At the National Gallery
He’s at the National Gallery
In London
And he realizes
That the people
Who speak loudly in museums
Probably deserve
Whatever happens to them.
Taylor Dibbert is a poet in Washington, DC. He’s author of, most recently, “On the Rocks.”
More than Enough
Take it out
and spin it in your hand
as if that is what
it was always meant to do.
These are the moments that see us
undeniably under,
promising things physically impossible
to come through with.
But still,
it’s the hope
that proceeds everything,
and most days,
that’s more than enough.
The Interim
A rock embedded in the wall
near the bottom of a canyon
knows nothing of the constant pressure,
the massive force under which it operates,
because that’s all it’s known
since before history,
or somewhere thereabouts.
You see, it’s all about perspective,
stretching that timeline to the
far reaches of our collective imagination,
neverminding the present troubles,
or at least shrinking them
to their true infinitesimal form.
But it’s so hard to practice this zen
when every horizon
illuminates the suffering of
everyone
who could be anyone
who could be you.
On a long enough timeline,
everyone’s survival rate
drops to zero,
but what we do in the spaces
between where the string is cut
is what matters,
whether we choose to
plant
or paint
or burn.
Consequences
Mom told me
if I messed with raw meat,
especially raw birds,
I’d get sick and die.
It was a practical warning,
since we lived out in the woods;
feral cats
and coyotes
and stray dogs
always leaving half-eaten presents
that she didn’t want me covered in,
because who knew when
the well would run dry,
and a drive to town
just for a shower at the Y
was always such a hassle.
So, defiantly standing in that trailer
in 198-whatever,
I laid a palm flat on the
package of uncooked chicken.
It was still frozen,
so cold, it didn’t take long
for my hand to begin to hurt.
I pulled it away,
and rubbing it, thought:
If I die, I’ll be in so much trouble.
Weather Report
She stands under a rotting eve,
waiting for the
storm to pass.
This has been going on
longer than she can remember;
seeking questionable shelter
from a life that
continuously dumps.
Regardless of her
ample experience,
she always finds herself
soaked in some way.
But right now,
as nothing physical but sunshine
threatens her day,
she hides,
because everything is a storm
when she refuses to see
anything else.
Trees flutter in the breeze,
no cars pass to thicken the air;
it’s all a reflection of
someone else’s ideal.
There’s little but desolation behind her,
and all she can see ahead
is the unveiled threats
of an uncaring world.
A cloud purer than watercolor
passes overhead,
but all she can envision
is the coming torrent.
She stands under a rotting eve,
waiting for the storm to pass,
but it never does.
Sunrise
We admit that we see things
only from forgotten corners;
a less than desirable perspective,
but it’s the one we’ve got,
flowering from a slant view,
we see little but refractions,
and we use those to create
our own infractions,
pulverizing the semblance
of community,
terrorizing any sense of
coming to balance.
Last night,
tonight,
tomorrow;
it all blends into a blandness
felt by all,
but acknowledged by none.
So we see these things
only from forgotten corners,
but sometimes
we can look to and from afar,
and can almost make out
a new horizon.
James Benger is the author of several books of poetry and prose. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Writers Place, and the Riverfront Readings Committee, and is the founder of the 365 Poems in 365 Days online workshop. He lives in Kansas City with his wife and children.
Black Wings
‘Twas the night before they hooted echoes of cackling laughter
that played a loathing symphony;
knotted joints grasped the veins of empty melodies,
in hopes that someone would notice their song;
cobweb strings mourned,
as the roots anchored dust into its wooden body–
tilted softly along the whispers of dusk–and
entrapped notes being forgotten, gingerly;
pressing black and white muffled the air,
how stagnant they were under her ethereal beauty
as she breathed warmth in their cadaver,
and hushed them a lullaby;
yet, one would only see the angelic dusts
flying ever so gently under the nacreous clouds of the evening,
above the obscure fields of daffodils;
their shadows pirouetted under the moon,
and they ambitiously started plinking,
caressing the void notes,
along the breaths of velvet, dark green Earth;
I heard them.
