ALL-PURPOSE FACILITY

You were a noted venue
and I would often rent you
for some special attraction.

Equipped to meet any need,
enhance any intention,
sometimes you’d be my circus,
or you’d flaunt a convention.

But my business wore you out.
Now you’re vacant and condemned.


DEPOSITION

Thinking’s rearranging information
will displace
thin kings rear-ranging in formation



THE DAY I FRUIT BASKETED

In morning I wore a peach.
The sun oranged me at the beach.
Evening brought me raspberried.
How fruitful! How varied!


REPORTING FOR DUTY

Like the Snowy Egret, 
at any given second--
always you will entrance.

To your brushy entrance
I am ordered to second.
I obey. I regret.


DEAR DEPARTURE

Reason, in fact, is irrelevant --
Treason does occur, despite intent.

Butterfly, goodbye -- your flitting's lost its power.
Sigh and sigh, flatter, flirt. Flutter your eyes by the hour.
Fear of your favor's loss finally dissipated,
"Dear," and I learn how grossly lonely is overrated.

...

Walking Without You

When you passed, thoughts of you only occupied my mind.

I held my pillow at night tightly, and during the day,

I busied myself tirelessly to keep from falling apart.

People say you feel like your heart is going to break.

Mine broke into such small pieces that I wondered 

if it would ever be put together again.

I would look up at the sky at night sadly.  

The stars used to make my wishes come true, 

and the moon used to make me feel hopeful.  

But then, they brought only memories of us.

The sun, I hoped, would warm me, 

also turned away, leaving me cold inside.

I thought I would shrivel and die with you.

You could not run to me as I held out my arms. 

Only in my dreams could I find you.

In my sleep, you wiped away my tears.

The presence of your spirit still wraps around me

when I miss you most.  

Years later, I now think of you without such sadness

and bask in beautiful memories of us together instead…

Even though I am walking without you.

__________

Love is Perfect

You need never give up your life

nor give up all wins or costs for me

For no monetary value can be placed on love

And in the end, riches will mean nothing… 

Only love will remain and never die

because my destiny you are 

What God puts together can not be shaken

For it is through him that all good things come

In this life, things are given and taken away

And even a heathen can change his life

For love is perfect, and our prayers were answered

on the day we met, and will certainly remain far beyond death.

_________________________

Kristy Ann Raines was born Kristy Ann Rasmussen in Oakland California, in the United States of America.  

She is an accomplished international poet and writer.  Kristy has two self-published books on Amazon titled, “The Passion within Me”, and  an anthology of epistolary poems, written with a prominent poet from India, Dr. Prasana Kumar Dalai, titled, “I Cross My Heart from East to West”.

She has one children’s short story book coming out soon, titled “Tishya the Dragon”, and a few other children’s stories to follow. 

Kristy is also working on finishing two very special fantasy books that have been in the works for quite a few years, titled “Rings, Things and Butterfly Wings” and “Princess and the Lion”. 

She is also writing her autobiography titled “My Very Anomalous Life”.  

It is her life story that few know about, and the many transformations she went through.  She reveals every interesting and sometimes tragic aspect of her life. She shares her failures, victories, tears, joys, losses, heartbreaks, and how she changed, by the grace of God. 

A loving family and how two wonderful children stood by her through her transformation to who she is today.

Kristy has received numerous awards for her distinctive writing style and her work as an advocate and humanitarian around the world.

Kristy also enjoys painting, making pottery, writing song lyrics, and being with her family.  

She is married, has an older brother and sister, two wonderful children, and is a proud grandmother of three beautiful granddaughters. with one great-grandchild on the way! 

S Afrose (Sabiha Afrose) from Bangladesh. She is a lover of poetry. Her journey started in August 2020. Gradually it’s turned into her passion. She has achieved many awards as tokens of love.

She has published so many poetry books, all available on Amazon Worldwide and other sites. Her YouTube channel is S Afrose *Muse of Writes* and her Facebook page is Muse of Words by S Afrose.

