To You
As the earth thirsts for rain,
As the sunflower longs for the sun,
So does my soul yearn for you.
In every drop, in every ray,
I see your image, your gentle smile.
Just as night has its darkness,
So do I seek the trace of you in my heart.
As the earth awaits spring,
As the flower dreams of azure heights,
My heart, like a swallow, comes to you,
To love you through the depths of affection.
In every breeze, I hear your whisper,
In every leaf, I feel your breath,
For you are my unrest, from which I suffer,
My everything, and my eternal fear.
As the earth thirsts for rain,
As the sunflower longs for the sun,
So does my soul yearn for you,
Dreaming of you, loving you, always listening to you.
Maja Milojković was born in 1975 in Zaječar, Serbia.
She is a person to whom from an early age, Leonardo da Vinci's statement "Painting is poetry that can be seen, and poetry is painting that can be heard" is circulating through the blood.
That's why she started to use feathers and a brush and began to reveal the world and herself to them.
As a poet, she is represented in numerous domestic and foreign literary newspapers, anthologies and electronic media, and some of her poems can be found on YouTube.
Many of her poems have been translated into English, Hungarian, Bengali and Bulgarian due to the need of foreign readers.
She is the recipient of many international awards.
"Trees of Desire" is her second collection of poems in preparation, which is preceded by the book of poems "Moon Circle".
She is a member of the International Society of Writers and Artists "Mountain Views" in Montenegro, and she also is a member of the Poetry club "Area Felix" in Serbia.
Do you know? What am I afraid of the ringing of the phone… At that time I was an eight-year-old child. My father was a soldier. My mother worked as a teacher at school. because of my dad’s work, we often moved. My mother had to constantly change her job from province to province. But it was not always possible to find a job for my mother. I didn’t have any close friends because my school changed every time. At school, it would take time for me to learn from my teachers. I couldn’t go out with anyone. All my classmates used to make fun of me as a nomad. but I love my dad’s work. Every time my father left for work, he would kiss me goodbye.
Like all children, I longed for my father to be with me more. But it remained a dream. my father always came home late from work, and sometimes stayed on night duty. At night, I would go to sleep waiting for my father…
I remember that day was my birthday. I was nine years old. On that day, my mother told my father to come from work early today for our daughter’s birthday. Dad came home at nine o’clock late. Four came in. For me, my dad’s arrival made me the happiest out of all four. My happiness did not last long. Until that phone rang, my dad left in a hurry. I did not know that that day would be the last time I would see my father…
Numonova Khonzodabegim Shuhratbek’s daughter is a student of the 11th grade.
Fate
No matter how much suffering hurts my tongue,
I will go on my way.
Sometimes falling, sometimes standing
Trials lead to dreams.
If not for God,
The wind doesn't blow, it doesn't pour high
I fall for a reason too
This fall will not last forever.
The stars count the days in the distance,
The sun always shines its golden light.
If only I had wings to fly
I would reach the heavens.
Just that
A beautiful breeze works every moment
My dreams are with me
It's like a long time ago
I just learned to live.
When I am in pain, my heart feels my pain.
Every breath I take is visible to my body
Obedience all my life
Just stop for a moment.
My imagination is sad and gently stirs
The sweet door of my heart
It is as if he has entered a mysterious world
I just live in a secret age.
A butterfly will land on my hand
And my emotions are like an unstable wind
My tender words from the heart
It's just a piece of paper.
Ziyoda Murodilova, daughter of Zufarjon, was born on October 15, 2007 in the city of Fergana in the Republic of Uzbekistan. She wants to use her creative abilities to read, write and help people any way possible.
Room A: The room where you watched the sun set with a dyslexic boy you named Squirrle
Room B: The room where your rejected lover tapped a Morse code against his shaved head
Room C: The room where your father-on-parole hid his little tin men under your bed. At night, they marched and drummed and sang German beer songs until you cried Uncle
Room D: The room where Penny dropped her glass eye and you could never hold her in the same way
Room E: When you’re 3 sizes too big for everything and can’t stretch backwards or sideways, you’ll reconstruct the room as floating space
Room F: Where you shared popcorn with a pickpocket who snuck rare coins into your dirty jeans
Room G: Where your brother returned home with his junkie love
Room H: The visiting nun who forgot to close the door to your room and left you to melt
Room I: When the room collapses from a fire, you are lighter than ash
Room J: The room where a boy named Jesus played banjo until your knees bled
Room K: The room where you gave birth to another room
That 70s Show
It was different then. We were as careless as near sighted thieves. We drank rock & rye until our hearts were too water-logged to beat an even rhythm. We dated people who didn’t believe our real names. We re-invented ourselves in the dark and couldn’t see what we made. We finally met again adrift in an empty ocean. “Are you floating alone?” an old friend asked me. “Yes,” I said, still am.” He smiled wistfully the way he once did.
