When Books Breathe: How Stories Transcend Borders, Time, and Silence
When Books Breathe
In a world constantly racing forward, books remain the quiet keepers of human memory. Unlike fleeting trends or temporary platforms, they stay rooted, whispering stories from past centuries into the ears of modern souls. A book doesn’t demand attention; it earns it slowly — through pages that unfold truth, pain, joy, and hope.
When a person opens a book, they don’t just read. They listen — to distant lands, silenced voices, and forgotten times. Through the weight of a well-crafted sentence or the simplicity of a child’s rhyme, literature transcends borders. A young woman in Uzbekistan can feel the struggles of a mother in Sudan, or the joy of a boy in Peru, all through ink and imagination.
Books breathe when we let them live in our minds — when we carry their messages beyond the bookshelf. In this sense, books are alive not because they are printed, but because they are read, shared, and remembered. They wait patiently, knowing their time will come when a reader is ready to receive.
In a noisy age, the stillness of reading becomes a quiet revolution. Through books, we learn not only about the world, but how to become more human within it. They do not speak louder than others — they speak deeper.
Mushtariybegim Ozodbekova is a student and aspiring writer from Uzbekistan. She enjoys exploring literature as a bridge between cultures and generations. Her writing reflects a deep belief in the power of language to inspire empathy and awareness.
This article was inspired by my own experience of discovering books during a time of personal reflection. In today’s fast-paced world, I wanted to write something that reminds us of the silent strength books carry — and how they connect readers across continents, cultures, and time.
navy shorts that absorbed the salty texture of the sea
—raises her arm to shield her eyes from the glittering beam.
Ships fly across the waves,
seagulls float in the sky;
a brushstroke deeper,
layered in long tones of slate and teal.
The water moves with quiet muscle,
creases of white gathering near the shore
before breaking into lace at the toes
of seven figures drawn by tide—
some standing close where the water sighs,
ankles kissed by foam;
others linger just behind,
head slightly rested back, caressed by the soft ocean winds.
A few drift farther down the shore,
turned slightly, as if to say:
‘come see what the horizon hides.’
Three boys with their feet buried in the chilling sand,
one with a backwards hat, trying to fight the glaring gleam.
Two others play rock, scissors, paper
—their conversation captured in the pause between waves.
Sand, pale gold and warm with noon,
holds footprints like soft echoes.
The sun presses down,
gives the waves a shimmer that sings.
Light folds over each figure, placed precisely,
spaced like notes in a slow chord—
black shirts, white sleeves, a shoulder bare to the sun,
each color bleeding into the sea and sky.
Portraits Without First Chapters
The silence after a story that’s missing its end—
that’s how we meet them.
A pair of wrinkled hands, softened with time, already slower.
Their voices linger not in memory but in my imagination.
A train ticket with no date,
folded in a drawer beside war medals
and recipes written in a language,
we never learned to speak.
The note tucked into a borrowed book,
Laying neatly between pages of stories
flat, delicate, and fragile.
Maybe from someone they loved
before the word “family” included us—
a couple of letters to me,
a name I’ll truly never know.
We hold their endings like heirlooms,
guessing at beginnings.
Through photographs where they are younger
than we’ll ever know them to be.
A Childhood in Five Objects
Its fur dulled by the decade of sun,
ears bent from too many hugs,
eyes stitched with storied only I recall.
It once leaped from planets I drew in crayons,
spoke bedtime whispers only I could hear.
A stuffed rabbit slumps against the wall, now it waits—
from the last time, I tucked it in, quietly guarding retired dreams.
Where tea parties once were held.
Its patterns are now a faded trail,
stories of imagination yet more vibrant than
the wallpaper’s flowers ever dared to bloom,
echoes etched deeper than time could consume.
It has caught the weight of every goodbye—
To dolls, to friends, to phases passed.
Now it cradles still, but never forgets the shape of my steps.
Their spines creased with thumbprints of belief.
Each page reverberates my mother’s voice,
each character a mask she wore—yet all I remember is her.
Now they rest like loyal sentinels,
inked in the versions of me they kept,
a carpet lies bruised with soft indentations.
Framing skies that changed with my moods,
stormy eams, sunlit breaks, a single star I wished upon.
Four repeating seasons, every item slowly maturing with the age of time.
