Sometimes there may be misunderstandings, it’s true,
Yet in her heart, there’s a reservoir of strength.
No one truly knows what lies inside her,
A hidden, resilient strength like a diamond.
Are not women beautiful in this world,
From whom the sun’s light has sprung?
Why not be amazed, why not love?
After all, Mother is the trembling symbol of women.
Jo‘rayeva Marjona Baxtiyorovna was born on October 18, 2003, in the Termiz district of Surxondaryo region, Uzbekistan. She is a third-year student in the Uzbek language and literature department at the Faculty of Foreign Language.
imprisoned between the pages, in an eternal twilight.
A petrified heart, beneath cracked leather,
weak heartbeats, a distant echo of lost dreams,
hopes turned to ashes,
fears rooted in darkness.
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, we wish everyone a very happy Earth Day! Here’s a picture from regular contributing artist Jacques Fleury.
Image c/o Jacques Fleury
Poet and essayist Abigail George, whom we’ve published many times, shares the fundraiser her book’s press has created for her. She’s seeking contributions for office supplies and resources to be able to serve as a speaker and advocate for others who have experienced trauma or deal with mental health issues.
Also, the Educational Bookshop in Jerusalem, a store that has the mission of peaceful dialogue and education, invites readers to donate new or gently used books (all genres) that have been meaningful to them, with a note enclosed for future readers about why the books were meaningful. (The books don’t have to be about peace or social justice or the Mideast, although they can be). Please send books here. US-based Interlink Publishing has also started a GoFundMe for the store.
We’re also having a presence at the Hayward Lit Hop festival this year, and we encourage everyone to attend this free, all-ages event! Many local writers will share their work and we will also host an open mic.
Image c/o Carl Gorringe
Passing along a message from someone who contacted us. If you’re interested, please email Mark directly at jennybridge45@gmail.com
Hi there, As a seasoned coordinator of educational events, this is my official introduction. Mark is my name. I hope our conversations won’t be hampered by my hearing loss. For an upcoming workshop, I’m searching for an illustrator, cartoonist, or artist to work with on a project. I’ll go over the project needs in detail and pay your fees in advance if you can assist. Once I indicate what has to be depicted or drawn, you can estimate the cost.
Mark Stewart from Ohio, USA.
This month’s theme is Lost and Found.
Photo c/o Brian Barbeito
Brian Barbeito shares a mindful reflection on walking a paved road, finding a human place in nature. Rustamova Asalay depicts a farmer in tune with the sun and the cycles of nature. Stephen Jarrell Williams contributes several different ways of looking at and interacting with a city plaza. David Woodward contemplates life and aging while observing his garden, yet to bloom. Sayani Mukherjee dreams of flowers, rivers and mortality, biological life undergirding a modern city. Grzegorz Wroblewski, in a second set of poetry translated by Peter Burzynski, probes the corporeal and how we nourish ourselves.
Maniq Chakraborty speaks to being a lost traveler on a psychological journey. David Sapp writes of ordinary people and the weight of regret for their past choices, whether justifiable or not. Mykyta Ryzhykh’s poetry portrays people trapped in memory or dreamtime. Graciela Noemi Villaverde laments our human limitations: mortality and fragmentary knowledge. Sheila Murphy addresses isolation, confusion, and the weakness of language when it comes to expressing inmost feelings.
Bokijonova Madinabonu Batirovna’s piece explores the universality of grief and how it fragments and hardens some people’s selves. Denis Emorine’s novella Broken Identities explores the weight of the past, even a past we didn’t live through, and how it affects our sense of self. Tamara Walker (T.A. Aehrens)explores the practical and psychological process of repentance and healing from cultural sins in her novel Leaves from the Vine in an interview with editor Cristina Deptula. Vo Thi Nhu Mai’s elegant, understated poems express the weight of memory and unanswered questions.