The Korean Flower
Her glass drops reflect the eyes
she once had sown,
as she sinks into the innocence that never
drifted away
A soft breeze swirls her silver hair as she
slowly collapse
her wrinkled eyes,
brim her lips
with the last water,
cascades of them
she last colored,
kisses of sun bleeds through her body
Petals she collected in her vase,
withered too soon before goodbye–their
picturesque shades soak the
great emerald beauty, floating
Roses of Sharon on its gentle shivers,
and how she watch her fingers slip away from those
fading memories and the blooms
Gentle laughter of her children echoed like wind chimes,
each mellow tune harmonizing in her ears
and then she saw–
her daughter’s warm tears trickling down, her
trembling hands cradling the weathered palms
that once taught her how to hold the world
With her last breath, the mother whispers one final lullaby for her daughter:
when mother leaves to pick oysters in the shadows of the island,
the baby stays behind alone, watching over the house
then, to the lullaby sung by the sea,
slowly and gently, the baby falls asleep,
hoping that her daughter would marvel at the
ephemeral Nature and one day realize
how petals perish
beautifully.
Last Moments with the World
A mother’s wail drifted through the gust of waves,
beware of him who walks where echo fades.
Clung her tight from the
Devil’s hand–choking,
eating those
fleshes
gargling Death before it spoke
hushed by the piercing wind
Is that what it feels like–to be
Justified?
Kingdoms fall
like lullabies luring a child to
marvel at the synchronous aurora and dirge
Nature sings so calmly,
one day it will realize
petals wither with with beauty too cold to touch
quivers of sand and wind
rocked the ship
side-to-side
tilting the decks
until all that it left was the
vulnerability a human endures–how they
writhed.
xanthic light flickers between the rumble while her
yearning carved on the woods
zipped shut by the deep hush.
Jian Yeo is a student of poetry based in Massachusetts, where the changing seasons and scenic landscapes serve as a constant source of inspiration for her work. She is currently a student, balancing her academic pursuits with her passion for writing.
Previously appeared in Romance Buds, and Butterflies
Asha sashayed across the London tavern floor, looking every bit the exotic, strikingly beautiful Indian ex-pat. As she walked, men turned on their barstools to regard her, thinking, I’d like some of that. But Asha was not available, at least not to them.
Ignoring the others, she stopped at a table in the center of the saloon, where sat an 80-ish man, gray at the temples, and with a slight tremor in his hands. He seized his cane and made to stand up, but Asha held up her hand to stop him.
“Don’t get up, Ari,” she said, taking a seat by his side.
Across the tavern, covetous men shook their heads, bewildered at Asha’s choice.
“Have you been waiting long?” she asked.
Ari shook his head no. He seemed to have difficulty speaking.
Suddenly Asha moved, leaning into Ari and throwing her arms about him and kissing him affectionately on the cheek. She squeezed him tight.
The spectators in the bar rolled their eyes and tossed back their drinks, puzzled by the apparent attraction of the old man to the stunning woman.
“What’s that all about, Fahey?” a large, attractive man dressed in the garb of a construction worker asked the bartender.
Fahey said, “I can’t say for sure where it began, Mike, but I’ve heard rumors from those that know one or the other of them. Ari was an upper class Brit in the colonial days. Some of them were right bastards but he was one of the good ones. He did what he could to help the locals. Asha’s family was quite poor, but Ari got her father a good job as a government bureaucrat. Got a good paycheck for signing papers, and making low-level decisions. As a result, Asha’s family and Ari’s socialized a lot. Asha’s family learned about Britain, and Ari’s family learned about India. When they first started socializing Asha was two years old, and Ari was a forty-year-old man with a wife the same age.”
“How old is she now?” inquired Mike.
Fahey shrugged. “Around 40? Anything else you want to know?” he asked archly.
The irony of the remark was lost on the other man. “Is she involved with the old man, or is she a…free agent?”
“My man,” said Fahey, with a knowing grin, “nothing in this life is free.”
“How about you introduce us?” asked Mike.
Fahey began to wipe down the bar. “You’re a little late,” he said.
“You mean…” began Mike.
Fahey nodded. “They’re married.” When Mike looked lost, the bartender continued, “Ari lived in India until about ten years ago, when he began to get dementia. Ari’s wife, Mabel, moved them back to London to their old home so he’d be in more familiar surroundings. About five years ago, his wife became terminal and she contacted Asha and she came to the city almost immediately. She moved in with them and took care of them both. Then, a year ago, when Mabel died, Asha and Ari got married so that it was acceptable for the culture for them to live together. You understand?