At night it played the moon’s lullaby,
by day, the chatter of birds on the branches.
Now it reflects back the outside world,
but never quite lets it in.
Warping my height as I grew each year,
Flashing glimpses of twirls, tears,
and the first stolen lipstick swipe.
Reflecting words mouthed in silence, a face rehearsed,
it now holds the quiet imprint of every version I’ve been.
Sally Lee is a student at an international school in Seoul, South Korea. Immersed in a multicultural environment, she draws inspiration from the diverse cultures and experiences around her. She is currently working on her writing portfolio.
My Poetry Translation and Recording Featured in a “Sound Walk” at the Boston Public Garden
ECHOES APP
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
A collaboration with between Cantabridgian poet Jacques Fleury and Bostonian musician Rachel Devorah Wood Rome, Ph.D.by Jacques Fleury
Boston Public Garden Image C/O Jacques Fleury
I am featured in a “Sound Walk” recording on the Boston Public Garden!
I was commissioned by Berklee College of Music Professor, Dr. Rachel Rome, who discovered me on the Haitian American Artists of Massachusetts Facebook page, to translate and record a poem to her naturalistic electronic musical composition at Berklee recording studios. The recording is divided into three sections, each having its own sound and intent achieved by dividing the poem into three parts. You can listen to it as part of your meditation practice, whether manually or at the Boston Public Garden itself should you be visiting or live in the Boston area.
The poem was originally written in English by Dr. Jason Allen Paissant, a professor of Jamaican descent who speaks seven languages.
It is about the manmade erosion of our natural wonders and entitled TREENESS. Below is the poem, the translation and link to the public garden recording which you can listen to manually or visit the garden to listen automatically on the app.
Check it out!
Link to my Haitian Creole translation of the poem Treeness at the Boston public garden, which will be there indefinitely…
You can visit and listen for years to come on your phone by downloading the ECHOES app!
“All Soundwalks are located at Boston Common and Boston Public Garden. Boston Common and Public Garden are open
from 6:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. each day.
Installation Title: Jaden Piblik/public garden
A diverse collection of plants from around the world live together in the Boston Public Garden, embodying the ideals and contradictions of the United States. Heralded as the “first public botanical garden in the United States,” this historic site reflects a uniquely American paradox: the aspiration for multicultural democratic inclusivity juxtaposed with the tenants of colonialism. Nature is not left to thrive on its own terms but meticulously curated, shaped to conform to Victorian notions of beauty and order. jaden piblik is an electroacoustic soundwalk setting of the Haitian-Cantabrigian poet Jacques Fleury’s Haitian-Creole translation of the English-language poem “Treeness” by Jason Allen-Paisant. The work bridges languages and traditions, resonating with the complex, layered histories embodied in the Public Garden itself.”-qtd. from the Echoes website.
Jacques Fleury is a Boston Globe featured Haitian American Poet, Educator, Author of four books and literary arts student at Harvard University online. His latest publication “You Are Enough: The Journey to Accepting Your Authentic Self” & other titles are available at all Boston Public Libraries, the University of Massachusetts Healey Library, University of Wyoming, Askews and Holts Library Services in the United Kingdom, The Harvard Book Store, The Grolier Poetry Bookshop, amazon etc… He has been published in prestigious publications such as Spirit of Change Magazine, Wilderness House Literary Review, Muddy River Poetry Review, Litterateur Redefining World anthologies out of India, Poets Reading the News, the Cornell University Press anthology Class Lives: Stories from Our Economic Divide, Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene among others…Visit him at: http://www.authorsden.com/jacquesfleury.–
Jacques Fleury’s book You Are Enough: The Journey Towards Understanding Your Authentic Self
Rachel Devorah Wood Rome Rachel Devorah Wood Rome is a Boston-based electronic musician, educator, and labor organizer. She values machines for their patience and capacity to remember. She is interested in superhuman prolongation, opaque complexity, the re-signification of archaic tools and materials, and parallels between the physical properties and social meanings of spaces. Her work has received support from the Adrian Piper Foundation (Berlin), EMS (Stockholm), INA/GRM (Paris), the Goethe Institut [DE], MassMoCA [US], the New Museum [US], New Music USA, STEIM (Amsterdam), Swissnex [CH], and Villa Albertine [FR]. It has been released on pan y rosas discos (Chicago); Infrequent Seams (NYC); and Full Spectrum Records (Oakland), published by parallax; Feminist Media Histories; and Ugly Duckling Presse, and has been heard in fourteen countries on four continents performed by/with artists such as Nava Dunkelman, Fred Frith, Forbes Graham, Brad Henkel, Seiyoung Jang, Ava Mendoza, Roscoe Mitchell, Robbie Lee, Lydia Moyer, Ryan Muncy, Liew Niyomkarn, Erin Rogers, and the William Winant Ensemble. She is employed as an Assistant Professor of Electronic Production and Design | Creative Coding at the Berklee College of Music, and Vice President of Full-Time Faculty with MS1140 AFT Massachusetts.
