The Belfry of St. Vincent Ferrer

My heart bursts into a flock of ricebirds

Each time I hear its tolling; for years

I live on the shade of its imposing

Memory – all the running & screaming

& sliding races down the hillsides, firemaking

& pissing contests, toy parades, death by voodoo

Gossip-broker Miss B. & and her rare orchids

Tonio’s mysterious death at the mangrove –

All point me to that church on top of the hill

Overlooking our town wharf that eats

And spits natives & transients alike

Where all the coming and going each

Has its own distinct ring – tintinnabulations

Of open-ended declarations, promises, affairs –

Gangrenous goodbyes on the breast of tears smothered

Or the corrosive taste of briny eyes with every furtive hello.

But time has done nothing to exempt the heart from

The onslaught of raging waves crushing into

Empty shores –like the old bell ringing

Through my ears at Angelus –

Dusk, our favorite time of day

Before you left without that anticipated

“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” backward glance.

And bells do not have a memory of tunes 

For awkward silence, silence, silence.

:

Nominated for “Best of the Net 2025” for his poetry, Emeniano Acain Somoza, Jr. considers himself the official spiritual advisor of his roommates, Gordot and Dwight – the first a goldfish, the other a Turkish Van cat. His works have been published in The Poetry Magazine, Moria Poetry Journal, Fogged Clarity, Everyday Poem, Loch Raven Review, The Buddhist Poetry Review, The Philippine Graphic, The Philippines Free Press, Troubadour 21, Full of Crow, Indigo Rising, Asia Writes, Triggerfish Critical Review, Troubadors 21, Gloom Cupboard, TAYO, Haggard & Halloo, and elsewhere. His first book, A Fistful of Moonbeams, was published by Kilmog Press in April 2010. His second, Kleenex Theory, published by Createspace-Amazon, came out in 2015. He is busy anthologizing emptiness and boredom at the moment.

About Wan Yilong 

High-Dimensional Wisdom Mentor / High-Dimensional Spiritual Poet / Inheritor of Dongba Culture  / Master of Traditional Chinese Culture / Great Master of World Multiculturalism /  Donor and Founder, Dean of Yulong Wenbi Dongba Culture Academy / Dean of Aming Gaotu High-Dimensional Wisdom Academy / Philanthropist

Beyond the Firmament

(Homeward Chapter)

Poem By Wan Yilong

Translated By Lan Xin

When the morning star rises in the east

In the starry sky hang countless sorrowful eyes

I open my wisdom eyes and gaze

Beyond the galaxy tears have long been pouring

I whisper to the universe what happened

She unfolds a picture before me

Countless mechs overturn heaven and earth

Countless planets burn with raging war

Myriad races slaughter each other

Billions of lives wither in strife

Ruined walls and fragments turn to glaze

Dead planets only cold iron shadows remain

Surviving star people struggle to forage in black water

All I see is rotten bones

Hungry rushing here and there

Mutated beasts no longer fit to eat

They hunt in packs spread plague

Despair spreads silently in the dust

Desperate beings pray to heaven

A voice echoes slowly

We have stored food

When rows of dark caves are opened

Out step

Men women and children in swaddling clothes

All gasp in astonishment is this our food

The voice replies

They are our clones

I close my eyes in sorrow

The universe whispers admonition

All beings must awake

Every life is a child of the universe

Every soul yearns for ascension

Dark technology will eventually turn on itself

Cold power only destroys life

We are all brothers born of the same womb

Without love there is no universe

Without compassion even destruction cannot be reborn

Love and compassion are the eternal themes of the universe

With this thought even in purgatory

We can be reborn

That scene is the universe’s past

And also the mirror of the future

Mother universe is calling out

Wake up

Greed confuses the eyes

Souls sink in delusion

Love and hate are self-imposed barriers

Greed anger delusion are the cages of the heart

Every planet can be a cage for the heart

Everybody can be a dojo for awakening

Look within you are complete

Every soul yearns for light

Compassion can break the curse of all dark technology

Souls will ultimately live forever at the source of the universe

The ultimate civilization of the world is about to begin

Its name is universal harmony

We come from eternity rush to this moment

Only to wake up the sleeping beings

Live in the present change the past determine the future

The past and the future are but a single thought

I wake slowly from meditation

The morning sun illuminates the mountains and rivers and every heart

From now on I have no choice but to move forward

This is my fate

Is also your fate

And even more the common fate of all beings

Technology must ultimately serve the ascension of souls

Footnote

Taking homecoming as its central metaphor, this poem lays bare the absurdity and spiritual awakening of an age dominated by technology. Mechs and warfare, cloning and alienation unfold in layered progression, striking straight to the spiritual predicament of modern society. Breaking free from linear narrative, it employs vivid visual metaphors and interior monologue to explore the eternal themes of love and redemption, selfhood and the mirrored self. The fate and awakening revealed at its close represent the homecoming not only of the individual, but of all sentient beings.