Mike did understand, and gazed with compassion and admiration across the tavern at a true love story.
Discipline as a social event and pedagogical process: The statute of pre-school education in Uzbekistan and the role of it in bring up kids.
Student of Andijan State Institute of Foreign Languages
Faculty of English Philology, Teaching Methodology,
and Translation Studies, Nazarova Moxiniso
Muhammadaliyevamohiniso2003@gmail.com
Abstract: This article examines discipline as a pedagogical and social phenomenon in Uzbekistan’s pre-school education system. It explores the impact of legal statutes, teaching practices, and cultural values on children’s behavior and moral development. Emphasis is placed on the interaction between educators, families, and institutional frameworks. The study highlights how consistent routines, positive reinforcement, and respectful communication shape early childhood discipline. It argues that discipline is not punishment, but a means to guide children toward empathy, self-control, and responsible citizenship. The article provides practical insights for educators and policymakers aiming to improve disciplinary approaches in early education settings in Uzbekistan.
Keywords: Discipline, early childhood, preschool education, Uzbekistan, pedagogy, legal statutes, moral development, behavior, upbringing, socialization, child psychology, communication, teachers, families, routine, self-regulation.
Аннотация: В статье дисциплина рассматривается как педагогическое и социальное явление в системе дошкольного образования Узбекистана. Анализируются влияние нормативных актов, педагогической практики и культурных ценностей на поведение и нравственное развитие детей. Подчеркивается взаимодействие между педагогами, семьями и институтами. Исследование показывает, как постоянный режим, позитивное подкрепление и уважительное общение формируют дисциплину в раннем возрасте. Доказывается, что дисциплина — это не наказание, а средство воспитания эмпатии, самоконтроля и ответственности. Статья содержит практические рекомендации для педагогов и разработчиков политики в области раннего детского воспитания.
Ключевые слова: Дисциплина, ранний возраст, дошкольное образование, Узбекистан, педагогика, законодательство, нравственное развитие, поведение, воспитание, социализация, детская психология, общение, учителя, семьи, режим, саморегуляция.
Annotatsiya: Ushbu maqolada intizom O‘zbekiston maktabgacha ta’lim tizimida pedagogik va ijtimoiy hodisa sifatida tahlil qilinadi. Bolalarning xulqi va axloqiy rivojiga qonunlar, tarbiyaviy amaliyotlar hamda madaniy qadriyatlarning ta’siri o‘rganiladi. O‘qituvchi, oila va muassasalar o‘rtasidagi o‘zaro hamkorlik alohida e’tiborga olinadi. Intizomni shakllantirishda muntazamlik, ijobiy rag‘batlantirish va hurmat asosidagi muloqot muhim rol o‘ynashi ko‘rsatiladi. Maqolada intizom jazolash emas, balki bolalarni empatiya, o‘zini boshqarish va ijtimoiy mas’uliyat sari yo‘naltiruvchi vosita sifatida baholanadi. Amaliy tavsiyalar pedagoglar va siyosat ishlab chiquvchilar uchun keltirilgan.
Kalit so‘zlar: Intizom, erta yosh, maktabgacha ta’lim, O‘zbekiston, pedagogika, qonunchilik, axloqiy rivojlanish, xulq-atvor, tarbiya, ijtimoiylashuv, bolalar psixologiyasi, muloqot, o‘qituvchilar, oilalar, tartib, o‘zini boshqarish.
Introduction
Discipline is a fundamental component of any educational system and a key mechanism in shaping children’s behavior, values, and attitudes from early childhood. In Uzbekistan, pre-school education serves as a foundational stage in which discipline is introduced not only as a social necessity but also as a pedagogical aim. Pre-schools are often children’s first formal social environment beyond the family, making them vital platforms for social and moral education. Here, discipline evolves beyond mere obedience to become a holistic process that fosters emotional, moral, and cognitive development. This article examines how discipline operates within the legal and educational framework of Uzbekistan’s pre-school system and evaluates how educators and parents collaboratively instill socially responsible behavior in children.