Annotation: One of the most important but difficult goals for teachers in language teaching is to find a balance between fluency and accuracy. Fluency helps learners express their thoughts clearly and confidently, while accuracy makes sure that their language use is correct and fits the situation. Focusing on just one part of communicative competence may slow down its overall growth. So, for language learning to be effective, it’s important to take a balanced approach that includes activities that focus on both fluency and accuracy. So, this article talks about how important it is to have a balanced approach to helping students improve their grammar and fluency. It looks at free conversation, role-playing, and discussion exercises to help people speak more fluently, as well as grammar and pronunciation exercises that are designed to help people speak more accurately. The article gives teachers suggestions on how to do things and real-life examples that will help them get good results in the classroom.
Firstly, teachers have a significant impact on students’ values, attitudes, and behaviours, and this influence frequently extends beyond the classroom. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, teachers act as role models for their students because they are authority figures who engage with them on a daily basis. Students are more likely to internalise and emulate teachings that exhibit traits like honesty, respect, punctuality, and a love of learning. This influence is particularly potent when the younger generation is developing their social identities and moral convictions.
For instance, a teacher who treats every student fairly and kindly not only fosters a positive learning environment in the classroom but also sets an example for how to use empathy and respect in daily interactions. Likewise, when a teacher calmly manages a challenging lesson or adjusts to unforeseen circumstances in the classroom, they can encourage students to be resilient and determined in their own lives. Since students witness values being exhibited in practical settings rather than merely in theory, such a role model frequently has greater impact than direct instruction.
The movie Freedom Writers tells the story of Erin Gruwell, a teacher who really lived. She changed the lives of many students from troubled backgrounds by being dedicated, caring, and willing to go above and beyond the standard curriculum. Through her work, they learnt that discipline, empathy, and faith in the potential of others can help them get through difficult times. In daily life, even small things like warmly greeting students every morning, showing real interest in their lives, or admitting mistakes can have a big impact on how students think and act. In short, teachers are not only teaching academic subjects when they show their students the qualities they want to develop in them. They are also helping young people grow as a whole. Their actions become a living program that teaches them life skills and moral values, and the effects of education go far beyond the classroom.
Activities that focus on clarity put a lot of emphasis on using the right language, which helps students improve their grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, making their communication clear and professional. Fluency encourages people to speak without thinking, while precision stops mistakes from becoming ingrained over time and builds a strong language base. Typically, these kinds of activities are short, controlled, and meant to help students practise certain language patterns before they use them in free communication. To help students remember how to use things correctly, teachers often use repetition, targeted correction, and clear explanations. One of the most common ways to learn is through drilling, where students repeat certain structures over and over again until they know them by heart.
For instance, practicing conditional sentences like “If I had studied harder, I would have passed the test” helps students learn both how to do things automatically and how to do them correctly. Games with a grammar focus are also useful resources. Grammar review becomes engaging and interactive when students are required to use the appropriate tense when asking and responding to questions, such as “Find someone who has been to London,” in the “Find someone who…” activity. Simple pairwork exercises that teach students to hear and pronounce subtle sound differences that can impact meaning, like differentiating between ship and sheep, can help students improve their pronunciation accuracy.