All-Night Diner
Today’s special: Death at a discount
Choices: charcoal broiled, braised, fried with onions,
or just quick & dry.
served with truffles and parsley echoes.
Orange mushrooms too, if you prefer.
Family Guy
you took the rap
for your starry-eyed
father who never
learned how to swim
or how to collect
snowflakes in a
petri dish.
they hung you
from a cloud
A Ku for Emily
The warmth of your mouth
My words form couplets & thaw
Mars Brocke has been published in Otolith, Ink in Thirds, and elsewhere. He loves old garage bands of the 60s and still adores Iggy Pop. He also loves soft-serve ice cream.
Black Sea and War: How does Russian aggression affect the Black Sea ecosystem?
In 2022, the Ukrainian South became a theater of active warfare. This, in its turn, couldn’t pass without leaving a mark on ecology, as Russians fight dirtily, not sparing shells and pressuring with numbers instead of accuracy. The war is still being fought, and part of the Ukrainian South is still under occupation, but scientists try to keep their finger on the pulse. Kunsht has visited Mykhailo Son, a Doctor of Biology, and a leading scientist at The Institute of Marine Biology of NASU in Odesa.
Three years ago, the Institute lived through a horrible fire that took the lives of the Institute employees, valuable collections, and scientific materials. Nowadays, the institute is scattered around the city. Mr. Mykhailo has agreed to meet us in the administrative building.
Our conversation began with a general evaluation of the situation. The scientist marked that war is a double-edged sword. On one hand, ecology suffers from battles, sunk ships, artillery shells, and destroyed industrial facilities. But on the other hand, because of the limits on fishing, mining, paralyzed tourism, and construction on the coast, the sea has a chance for revival, especially in those coastal areas where there are no active battles.
An analysis of the consequences of war on the marine ecosystem is complicated by many factors. First, it’s impossible to evaluate the situation in the occupied territories. And the Azov Sea is occupied as a whole. It’s hard to know what consequences the ruining of the industrial Mariupol and coastal Azovstal has led to. Second, in the territories under Ukrainian control, a lot of zones are controlled by the military, and there are many mine barriers, so the research isn’t currently done there. Last year, the Institute of Marine Biology was able to do research only in the delta of the Danube, northern parts of the estuaries (Tylihulsky, Sukhy, Kuyalnytsky, Hryhoriivsky), and a small part of the sea near the mouth of the Danube that was opened for fishing. Third, during the war, both national and international ecological institutions are weakened, and monitoring and research get interrupted. Ukraine was planning to inaugurate complex monitoring of the marine ecosystem in 2022, under the efforts for Eurointegration. The research should have been done by Borys Aleksandrov, a ship gifted to Ukraine by Belgium, but its launch was postponed because of the war. Fourth, the analysis of the ecological situation has to be done with a complex analysis of all the sources, including the Russian ones, and they are impossible to take into consideration now, given that when Russia gives data on “Russian Black Sea territory” in its reports, this includes the occupied territories. Because of this confusion, the International Black Sea Commission (which includes all the countries on the coast of the Black Sea) cannot work correctly.
Image c/o Valentyn Kuzan
All these factors complicate the analysis a lot, but the scientists try out alternative methods of research – for instance, using satellite imagery to evaluate the extent of sea pollution because of war based on the color of the water.
The marine environment differs in that it’s not as mosaic as the land one. This means that in the mountains, forests, and lakes small habitats with unique species that are easy to destroy are much more common. The sea has very vast monotonous stretches. If a part of some habitat is damaged it will renew soon. But the marine ecosystem is also vulnerable, especially in the lagoons, estuaries, bays, and coastal areas. In the depth of the Black Sea, there are unique fields with the Phyllophora algae that create landscapes with valuable biota. “Such vast zones of continuous algal biocoenoses outside of the tidal zone of the coast are unique. The Sargasso Sea can be considered an analog of such an ecosystem. Such vast clusters of Phyllophora and corresponding groups of animals that colonize them don’t exist anywhere else in the world,” – Mr. Mykhailo explains. Last year’s hostilities were a direct threat to them.