Eva Petropoulou Lianou’s poem, translated from Greek to English, and then to Bangla by Md. Sadiqur Rahman Rumen, expresses a warmer view of the past and nostalgia for the simple kindnesses of her childhood. Sterling Warner’s poetry revels in nostalgia, nature, and culture – from Silicon Valley to Oktoberfest. Mahbub Alam describes in great detail the Bangladeshi New Year celebration. Rashidova Shaxrizoda pays homage to her cultural past and the poetic heritage of Alisher Navoi. Kylian Cubilla Gomez looks at nature and culture with a whimsical and curious eye. Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa learns from the past while planning for the future and playfully musing about the present.
Nigar Nurulla Khalilova’s poetic speaker leaves a beloved to pursue artistic dreams in a journey that resembles a camel caravan. Lalezar Orinbayeva reflects on how her youthful dreams have changed over time, but she has not lost her optimism or determination. Ismailova Hilola outlines events that inspired her to become a teacher, how she found her life’s calling.
Eshboyev Oybek Davlat Oglu also speaks to education, highlighting potential roles for e-learning. Shahina Olimova researches the use of role-playing games in English language learning.
Chimezie Ihekuna shares his life’s purpose, asserting his artistic independence and desire to make the world a better place through writing and music. Biljana Letic of the Balkan Beats radio program interviews Maja Milojkovic about the spiritual, intercultural, and humane inspirations behind her writing. Shamsiya Khudoynazarova Turumovna’s poetry celebrates the beauty, grace, and discipline that goes into crafting haiku. Vernon Frazer positions words and shapes and fonts onto three pages with a loose theme of music. Rizal Tanjung explores the nuances and ambiguities within Anna Keiko’s abstract paintings. Jim Meirose’s piece mutates language into a mix of fonts and verbs and sounds, giving the sense of flying a plane.
Jacques Fleury also experiments with language as he reflects on learning to “go with the flow” of life, even when life’s “flow” is uneven, in a piece crafted during meditation. Gabriela Marin’s gentle poems evoke dreams, intimacy, and the imagination. Duane Vorhees’ pieces speak to attraction and intimacy, longing for human and poetic muses. Sam Hendrian explores moments of human connection and faux-connection.
Eva Petropoulou Lianou urges human solidarity and friendship: she wishes for women to stand together and befriend each other. Dr. Jernail S. Anand’s essay reminds us that society’s leaders should represent ethical values beyond money and power. Rahmat A. Muhammad expresses her hopes for international and domestic peace within her country. Ahmed Farooq Baidoon urges the world to become worthy of its children. Isabel Gomes de Diego’s photos celebrate new and burgeoning life in various forms. Isaac Aju’s short story challenges the Nigerian social taboo about middle-aged women remaining unmarried, celebrating a broader scope of people and lifestyles.
Even as we find some new joys and new lives, we sadly lose others. Ahmed Miqdad laments the destruction of Gaza and its ravages on both land and souls. Emran Emon decries the killing in Gaza and the U.N.’s lack of action. Daniel De Culla lampoons those who lead humanity while willfully ignoring climate change.
Sandro Piedrahita’s tale of conquest, tragedy, and some tiny justice finally served dramatizes the Spanish colonization of the Incas. Z.I. Mahmud explores dystopian elements within Margaret Atwood’s feminist classic The Handmaid’s Tale.
On a more personal level, Anna Keiko’s youthful-sounding poetry expresses tender lovesickness and fear of losing her beloved. Taylor Dibbert’s weary poetic speaker gives up on the dating world. Bill Tope’s short story presents a tragic interpersonal situation with tenderness, causing readers to think about the role of the justice system.
Christopher Bernard’s piece illustrates how humans can defend ourselves against all sorts of danger with calm, mindful preparedness. We hope that this issue will not only charm and entertain, but inspire and strengthen you to face the days ahead.