Her email is sabihapoetryparadise24@gmail.com, sabiha_pharma@yahoo.com

1. Please share your thoughts about the future of literature

The universe is vulnerable. We can’t get the right way. We feel hopeless once. But that’s not the option to move on. Then???

Look at there, the field of literary world. It’s amazing and beautiful. Anyone can get the soothing ray and the expressed way of the hidden mind. There are so many unspoken words. We can easily share this with the aesthetic aroma of the literary world. Don’t believe????

Let’s make a clear picture.  War and war! It’s making the vulnerable and devastated platform overall. What can anyone see or say???
Nothing is in general.

That’s not. We need to aware the people around the world. People only want peace. No more violent arts.

Pls! Stop this war.
Message spreads as the flying saucers. People can know the genuine thoughts at a time. That’s how, the Literature helps.
So, we have to reserve this amazing and magical method after all.

Literature world will be the good messenger to hold all things, without any sort of restrictions; with its artistic essence around the universe.

WHEN DID YOU START WRITING?
***************************

During the time of COVID-19, the total environmental state of the universe was distracted and too much pressurized. The vulnerable time acted as a fume for my journey in the Literature World. I started my work slowly on the online platform. But my love for the literary field was from my childhood.
I love to read poetry and short stories books
Specially science-fiction and detective series.

2 .The Good and the Bad.

Good and Bad- those exist as the dearest peers who fight with each other.

Good: Always shows love. Offers hand of friendship to all.
Spreads the message of heart with love and respect.

Bad: Always comes with a devil’s mirth. Enjoys destroying every beautiful part of the earth. The world should be the hell, without the essence of love and respect.

Oh no!
How pathetic!

Ridiculous this time. The global warming is upright. The ecosystem is falling down.
Early morning losing its beauty. So sad!
Universe is vulnerable with rising power of the global greed.
That’s why, only fighting with power, War, killing people, destroy environment beauty,  technology rampant,,,overall, losing the beautiful paradise by the human greed always.

Good cries and sleeping into a desert.

Bad smiles and enjoying its era with the Demoniors’ mart.

WHO IS WINNING IN NOW-A-DAYS
***********************************
Though Bad is overlapping Good, using its penetrated news around the world,  by global platform; we can’t escape from this situation. We have to ensure that still good is enough for resurrection the bad tempered souls all over.

The literary world has a wonderful power. It can show the possibility and positivity. It showers the petals of sophisticated and dreamy life.
Living beings, all are here.
People we are, have to declare for the good environment to live happily.
We want peace. Don’t spread negative newsfeed. Use your power wisely.
Your power, wisdom, enough to restore the lost rhythms of the earth. Hold the tears and spread and angelic fire.

Definitely good will survive and will hold all under the humanity umbrella,  beneath azure’s hub.

I feel like that. So, I have to use my thoughts of mind, on the pages of the literary world. The power is inevitable.

3. How many books have you written
And where can we find your books?

I have written many books both on Bangla and English, but mostly English poetry books. But there’s a short story book also.
Most of the Bangla books were published in Bangladesh 
There are 35+ published poetry books. All are available on Amazon Worldwide and also other sites as usual.

For example- Woman, The Bride,  Friendship,  A new beginning, Lion’ Roar, Lost Lotus,  Who I Am? Blood Sucker, VIBRANT THOUGHTS, A CUP OF TEA etc.

There’s my YouTube Channel: can access for the quick look at a time- S Afrose *Muse of Writes *, also Facebook page- Muse of Words by S Afrose

Recently, I am working as a part of editorial team. And my successful projects are- VIBRANT THOUGHTS,  A CUP OF TEA, HAPPY NEW YEAR etc.

4. The book. e-book or physical book-
What will be the future?

So many of us, are too busy attending to the prime artifacts of daily life, that’s why e-books are going to be a good way to help people access books and also a part of their rest.