Discipline in educational theory is generally regarded as the structured means by which children learn self-regulation, acceptable behavior, and respect for social norms. Prominent educational thinkers such as Rousseau, Dewey, and Vygotsky offered unique interpretations of discipline. Vygotsky emphasized the social roots of development, arguing that discipline is acquired through interactions with adults and peers. Dewey viewed the school as a miniature society where children learn cooperation and responsibility through experience. These theories support the idea that discipline should not be punitive but should guide children toward internalizing values and developing autonomy.
From a sociological perspective, discipline is a process of integrating the individual into society. Children grow up surrounded by cultural expectations, and discipline helps them navigate these norms. In Uzbekistan, social traditions emphasize respect for elders, humility, and cooperation. These values are reinforced in pre-school environments, where educators model appropriate behavior and social expectations. Through structured routines, peer interactions, and guided play, children learn to internalize the behavioral standards of their community. Teachers thus act not only as educators but also as cultural transmitters.
Pedagogically, discipline aims to create an environment conducive to learning, cooperation, and personal growth. In Uzbek pre-schools, discipline is embedded in the structure of the day—through scheduled activities, routines, and consistent expectations. Teachers employ strategies such as positive reinforcement, storytelling with moral messages, and structured group activities to help children practice patience, empathy, and self-control. Discipline is seen as a proactive process where children are encouraged to understand the consequences of their actions and learn problem-solving skills through guided reflection.
Teachers in Uzbekistan’s pre-school institutions are central to implementing effective disciplinary strategies. Their training includes modules on developmental psychology, behavioral management, and conflict resolution. Teachers are encouraged to use age-appropriate, respectful methods to guide behavior, such as storytelling, songs, role-play, and visual cues. A key component of their role is emotional modeling—children observe how teachers react to stress, resolve disputes, and interact with others, and they often mirror these behaviors. Thus, teachers must demonstrate calm, fairness, and empathy to foster the same in their students.
Discipline is most effective when schools and families work in harmony. In Uzbekistan, there is strong cultural emphasis on family involvement in child upbringing. Parents are regularly engaged through meetings, home-school communication diaries, and parenting workshops. Many families uphold values that align with school expectations, such as obedience and community orientation. However, discrepancies between traditional parenting methods and progressive educational approaches can create tensions. For instance, some parents may expect stricter discipline, while schools promote positive, non-punitive strategies. Effective collaboration and family education programs help bridge these differences.
Modern educational philosophy increasingly supports child-centered approaches that emphasize positive discipline. This method focuses on understanding children’s perspectives and guiding their behavior through dialogue and empathy. In Uzbek pre-schools, positive discipline might involve allowing children to make simple choices, engaging them in rule-making, and encouraging peer-to-peer problem-solving. For example, instead of scolding a child for interrupting, a teacher might explain the importance of taking turns and praise the child for showing patience. This encourages internal motivation and fosters emotional intelligence.
Field observations in various Uzbek pre-schools illustrate the practical application of discipline in everyday learning. In one example, teachers used a “feelings corner” equipped with toys and emotion cards to help children express their moods and resolve conflicts. Another school implemented a peer helper system where older children modeled appropriate behavior for younger ones. Daily routines included storytelling sessions focused on moral lessons, cooperative games, and structured transitions between activities. These practices show that discipline is not treated as a separate activity but is integrated into the overall learning process.
Despite progressive policies and practices, several challenges remain in implementing effective discipline. Large class sizes can make individualized attention difficult. Some teachers, particularly in rural areas, lack access to continuous professional development in child-centered techniques. Furthermore, traditional disciplinary methods such as verbal correction or shaming still persist in some settings. Without strong monitoring and support, it can be difficult to shift from authoritative models to more empathetic, educational approaches. Addressing these issues requires policy enforcement, teacher training, and cultural awareness.
Discipline within Uzbekistan’s pre-school education system serves as both a socializing agent and a pedagogical foundation. It reflects cultural values, legal standards, and educational goals aimed at raising morally responsible, emotionally balanced, and socially aware children. With ongoing reforms and greater collaboration among educators, families, and policymakers, discipline can continue to evolve toward more compassionate, child-centered practices that support holistic development.
References
As an educator, Nazarova Moxiniso is deeply interested in preschool pedagogy, child development, and innovative teaching practices that support holistic education.
Whispers to You (Beloved Mother)
At night I climb where the wind can hear,
The stars above feel somehow near.