Zmiiny Isle is one more victim of this war. The battles for it were rather intensive as it was the key to the opening of the grain corridor. Once, it could boast of unique rocks with peculiar biota that differed from Crimea and the Odesa region. *Any islands form unique ecosystems due to their isolation from the continent. This uniqueness may also stem from the paucity of their biota. Then, the biodiversity is lower and there are species that take the niches of others. If the island is big, this triggers evolution with formation of new species. Zmiiny has landscapes of “hard” rocks (metamorphic rocks), and due to this its biological formations resemble those characteristic to the Crimean rocks in their function. Nonetheless, it is situated in the zone of lower salinity (like all the north-west parts of the Black Sea), and many of the species characteristic of Crimea are absent here. In consequence, a specific group is formed that differs from others, for example, by high numbers of the warty crab and the marbled rock crab and a presence of marine lichens. Part of the rocks is physically destroyed. The birds also used Zmiiny to rest, especially those that don’t use to visit the continent. Currently, scientists can’t evaluate the scale of the damage to the island’s ecosystem, as all the monitoring and research missions on it are stopped. Before the invasion, a biological station of the university was functioning there (it researched the spread of viruses in birds among other things), and the employees of the Institute of Marine Biology use to visit the island.
The topic of the anomalously high death rate among dolphins and porpoises in the Black Sea has probably become most known to the public. Ecologists hypothesize that active combat is a possible reason for this, as the animals react to underwater waves, sounds of explosions, and the work of sonars. Mr. Mykhailo notes that the topic needs verified scientific research, and, fortunately, it is happening. It’s one of the few instances when scientists were allowed to do research for a criminal investigation. The scientists from the Institute of Zoology of NASU took samples of different brain tissues of the animals. The molecular samples are currently being researched in Europe.
Image c/o Valentyn Kusan
One more ecologically vulnerable habitat is Kakhovka Reservoir; Russians barbarously drop big amounts of water from it. This may damage the ecosystem of the Reservoir itself, bringing disbalance to its hydrological and oxygen regime, and the lower area of Dnipro under the dam, including its delta, can become a victim of flooding, which brings the risks of polluting the water with trash and industrial waste.
Mr. Mykhailo dreams that, after the war, it will be possible to launch the sea monitoring system, which will give accurate and full data, and the institute will be able to use them for its specialized research.
Mr. Mykhailo answers the question of what is needed to evaluate the consequences of war for ecosystems like this: “First of all, of course, we need access to the sea, and we also need funding for the expeditions and equipment. At the current stage, we can use new scientific methods that aren’t yet practiced in Ukraine, for example, genetic research that can show a short-term impact on an organism. **Such an indicator for pollution may be, for example, transcriptomics – an analysis of the totality of the RNA that is formed in a cell based on the genetic code in DNA. This shows, for instance, differences in expression of genes connected to immunity. Other possible analyses are an analysis of the proteins characteristic of stress, an analysis of the number of mutations, including chromosome abnormalities, incorrect work of the mitosis mechanism and abnormalities in the structure of the cell membranes. This may show if the organism is under stress, or whether there are influences of toxic chemicals and so on.”
After our conversation, we went to the beach in Odesa – that part of it where you can go without a military convoy. Public utility workers approached us and warned us that a mine could be washed on the shore. They let us stay but asked us to be careful. Passers-by from Odesa couldn’t miss an opportunity for a joke and told us to bring all the mines to their scrap metal collecting spot.
In a couple of hours, Mr. Mykhailo, having solved all his work issues, was able to join us with his research equipment. On the beach, he dug some sand looking for a Donacilla mollusk. They didn’t come all the way to Odesa shores as the tourists accidentally destroyed them, but after a dead tourism season, the researchers started to find specimens of this species on the beaches of the city.
We weren’t lucky enough to find a Donacilla, but Mr. Mykhailo found Zostera sea grass washed on the shore nearby that used to be rare on the city beaches for decades.