Note on this poem’s process, from poet AG Davis:
Gathering info/data then intuitively applying to matrices that intertwine and reconfigure yet relate on multiple levels of dimensionality. however, these matrices can be read linearly, or reinforced in any manner the reader chooses: my theory is that there should be at the very least resonance/or purely mental vibrance with the words themselves; that although not direct sometimes in apparent semantic content, there is still some para-semantic content, or ur-semantic content that will ‘stick” to make a ”meaning” ”ravel”. 

Poem

7 coupled with inverted self, then mirror self 7selfsame inverted , now  creates ️ makes time  makes  makes  makes= …. 01 makes 3 invert selfsame mirror selfsame makes chain makes helix makes DNA makes DEATH invert selfsame  selfsame this is the ICON ,,,, as above so below

Redact 

Light 

Return

Now pair with pg. 116 THE war/ing 

N

BLOCK 

DECREATE TO UNPOLLUTE 

MATRICES EXCEL

AERATE 

GOD IS 3 IS 1

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-light

Left Alone

He was left

alone

never knowing

his mother and father

growing up

in the overhang

of dark dreams

like so many others

not understanding

the why

of conflicts

and war after war

killing

the tree

the sea

and the sky

above babies.

Stone Flower

Almost

a stone flower

lit by sun and moon

she is

almost

unfeeling

her heart

breaking

waiting

for someone

with the touch of love.

Shock Treatment

Shock treatment

no more

wars

on earth

or beyond.

Uzbek State World Language University, Faculty of English Philology, 2nd-year student

The Role of Sleep in Academic Performance

Choriyeva Oynur

Uzbek State World Languages University, Faculty of English Philology

2nd-year Student

Abstract

This article examines the important role of sleep in academic performance. It demonstrates how adequate and quality sleep can enhance memory, improve focus and concentration, and support cognitive functions such as problem-solving and critical thinking. It also highlights that insufficient sleep can reduce memory recall, decrease attention, worsen academic performance, lower grades, and reduce productivity. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the importance of obtaining sufficient, regular, and high-quality sleep for effective studying.

Keywords: sleep, academic performance, memory, attention, cognitive functions, reading, productivity, student health, effective studying, overall quality of life

Introduction

Sleep plays a vital role in student health and academic success. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health, adequate sleep is essential for physical health, mental clarity, and overall quality of life, especially for young people. During Student Sleep Health Week, the Indian Board of Education provides resources and recommendations on the relationship between deep sleep and success.

The CDC emphasizes that sleep is crucial for memory consolidation, learning, and cognitive functioning. Students who do not get enough sleep struggle with concentration, problem-solving, and remembering information. This can negatively affect their academic results, lower their grades, and reduce productivity.

Leslie L. Crow, a licensed professional counselor and specialist in BIE’s Student Behavioral Health Program, notes that sleep significantly impacts students’ academic and athletic performance.

“Healthy sleep habits greatly affect the mental and physical health of children and adults,” Crow states. “Sleep influences our emotions, stress management, and overall well-being.”

Main Body

Sleep is essential for cognitive functions as well as overall physical and mental health. According to the CDC, insufficient sleep is associated with increased risks of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions. For students, lack of sleep can lead to reduced energy levels and greater susceptibility to illness, preventing full participation in academic and extracurricular activities.

The two most common consequences of insufficient sleep are decreased focus and impaired memory. These effects are not only harmful individually but also compound each other. Lack of focus results in incomplete information retention, which is further compounded by inadequate neural connections formed during learning.

Insufficient sleep can reduce both short-term and long-term memory. Short-term memory retains information briefly, such as remembering someone’s name upon meeting them or recalling the last few words on a fast-changing PowerPoint slide. Long-term memory involves retaining information for hours, days, months, or longer, such as remembering due dates or recalling past events. Students struggling with sleep-related stress over classes may benefit from seeking tutoring to improve mastery of the subject.

Leslie L. Crow emphasizes the importance of understanding recommended sleep durations for different age groups. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night, while younger school-aged children require approximately 9 to 11 hours within 24 hours. Crow notes that many behavioral and mental health issues, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, depression, and difficulties in emotional regulation, may be partially or entirely caused by sleep disorders.

To address these challenges, the CDC recommends maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends, to regulate internal biological clocks. Additionally, creating a sleep-friendly environment—keeping the bedroom dark, quiet, and cool—can significantly enhance sleep quality.

