almost 34 days—essentially dedicating a month of life to virtual existence. The most concerning part is that a large portion of this time often pulls people into a spiral of self-doubt, envy, and loneliness.

In recent years, these negative consequences have become evident through numerous real-life examples. For instance, the famous blogger Anastasiya Tropitsel frequently showcased a luxurious lifestyle, travel, and expensive cars, attracting admiration from millions of young followers. Yet in 2020, she tragically passed away in Bali. Later reports revealed that Anastasiya had long struggled with depression but concealed her struggles to maintain the “happy persona” online. This tragedy exposed the psychological pain hidden behind the virtual life.

At its core, this problem stems from natural human needs—the desire for recognition, attention, and validation. Social media amplifies this feeling, turning it into a system measured by “likes.” People begin to evaluate themselves by numbers: more views, more comments, more followers—almost as if their value depends solely on these metrics. Consequently, genuine emotions, sincerity, and inner peace diminish, replaced by artificial standards of life.

The solution begins with changing one’s mindset. First, it is crucial to develop a culture of healthy boundaries with social media. This does not mean abandoning it entirely, but using it purposefully and in moderation. Everyone should learn to compare themselves not to others online, but to their past selves. Additionally, educational institutions should introduce lessons on digital literacy and information awareness, while promoting mental well-being and self-esteem among young people.

Social media connects us to the world, but it often distances us from ourselves. We live amidst hundreds of photos, videos, and “perfect” lives every day, yet the most important thing—inner peace—seems increasingly lost. I have realized that true happiness does not lie in “likes,” but in sincere conversations, genuine emotions, and moments spent with loved ones.

Life is given to be lived, not to be shown. Therefore, we should focus less on the fake brilliance behind screens and more on our real lives. Only then can a person preserve their true self, and only then does life truly gain meaning.

NARZULLOYEVA MUNISA BAKHROMOVNA was born on August 13th, 2006, in Surxandarya region, Sariasia district of the Republic of Uzbekistan. She is currently studying in her second year at the Faculty of Journalism. She has accomplished a lot of achievements. For instance: her articles were published in Germany’s “Raven Cage” and Kenya’s “Mt. Kenya Times” international magazines. Additionally, her articles were published twice on the official website of “Synchronized Chaos” and have been indexed on Google. Also, she is a member of the “All India Council of Technical Skill Development” and a member of “Global Education Ambassador”.