In a pile of seashells, Mr. Mykhailo picked up those of Black Sea oysters. An invasive species of Rapana has almost destroyed this species.
One of the versions says that Rapanas appeared in the Black Sea at the end of the 1940s because of WWII. First, Japan had contact with Italy, and its fleet brought Rapana from the Japanese to the Adriatic Sea. And then, when the USSR took a part of the Italian fleet as reparations, they brought this carnivorous mollusk with it, which had a big impact on the ecosystem of the Black Sea.
Mr. Mykhailo mentions the Crimean War, where the cavalry had an important role, in this context. Forage and hay for the horses were brought there from all over Europe, and this way a whole number of new plants appeared in Crimea.
The current war also brings great risks of the appearance of invasive species. Russians bring warships from the Baltic and Caspian Seas to the Black Sea. Russian oil is being transported by new routes under the sanctions. It may be, that one of the consequences of the full-scale Russian invasion will be a vast-scale appearance of new invasive species in our ecosystems.
This report has been developed within the project supported by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. The views of the authors do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. government.
YOUR ABSENCE
I look at your portrait,
and I paint a smile with the brightness of your eyes…
I fall silent when I get home.
I call you less
I try out discretions
I modify poems
I practice a new now.
I balance so as not to fall,
my war sews moons into a flag of truce
Between twilights, fear wants an end of warm sand.
Maybe I'm not the same,
Maybe there isn't a maybe that rescues me
With your absence there is no reflection that confirms…
Not even a piece of truth that shows the sky
My eyes like stones face uncertain futures,
And they cry inside.
GRACIELA NOEMI VILLAVERDE is a writer and poet from Concepción del Uruguay (Entre Rios) Argentina, based in Buenos Aires She graduated in letters and is the author of seven books of poetry, awarded several times worldwide. She works as the World Manager of Educational and Social Projects of the Hispanic World Union of Writers and is the UHE World Honorary President of the same institution Activa de la Sade, Argentine Society of Writers. She is the Commissioner of Honor in the executive cabinet IN THE EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL RELATIONS DIVISION, of the UNACCC SOUTH AMERICA ARGENTINA CHAPTER.
First of all, an announcement on behalf of Synchronized Chaos Magazine. We’re going to help authors with research by setting up a section where readers and contributors can volunteer to provide information to authors who want to do research for their writing projects. So, if you have knowledge or lived experience in some area and are open to answering questions for someone’s project, please email us at synchchaos@gmail.com and we’ll add you to our upcoming list!
Now for this month’s issue: Self, Others, Source. As a teenager I attended a spiritual retreat where the leader encouraged us to think of our relationship to ourselves, the people and other beings in our lives, and our Source, the higher power, however we understood that. He commented that when we got in trouble, we could imagine sending out an S-O-S and looking within, to our social networks, and our faith.
Some of this issue’s contributors engage with the self.
Sandra Rochelle describes a healing journey where a woman chooses play and joy over self-conscious judgement.
Rus Khomutoff speaks to dreams, the surreal, and the subconscious as Texas Fontanella’s pieces express energy, tension, and action within the artist’s mind and Mark Young sends up swatches and swathes of color and texture. J.D. Nelson experiments with thought bubble bursts of words.
J.J. Campbell reflects on memories and disillusionment and the fragility of hope as Elan Barnehama offers an exploration of how an introvert and an extrovert cope with tragedy.
Jonibek Miraxmedov presents the poetry of youth: first love, optimism, dedication and determination, and joy in life. Z.I. Mahmud examines the psychological and emotional world of T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.
Mykyta Ryzhykh speculates on the competing twin powers of passion and destruction, Eros and Thanatos, sensuality and fear and death. Prosper Isaac draws on the dual nature of the cultural symbol of flowers, joy and grief, weddings and funerals, the happiness and sorrow making up all of our lives.
Salihu Muhammad’s piece reminds us that like ripples in a pond, our attitudes and character shape how we view the world.
Other work addresses the human and natural world around us.
Kylian Cubilla Gomez’ photography captures moments of delicacy, small creatures or objects, and encourages us to pay attention to our world on a micro level.
Marisa LaPorte describes a quest for peace of mind and peace within a family. Taylor Dibbert continues to reflect on a divorce and all it portends for his poetic speaker. Abdel Zahra Amara’s short story, translated by poet Faleeha Hassan, comments on the difference between pretty sentimentality and actual love.