Clouds drift slow, like her gentle hands,
Still guiding me through life’s strange lands.
I tell the sky the words for my mom I save,
Stories I wish, to her I gave.
The moon just listens, the stars don’t reply,
In silent light in the midnight sky.
Though she’s far, I still believe,
In every breeze, her love I receive.
Wazed Abdullah is a student of grade ten in Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.
RABINDRANATH TAGORE AND JERNAIL SINGH ANAND
Mauro Montacchiesi (Rome)
ESERGO
“Faith is the bird that, when the dawn is still dark, feels the light..” — Rabindranath Tagore
PREFACE
In the brownian traffic of cosmic thought, few, very few indeed, are the voices that shine with luminescing clarity -Rabindranath Tagore and Jernail Singh Anand are two of them. Although they are many years apart, they are brought together in the spiritual and poetic sphere of existence, where their philosophies, ethics and aesthetic minds intermingle in a metaphysical quest. This meeting is not a mere dialogue of minds, but an eavesdropping of two souls: two souls that are committed to truth, to beauty and to human advancement. Bengal’s mystic bard meets bio-textual consciousness sage of a later age; Tagore and Anand speak across the time and space of centuries and continents.
MONOLOGUE BY TAGORE
I am the hushed tone of the break of day.
My words are drawings in the air, my grief and my joy have come and met.
The universe is not a problem to be solved but a poem to be sung. In every flower’s whisper, in every beggar’s palm, I see the face of the Infinite.
Not to teach, but to wake. The soul is not a lesson but a dance.” Oh Earth, with fire let me kiss you, and in your embrace vanish.
HAIKU
Waves of morning light
caress the soul’s silent shore
—truth blooms in stillness.
MONOLOGUE BY ANAND
I am the pen of the hopeless, the scream of the battered Earth.
My ink suffers of time, my pen mourns.
The truth is not a relic, it is a cry. I’m moving with some prophets/ eating with the orphans.
I saw my thirst mirrored, there in Whitman and Puran Singh. In the mirror of Whitman and Puran Singh, I found my thirst; I learnt my thirsting. Out of this thirst, I forged the theory of Bio-Text—where blood and word can no longer be told apart.
APHORISM
“The poem is written by the world whispering through the soul, not by the poet.”
DIALOGUE BETWEEN TAGORE AND ANAND
TAGORE: Do you write with joy, Anand, or with wounds?
ANAND: I write because wounds have learned to sing. And you?
TAGORE: I sang before I knew what sorrow meant. Then sorrow became my scale.
ANAND: We have walked the same riverbanks, then. I named the stream Bio-Text. You called it Gitanjali.
TAGORE: And yet, a longing for the Divine in the human, the current is the same.
ANAND: The poem is our proof, our protest, our prayer.
TAGORE: If truth be told. The poet speaks, even in silence.
ANAND: And the poet restore to health, in suffering.
TAGORE: Like bread among seekers, then let our ink be shared.
SYNTHESIS
In their dialogic dance, Tagore and Anand, unveil the poem as a sacred act: both offering and resistance, both vision and balm. The mystic and the reformer merge into a single pulse of conscience. Their words, whether sung or bled, form a liturgy of hope in the age of dissonance.
PARALIPOMENON
The play takes the form of a dreamed conversation between two great poets who write in right-minded, spiritually questing ways. The form transitions seamlessly blip by blip from monologue to dialogue, aphorism to synthesis, and calls to mind Tagore’s transformative mysticism and Anand’s existential activism. The haiku is a frozen breath of union, and the aphorism is the metaphysical embodiment.
AUTHOR
Mauro Montacchiesi is one of the leading Italian intellectuals, multi talented and multi awarded author, ex President of the A.I.A.M. International Academy of Modern Art in Rome.
DR. ANAND:
Dr. Jernail Singh Anand, with an opus of 180 plus books, is Laureate if the Seneca, Charter of Morava, Franz Kafka and Maxim Gorky awards. His name adorns the Poets’ Rock in Serbia. Anand is a towering literary figure whose work embodies a rare fusion of creativity, intellect, and moral vision. He’s not just an Indian author but a global voice, challenging readers to confront the complexities of existence while offering hope through art and ethics. If Tagore is the serene sage of a colonial past, Anand is the fiery prophet of a chaotic present.