It is commonly known that tongue twisters, which are brief sentences or phrases with repeated and similar sounds, are useful tools for improving spoken language accuracy and fluency. Their ability to engage several facets of speech production—pronunciation, articulation, rhythm, and intonation—all at once makes them valuable in the learning process. From the standpoint of fluency, tongue twisters instruct students on how to rapidly and fluidly pronounce a series of sounds without making undue pauses or hesitations. The speaker concentrates on creating seamless transitions between the sounds because they are frequently similar but marginally different, which is reminiscent of the requirements of natural communication. The tongue twister “She sells seashells by the seashore,” for instance, compels the learner to make rapid sounds, improving speech coordination. With regular practice, such tasks reduce hesitation and improve the natural flow of speech.
In conclusion, developing comprehensive language competence requires striking an efficient balance between speaking activities’ accuracy and fluency. While accuracy guarantees that their speech is grammatically correct, precise, and socially acceptable, fluency enables students to convey their ideas clearly, maintain communication flow, and grow confident in real-life confrontations. A balanced approach recognises that these two elements are not mutually exclusive but rather interdependent: accuracy without fluency may impede spontaneity and natural expression, while fluency without accuracy runs the risk of fossilising errors. Teachers must use a variety of teaching strategies that incorporate both form-focused and meaning-focused activities in order to achieve this balance. While focused drills, constructive criticism, and pronunciation practice help improve accuracy, role-plays, debates, and discussions encourage students to speak freely, fostering fluency.
Importantly, activity sequencing and adaptation should be in line with learners’ communicative needs, learning objectives, and proficiency levels. Students are more willing to take chances and try new things with language when they are in a classroom setting that is encouraging and views errors as chances for improvement. So, a well-rounded approach gives students the communicative competence they need to operate with assurance and effectiveness in a variety of real-world situations, in addition to improving language proficiency. Teachers can develop students who are not only articulate and expressive but also precise and contextually appropriate in their speech by carefully crafting speaking exercises that foster both fluency and accuracy. By ensuring that language acquisition progresses from isolated skill mastery to true communicative ability, this all-encompassing approach equips students for meaningful interaction in everyday, professional, and academic contexts.
References:
1. Brown, H. D. (2007). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching (5th ed.). Pearson Education.
2. Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th ed.). Pearson Longman.
3. Nation, I. S. P., & Newton, J. (2009). Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking. Routledge.
4. Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
5. Thornbury, S. (2005). How to Teach Speaking. Pearson Longman.
6. Ur, P. (2012). A Course in English Language Teaching (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
7. Bygate, M. (1998). Theoretical Perspectives on Speaking. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 18, 20–42.
8. Ellis, R. (2003). Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford University Press.
Panoyeva Jasmina O’tkirovna was born on November 14, 2006, in the Shofirkon district of Bukhara region. She graduated with a gold medal from School No. 13 in Shofirkon, demonstrating academic excellence and dedication throughout her studies.
Currently, she is a first-year student at Bukhara State Pedagogical Institute, majoring in Foreign Languages and Literature. Jasmina is an intellectually curious and active young woman who regularly participates in the “Zakovat” intellectual game, showcasing her critical thinking and broad knowledge.
In addition to her academic and intellectual pursuits, Jasmina has also contributed as a volunteer to several environmental projects, reflecting her strong sense of social responsibility and commitment to sustainable development.
With her passion for learning and active involvement in both academic and social initiatives, Jasmina continues to grow as a promising and motivated student, ready to make meaningful contributions to her field and community.
They were twins — born from the same body, living two different sorrows. One carried illness, the other carried guilt. When a letter arrives wrapped in the scent of nasturtiums, one sister must face the truth she’s buried for years: love can be painful, and forgiveness even harder. A quiet story about loss, jealousy, unspoken love, and the haunting ties of sisterhood.