David Sapp reflects on adult friendship and what makes a good friend versus a good colleague as Quinn’s evocative story highlights the power of childhood friendship to change a life and remain in a person’s memory for years.
Talia Borochaner finds the poetry in childbirth, gardens, and kitchens as the heart of much existence. Abdullajonova Zurakhan’s poem laments a caring and faithful uncle who passed away. Nosirova Gavhar writes of a young ballerina shaped by the love and encouragement of her father. Ilhomova Mohichehra celebrates the sweet fruit and memories of her home village. Tursunova Sarvino brings a scientific analysis to an aspect of childcare, the development of children’s speech abilities.
Akmalova Zebokhan Akobirkhan contributes a whimsical love poem about the disorientation she feels due to her emotions. Maja Milojkovic reflects on different types of sentimental sweetness in life and cautions us to enjoy with discretion. Mesfakus Salahin evokes the various senses in his love poem.
Raquel and Brian Barbeito reminisce on the joy of living with seven dogs throughout their lives, each of whom had a unique personality. Sushant Kumar merges with both the Earth and a lover in his poem. Sayani Mukherjee highlights the power of the sun in an evocative summer pond scene while Wazed Abdullah reflects on the calm of a moonlit night. Naeem Aziz’ poem draws on natural imagery to highlight the inner and outer beauty of a woman he loves. Maftuna Rustamova’s work urges preservation of the natural environment as Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa calls on people to step up amidst their trauma and exhaustion to heal Mother Earth.
Madinabonu Mavlonova outlines methods to improve seed germination in a plant biology laboratory. Ilnura Ibrohimova points out the importance of food safety and safe preservation of food as part of a strategy to feed the world.
Jonibek also suggests ways for Uzbek businesses to adapt to technological changes and increasing environmental awareness. Muquaddas Maxmarejabova outlines the many practical and social changes that came with industrialization.
Isabel Gomez de Diego’s work captures history still standing: a concrete cellar and castle from centuries ago and a dinosaur museum. Shodiyeva Mehribon asserts the pride she takes in her heritage and homeland of Uzbekistan as a young person shaping her country’s future as Alina Ibrohimova offers a tribute to the nation’s Olympic athletes.
Sitora Otajonova outlines the promise and problems of social media for contemporary users. Pat Doyne expresses her hopes for civil dialogue, equality, and progressive values.
Fatima Abdulwahab’s piece is a lament for a lost home and family in a war-torn country while Faleeha Hassan describes war as a hungry, predatory, grotesque animal. The poetry of Abdulrasheed Yakubu Ladan highlights the corruption often present in politics when there is a great power imbalance. Mahbub Alam draws on the metaphor of a large bird being chased away to depict the recent student revolution in Bangladesh. Daniel DeCulla’s poetry highlights how even candidates praised with lofty rhetoric and slogans will not be perfect or bring peace to our world. Naeem Aziz writes of students taking to the streets to make things right.
Anila Bukhari encourages writers to bring hope to those who struggle and bear witness to the world’s tragedies. Martha Ellen’s poetry muses about wide-ranging effects of trauma on a personal level, finding compassion for aggressors as well as victims. Komron Mirza laments the decline of dignity, ethics, and compassion in his society.
Bekzod Ergashev highlights the problem of youth unemployment within Uzbekistan and its effects on the economy as well as on youth confidence.
Nigora Tursunboyeva’s short story highlights the pain of impoverished orphans in Uzbekistan and the fragility of all our lives. Sonmin Yoongi urges people to live lives of compassion, dignity, and faith.
And still other contributors consider matters of faith, the divine, and sources of ultimate purpose and meaning in life.
Amirah Al-Wassif renders family tragedies and spiritual searchings into surrealist poetry while Kahlil Crawford reviews the eclectic, evocative, and ethereal stylings of musical artist Pinhdar.
Duane Vorhees probes and turns over thoughts about religion and art, history and youth, in his poetry.
Of course, facets of our existence cannot so easily be divided into three boxes. Many contributors’ sense of self is shaped by their communities and cultures, many times meaning and purpose in life comes from serving others, and it becomes possible to live in a healthy relationship with others when one is strong within oneself.
So, while these dimensions inevitably overlap and influence each other, they provide a general guide to understanding ourselves and are a source of artistic inspiration.