Crow also provides practical tips to improve sleep:

Go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time every day.

Maintain a consistent bedtime routine.

Use the bed only for sleep.

Spend time outdoors to get sunlight and engage in physical activity.

Avoid screen time before bedtime.

Model healthy sleep habits for students.

Consult a medical professional if sleep problems persist.

By prioritizing sleep, students can improve academic performance, enhance physical and mental well-being, and establish habits that contribute to long-term success. Student Sleep Health Week serves as a vital reminder that adequate sleep is not a luxury—it is a necessity.

Conclusion

There are multiple ways to measure the relationship between sleep and academic performance. Much of the earlier research focused on sleep duration and sleep quality, with mixed results. These measures have limitations—sleep duration is usually self-reported, and sleep quality is subjective. Recently, novel measures of sleep have emerged. The timing and consistency of sleep may have the greatest impact on academic performance.

References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721815000157⁠�

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079216000228⁠�

South Eastern European Journal of Public Health, April 2025

Idaho State University College of Business, Business Administration, 921 South 8th Ave, Pocatello, ID 83209

—————————————————————————————-

as another soul dies

dense fog, trash night

animals plotting in the

sewer

i didn’t have a murder/suicide

right after giving birth on my

bingo card

humans, the world’s most

dangerous animal

and here i thought opposable

thumbs elevated us

it actually only made it easier

to hold and shoot a gun

watch the money during the war

someone is always getting rich

as another soul dies

a woman asked me tonight why

i don’t have any children

i laughed, told her i never had

a death wish that strong that i

needed to have someone else

do it

she’s still trying to figure

that one out

been raining for almost 24

straight hours

these are the nights on the farm

i would listen to it hit the metal

roof

and then wonder which room

will need a bucket

——————————————————————————-

in a lonesome alley

a howling wind

caught out in

a pouring rain

a homeless man

told me once

pour a tall glass

of whiskey and

saw off a shotgun

and see which

hits your lips

first

he died of cancer

in a lonesome

alley years ago

it was the

whiskey

my friend

the whiskey

————————————————————

life is a video game

somewhere in the distance

i can hear my father saying

he went to vietnam to die

of course, he grew up poor

now, a generation with the

bravery of being out of range

life is a video game

just the weapons naturally

have human consequences

the innocent always die first

almost biblical it feels

why the stupid have to start

wars in the first place is a

completely different poem

this is about the ignorance

the unwillingness to

understand culture

to want the entire world

to bend the knee to the rich

and this is where some fuck

will remind me he nearly died

for my free speech

and i will thank him for that

and then explain the hypocrisy

of him wanting to take it away

———————————————————-

a little extra cash

bent spoon daydreams

the holy ghost needs

a little extra cash

light up a cigarette

under a no smoking

sign

listen to an old black

man play the saxophone

like jazz was just beginning

thumb through the pages

of on the road like you

have already lived it

a lady asks you to step

outside

she locks the door behind

you

they take cancer seriously

around here i guess

up two blocks is an

old bookstore

place where you found

old gregory corso books

for less than a dollar

place is now a clothing

boutique

light another cigarette

time passes all of us by

at least once

—————————————————————-

that clings to you better

one of those nights

where you hope to

fuck the pain away

depravity, a long

lost soul that clings

to you better than

any invisible friend

ever did

they never tell you

if you hate yourself

long enough, you’ll

never remember to

love anyone else

this is where the

dramatic music

comes in and our

hero disappoints

all of us yet again

dying alone is a

process that takes

way longer than

it appears on

television

a tall glass of

scotch

drunken showers

at three in the

morning is my

latest trick to

steal a few

hours of sleep

old enough that

the dreams are

now just waves

and flowers

meant for

a grave

J.J. Campbell (1976 – ?) is old enough to know where the bodies are buried. The three- time Best of The Net nominee and two-time Pushcart Prize nominee lives with his disabled mother in Ohio. He’s been widely published over the years, most recently at Yellow Mama, The Rye Whiskey Review, Night Owl Narrative, Disturb the Universe Magazine and The Beatnik Cowboy. His latest book, to live your dreams, published by Whiskey City Press, is available on Amazon.com. for more info on the book, go here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/245883678-to-live-your-dreams.

Poetry Daylight 

On this sunny day 

filled with blue skies array,

made of ink and white clouds of paper 

The words come closer,

To the gentle timepiece of words 

A poem where goodness rests

And Angels blest,

In a place of golden heartbeats

In a great embrace where peace beats

Shines many colors of the rainbow.