But, paperbacks are always a better option to carry as a gift, and also the best friend for passing some good moments. It also acts as a reflection of the sweet memories. A souvenir for the family members.
Nothing can beat the essence of reading a book, holding it in the hands; turning pages one by one, marking some words as the dearest arts. The precious gem for refreshing the mind overall.

Just imagine,  on the easy chairs or midst the garden in beautiful weather, holding a cup of coffee with the dearest canvas of the words…just wow! This can’t be replaced by an e-book anyway.

5. A wish for 2025
The world is too dangerous for all the vulnerable living beings. The bombastic shimmers can’t be accepted anyway.
* No War* * No Blood*

We all want to live on a peaceful planet.
There should be love within all. Must be the bridge of friendship, wearing the crown of humanity. UNIVERSAL  PEACE – this message is the prime gist now-a-days.

If want to say something, holding the hands of literature; then I have to say that, this Literature World has such a power to spread the message of heart and mind, around the world.

Positive emissions can see. Let’s say and spread- Unspoken words with the power of ink. The universe has to understand and love this passage heartfully. Through starlights of literature,  we can make a friendly world.

A PHRASE FROM YOUR BOOK:
There’s a poetry book of mine: *No War*
I want to say some lines from this one.

“Stop grudges to protect earth for living happily & peacefully “

‘ Have a look
At each nook
When one door is closed,
Anyway will try,
Another will be here,
Hope to see the smile ‘

A poem from the book

THE FLYING BULLET

Love to hear
The lullaby
Of dear parents.

Love?
Can’t hear that song,
This time.

The flying bullet.
Believe or not,
This is not applicable for the minds.

The flying bullet
Now killing
All the people.

No!
We don’t want to see
This nasty game of the bullet.

A BOOK YOU LIKE

I love all of my books. All are my lovely creations. My best friends.  My Reflection of the Mind. So I can’t say anyone specifically. But if want to say now, then will love to share my beautiful soothing charm- A CUP OF TEA .

My dear best friends on this Literature realm have reflected their thoughts, using the magical power of quill. Love for all.
Love the Literature World. Love my dear poetry paradise.

Thank you so much!

EVA Petropoulou Lianou
Author and poet from Greece

2024 Fall

Leave it in the air

My fear

Warn myself to be aware

Of the veneer

Of the seemingly clear

Leave me there

Ditch all the flare

But I was given no flair

To tame a bear

It lost an ear

A long blare

A long glare

At me who’s near

And dare

12th Nov. 2024

I wrote reams

Reams of slips

To you just piles

Of utter nonsense

Spearheaded in this cold war

I’m back with

A wounded Soul

Gigantic hole

Bullets shot through me

No more

Not valiant soldier

No affinity for

A purple heart

Now even your heart

Thumps for me not

Home where

And how?

Founded in a trench

Failed to stanch

Haemorrhaging

HERE WE ARE

The FedEx driver’s Nazi haircut like

Elon sported not long ago startles me.

Barking at his phone, he waves and leaves.

Does he smile knowing he resembles

the dead Führer, evil incarnate?

Allied Forces fought as Ford sent Hitler

trucks, the damn Nazi. I pull behind a

beat-up Ford F-250 at Walgreens.

His license plate: Sons of Confederate

Veterans. No doubt also a member of

The Sons of the Confederacy. Walking

past, I avert my eyes so I won’t make

contact with the woman sitting in the

front seat disheveled her hair awry.

Does she believe this twisted reality?

Proud Boys, or another fringy brown shirt

group, native Neo-Nazi terrorists

masked & masquerading as Ice Men shove

invade shops, schools, & fields arresting

the innocent, ignoring our sacred

Constitution. Like the KKK, brave

when hiding behind a hood, cloaking them

from eventual prosecution. This

wicked underground emboldened by the

orange vitriol has crawled into the light,

wielding swords of bigotry and hatred.

Their plague of depravity strikes without

warning. Which Libertarian Trumpy

“friend” or Confederate kin would report

me to the Gestapo? No one is safe.