Improving speaking skills through using role-play games
Olimova Shahina Botirjon qizi
Student of Uzbekistan State World Languages University
Abstract: As Globalization is changing rapidly; English is becoming the primary international communicative language across the world. Therefore, responding to students’ needs about improving oral skills in English can be effectively achieved through role-playing games. This article investigates the effectiveness of using innovative approaches and engaging games in teaching and provides useful methods and implementations for developing speaking skills.
Introduction: English is a language. mainly used by people to communicate with each other to make relationships, so English is a crucial bridge that connects people with other nations. Speaking is the most productive skill that requires doing. practices continuously, as compared to other parts. However, there are some problems that students face frequently, and teachers need to help them to alleviate challenges. Firstly, many students feel nervous or self-conscious. when they speak, especially in front of their peers and teachers.
Secondly, a restricted vocabulary can make it more challenging to express their opinion. clearly; it leads to hesitation and frustration while speaking. Thirdly, Students may struggle with pronouncing words, which can mainly affect their clarity and make it difficult for others to understand them. Additionally, one of the biggest problems that make it difficult for students to speak is that They usually may not have enough opportunity to practice speaking in a suitable environment due to limited classroom activities.
Problems that are counted above are divided into two main parts: internal and external factors. Internal factors consist of motivation, confidence, and background knowledge, while external factors involve teacher interaction, class environment, and interactive methods.
For solving these problems, role-play can be effective. teaching technique that can enhance students’ communication ability for several reasons.
1. Role play emphasizes students’ participation. This game engages students to play different kinds of characters and encourages them to simulate real-life situations where students can practice speaking skills in comfortable atmosphere. It helps them to become more comfortable with various conversations. and varied interactions.
2. Engaging in role play allows students to practice without fear of judgment. As they become more familiar with speaking in various roles, their confidence grows; consequently, it leads to improvement in fluency.
3. Students use different vocabularies that are related. to specific topics. and scenes that aid retention and help them understand how to use vocabulary and grammar appropriately in different situations.
4. Role play encourages students to think critically. and boost their fluency. In role plays, students must think on their feet. which can contribute to enhancing their ability to formulate thoughts quickly and articulate them clearly.
5. Working with classmates during play exercises boosts not only their teamwork skills but also their collaborative communication ability as they negotiate roles and scenarios together.
Research and discussion:
This research was conducted in the classroom. For observation, fifth-grade students were selected, consisting of 18 students. It is intended to improve their speaking. ability through role-playing games. The study was conducted over eight weeks.
Week 1: Participants took a pre-test to assess their speaking proficiency. Teachers introduced role-play activities that involved daily basic conversations such as ordering food in a restaurant, buying vegetables, and fruits from supermarkets. It was not too complicated and challenging; that can easily engage groups in traditional speaking exercises.
Week 2-7: The experimental group participated in weekly role-play scenes. Each session focused on different types of topics, and students were able to rotate their roles; consequently, they ensured a diverse set of speaking opportunities. They tried to speak without learning sentences by heart.
Week 8: At the end of the 8 weeks, students took a speaking exam to compare their results with pre-tests. It was exactly shown that there were significant increases in their speaking proficiency scores. When teachers got a speaking test from students; they were able to see great improvement in not only their grammatical and lexical resources, but also in their fluency. During the conversation, 80 percent of students used complex structures and complicated vocabularies about specific topics, and they expressed their opinion without hesitation and interruptions. Additionally, students had a more positive attitude. towards speaking in English and saw greater confidence in their speaking ability.
Conclusion:
Impact of teaching speaking Skills through role play help students to increase their ability to speak. It was shown from the research that through simulating real-life scenarios, participants will be able to practice language skills in supportive and engaging atmosphere. Additionally, during the play, the students learn to be fluent and continue their speech without interruption. After the research, it was clearly shown that the student’s interest in the English language has increased and Also, they learned how to communicate with native speakers.
References:
Harris, D. P. (1997). Testing English as a Second Language.” Bombay: MC Graw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd.