Chapter 1 A Memory in Bloom
— Goodbye… Her voice rang out like a “hello” meant for tomorrow. I quietly watched her walk away, swaying like the spring breeze. In her hand, a cane — tapping against the ground with a rhythm of its own. “Look,” she said, “the nasturtiums are blooming. Aren’t they lovely? Pick one for me…” I looked around. I had never noticed nasturtiums here before. And yet now, branches burst open with blossoms. Gently, I picked the finest bud and handed it to her. With weak, trembling fingers, she caressed the flower. A soft breath escaped her. “It smells beautiful… When you visit my grave, bring nasturtiums. Nothing else. Okay?” “It’s too early to talk about death, little lady,” I said, trying to smile. “You’ve got a long life ahead.” I didn’t believe my own words. She didn’t reply. She only smiled, smelling the flower deeper. “Lay me next to it someday…” I wanted to say, ‘Why are you hurting me like this? Why use death to scare me?’ But I said nothing. “When we get home, we’ll sew matching dresses. With nasturtiums. Just like before.” She stayed silent. Inside, I knew she was counting the ways we were no longer the same. My arms ached. Light things grow heavy when you hold them too long. “Look — we’re home.” I gently lowered her. She couldn’t stand, just sat on the ground, breath shallow. I helped her to her chair. “Stay tonight… please.” Her voice trembled, pleading. I couldn’t say no. “Open the window,” she said. “Let me see the bright world. I’m tired of the dark.” I opened it. The spring breeze carried in the scent of medicine, sorrow, and memory. I wanted to cry. I looked at her — eyes closed. Was she asleep? I touched her hair — wet with sweat. “Sleep well, my nasturtium…”
Chapter 2 The Letter
— I’m sorry about your twin… My friend’s words pull me out of the film of the past. My eyes still gaze toward the window. The wind gently flutters the curtain. — If you want, I can stay with you? — No… I want to be with her. I press the scarf, still smelling of nasturtiums, to my chest. My friend silently leaves. I lie on the bed that feels emptier without her. As I reach for an extra pillow, a white envelope slips to the floor. I pick it up — the scent of nasturtium instantly surrounds me. Inside: a small note and the dried flower — the same one. I open the letter.
“My dear… Are you still changing pillowcases? (You’re smiling, I know it.) I’m going toward a light where pupils shine the same. Please don’t cry. I’m not mad you didn’t become my donor. I love you. I never said it when I was alive, did I? I’m tired. Maybe if you hadn’t left me that day out of jealousy, I could’ve lived longer. I’m not mad at you. (Strikethrough): Damn it, I am mad. I hate you. I wanted to live. At least until I was twenty-two. You’re a coward. At least admit it after I’m gone.”
Even the nurse writing this down for me probably knows you better. I know I’ve been cruel. I always blamed you for everything — my sickness, my loneliness, my blindness. Hurting you made me feel lighter somehow. But it never lasted. I liked watching you suffer with guilt. Because I was already walking toward death. We were twins — same body, different pain. When I fell, I wanted you to fall too. Do you see what a terrible person I was? I wanted you to be just as broken. I only ever wanted you to say: ‘It’s my fault. I left my sister alone. I’m the one to blame.’ But you always ran. From guilt. From me. From truth.
Isn’t fate cruel? When we were born, they thought you’d be the weak one. I was the healthy twin. But you lived. And I… Our parents always took care of you more. You were the sick daughter. I was jealous. I know it sounds silly, but… I wanted to be sick too. I thought being sick meant being loved. I envied you. And you envied me. You wanted to get well. I wanted to fall apart. Mom always said, ‘You’re strong, you’ll manage.’ You used to carry me. I made you — the sick sister — carry me. What a manipulative, selfish child I was. I hurt myself on purpose. I wanted bruises. I just wanted someone to notice me too.
Looking at me now… I realize God gave me what I wished for. I always thought sickness meant love. I was wrong. You only understand the value of something when it’s gone. Yes, I jumped from that tree on purpose. I did. If I could turn back time — I’d never do it. That day, I had a school competition. Everyone’s family was there — except mine. You had one of your attacks again. I was angry. I thought, “Mom only needs her sick daughter.” So I jumped. After that, you got better. And I finally got our parents. At first, I liked it. Then I began to suffer. I blamed you for everything. You ran away. Forgive me, please. I know you couldn’t be my donor. I always knew. Don’t blame yourself. Just live. I loved you. I never said it out loud. P.S. When the nasturtiums bloom — remember me.”
I wanted to scream. Inside me, something broke — like a dam collapsing. But this time, my tears were silent. “You didn’t know…” I whispered. I held the letter to my chest, hands shaking. “That day… I pretended to be sick.” So our parents wouldn’t go to her competition. I was jealous too. Of the smart, healthy girl… I curled up at the edge of the bed. Now, no one’s here. Just me, the letter… and the scent of nasturtiums. “It was my fault… my fault…” — I murmured, lips trembling. It was hard to admit. But it was the truth.