For, here we are, swimming in fascism

THE BURNING BOAT

I had burnt my boat

When I crossed the sea

I was then alone

Only my shadow witnessed it

Now, the stink of burning only I can smell

The burnt mark is visible to those

Who have sparks in their eyes

I am carrying the sea and burnt the boat within me

My boat was burning

There on the sands of seashore

Since then with the every tide

Sea attempts to put out the fire and

Wash off my burnt boat

Even for the high tide, it’s not possible to do so

My heart is burning in separation of my beloved

It’s pangs are too intensive

My blanket cannot properly cover my body

To extinguish the fire

The sea is nothing but my vast body

My toes are touching the sea bed

My boat is my heart within – the Sun on the sky

Smokes come out all over in my mind

My hairs turned into ashes grey

By the heat of my burning heart

It seems, my heart can’t meet;

Can’t make reunion with my beloved

Till the sea of my body gets dried out

O, my Lord!

How long I will have to wait

To show you my burning heart

Alas…!

WOMAN, BEYOND THE INDEX OF BODY

Lake like eyes/ Scarlet coral-like lips/ Curly-curvy hairs

Attraction all four directions

These are mazes

Face and physical charms are curtains, indeed

A weapon to keep off you from the desired abode

A true woman lives in somewhere else

Beyond the index of her body

Sitting crouch like a recluse

Just like an abstract thing

Like a dream of snow-white clouds

Sometimes, similar to the moonless dark night

Dormant lightening, full of its potency

Extremely tough meditation is needed

To open her inner layers of heart,

Love is considered to be the genuine pearl of a woman

This can discover by proceeding beyond her body

Otherwise, nothing lies in the whirlpool of body

Man wants to overpower

The screaming body of a woman

But the body is a dune of sands/ a fair of desires

There is only mirage and mirage

Woman uses to be hidden,

Somewhere in her inner self,

Instead of, being found in her apparent body

Which is like an epic center of a live volcano

A man in his entire life

Uses to run after fascinating faces

Like those idiot men

Who on the surface of the water

Often, stare at diving and floating waves

With their curious eyes

Use to play, the whole day, with shells lying on beaches

Perhaps, they do not know

That the true pearls are senselessly lying

In the depth of a sea,

Where the breathes not much support the divers

To achieve such unknown pearls in the deep sea

Needed to wait till the lips of shell get opened

To get the original element of a woman

You will have to raise the curtain of deceitful face

You will have to step down

In to the concealed room of her heart

You will have to knock and knock again

At the tightly closed window of her soul

A woman is not a thing of luxury

Not a commodity of marketing

Not even a body of only bone and flesh

The true name of a woman is ——

Love, love, and only love!

Dr. Perwaiz Shaharyar is a Consultant Editor (Urdu) in National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Ministry of Education, Government of India. He had been Principal Publication Officer in National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language in 2007. He has been, a member of Advisory Board of National Book Trust India.

He is a Multilingual (English, Hindi and Urdu) famous poet, short story writer and critic from India. He is Graduate with English Honours from Ranchi University. He has topped Jawaharlal Nehru University in Masters with Literature. He was awarded Doctor of Philosophy for his Research Work from University of Delhi. He is Post Graduate Diploma holder in Calligraphy, Mass Media and in Book Publishing with Specialization in Editing.

Dr. Perwaiz Shaharyar began writing his poems in English since lockdown in the period of Pandemic COVID-19. He has written more than 100 poems, participated in many worldwide webinars and published in various international anthologies, so far. His as many as 25 poems have been translated by many award-winning litterateurs into Polish, Indonesian, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, Bengali, Hindi, Portuguese, Italian, Korean, and Albanian languages. His poems are being published in several anthologies within the country and abroad. He has 20 published books of literature in his credentials, so far. He has won many awards and accolades for his outstanding intellectual and literary contributions. His poem ‘The Burning Boat’ contains mystic (Sufism) and metaphysical elements.