Harmer, J. (2007). “The practice of English language teaching’’ Pearson Longman
Thornbury, S. (2005). “How to teach Speaking.’’ Pearson Longman.
Tudor, I. (2001). “The dynamics of the language classroom.” Cambridge University Press.
Calliope’s Windfall Cadralor
I. Autumn Amity
Nonpolar effect
hydrophobic leaves
aggregate water droplets
may hydrogen bonds join
us in molecule cages.
II. Goslings
Noontime disruption
thundershowers high above
goose and gander honk
once we danced in spring rains
mimicked nature’s celebrants.
III. Hades’ Decan
Sizzling zodiac
liquid smoke spareribs
third March decan caution
we share Pisces confidence
tap psychic propensities.
IV. Worm Moon in Libra
Loving being loved
full moon eclipse in Libra
balanced relationships
I recall picnics, plucking
fresh flowers, crushing on girls.
V. Cathedral
Gargoyle waterspouts
downpours fill granite gutters
cleanse Notre-Dame steps
may our ile de la cité
stroll recapture memories.
Matching Tattoos
Vera woke early today but not alone
last night she’d hammered her way
bar to bar, allowing men & women
to ply her with drinks, twerk & grind
across low lit dancefloors before taking
her leave & exploring other haunts.
I should know; she picked me up
& we spent the night carousing—
a bevy of mixologists alleged
We hooked up on midnight’s backside
when starshine casts cosmic freckles
upon damp pavement & sunrise heralds
fill ebon streets with song; I remember lifting
her inside a taxi, squinting open bloodshot eyes
simultaneously at dawn; confused yet unruffled.
Vera showered in her slip, dressed in an Uber
sipped java as we drove club to club retracing after hour
footsteps to likely saloons, 24-hour cafés & her parked car.
We discovered her sedan at the Ink Masters Tats
chrome hubcaps stripped, tires intact, radio blaring;
she dropped me off out General Electric, my faux
employer, listened to graveyard peacocks cry & scold
like babies from Oakhill Cemetery across the street as we
exchanged phone numbers neither of us intended to dial.
Arc de Triomphe Pilgrims
High school voyagers,
premarital couples,
& collage dropouts backpack
through Normandy fields,
nibble on exotic cheese
sample cuisine, contemplating
a side trip to the Aquitaine
in search of Limousin beef,
duck foie gras, rich, red Bordeaux
wine & a chance to explore
historical landscapes
from the French Alps
to the Pyrenees always atop
Charlemagne’s shoulders
each day celebrated
like St. Crispin’s feast,
Agincourt groupies,
rambling towards Paris
trekking like bicyclists
across the Champs-Élysées.
Wistful Entreaties
Take me back to cherry tree orchards blossoming
throughout Santa Clara Valley in the 1960’s,
a time inspired before birthing Silicon Valley
replaced fertile fields and fruit bearing groves with glass,
steel, cement, tar, high technology, and computer chips.
Free me from yesteryear’s idealized social diaspora
perceived through a senior citizen’s vantage point;
mindful of lessons learned, responsibility accepted,
swing wide youthful curiosity, advancement’s doorway,
acclaim achievements true, own up to virtue questionable.
Help me ignore shadows, recalling bad decisions,
regretting dump yard expeditions, adding rubbish to landfill—
future housing track foundations—major source
of toxins, leachate and greenhouse gases, tolerating
Eichler’s radiant heating, San Jose’s mounting smog.
Let me recall small budget pleasures frequenting
drive-in movie theaters dotting the valley’s
agricultural perimeter, where Steven’s Creek Blvd
gave rancher’s a thoroughfare and the Winchester
Mystery House marked the edge of town.
Grant me childhood bliss hiking amid Alum Rock hills,
searching for treasure filled caves—Joaquin Murrieta’s haunts—
or exploring abandoned shafts inside the condemned
New Almaden quicksilver mines, oblivious
to dangerous rotting timbers and poisonous cinnabar ore.
Permit me quaint mind expansion…just limit my high to Geritol
enhancement; shorten day long treks through San Jose
to mailbox journeys, and venerate fingertip entertainment
as a respectable alternative to clubbing it, theatre premiers,
lowriding kicks, or Mount Umunhum trysts in parked cars.
“O’zapft is!”
(“It is tapped!”)
Löwenbräu flows, Oktoberfest
beer steins raise, village voices shout, “Proust!”
celebrant couples dress in Bavarian garb
from Lederhosen to dirndls, flap arms
like chickens, and twist ageless bodies
to brass bands playing oom-pah-pah music
drifting beer tent to beer tent sampling
warm pretzels dipped in mustard,
savoring smoked brätwurst, sauerkraut,
and käsespätzle, sharing gingerbread hearts,
inhaling apple strudel, basking in camaraderie,
concluding with a horserace recollecting—
honoring—Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess
Theresa of Saxony-Hildburghausen nuptials.
An award-winning author, poet, and former Evergreen Valley College English Professor, Sterling Warner’s works have appeared many literary magazines, journals, and anthologies including Lothlórien Poetry Journal, EkphrasticReview, Synchronized Chaos, and Sparks of Calliope. Warner’s collections of poetry/fiction include Rags and Feathers, Without Wheels, ShadowCat, Edges, Memento Mori: A Chapbook Redux, Serpent’s Tooth, Flytraps, Cracks of Light: Pandemic Poetry & Fiction 2019-2022, Halcyon Days: Collected Fibonacci, Abraxas: Poems (2024), and Masques: Flash Fiction & Short Stories. Presently, Warner writes, hosts/participates in “virtual” poetry readings, turns wood, and enjoys retirement in Washington.
I cannot conceal the flood like emotions rushing towards the river of love
I was terrified, suspicious
When your poetic language flows into a Image
My whole body is like a ripe paddy
Whispering to you,，I know.
The sky will also bloom the color of the heart for us
I stood there at a loss
My heart has already flown far away
I heard birds singing love songs outside the window.
The light, obscured by night, once again traverses the wilderness
It’s like God’s saying what you said to me
I really felt it then
God has given me love that I cannot refuse.
I put on my pink satin pajamas
Stand in front of the mirror
And then I said to you..
Anna Keiko (China)
Anna Keiko, a distinguished poetess and essayist from Shanghai, China, has made a profound impact on contemporary literature. A graduate of Shanghai East China University with a Bachelor’s degree in Law, she has achieved global recognition for her poetry, which has been translated into more than 30 languages and published in over 500 journals, magazines, and media outlets across 40 countries. Keiko is the founder and chief editor of the ACC Shanghai Huifeng Literature Association and serves as a Chinese representative and director of the International Cultural Foundation Ithaca.
Her affiliations extend to Immagine & Poesia in Italy and the Canadian-Cuban Literary Union, reflecting her commitment to fostering cross-cultural literary exchanges. Her poetic oeuvre spans six collections, including “Lonely in the Blood and Absurd Language”, showcasing her exploration of human emotions, environmental concerns, and existential themes. Her innovative style and evocative imagery have earned her numerous accolades, such as the 30th International Poetry Award in Italy and the World Peace Ambassador Certificate in 2024. Notably, she was the first Chinese recipient of the Cross-Cultural Exchange Medal for Significant Contribution to World Poetry, awarded in the United States in 2023.
Her works, including “Octopus Bones” and other acclaimed poems, have resonated with readers worldwide, garnering invitations to prominent international poetry festivals and conferences. Her dedication to the arts extends beyond poetry, encompassing prose, essays, lyrics, and drama, underscoring her versatility as a writer. Nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2020, Anna Keiko continues to break barriers, bringing Chinese literature to the global stage.
