TRUTH: PARTIAL AND IMPARTIAL
Lies are our staple food.
We feel convulsions
When we occasionally turn to truth
Those who encounter it
End up in hospitals,
Or on the pistoled pier,
If the dose of truth was higher.
Literature is the realm
Of the partial truth
Even history has no history
Of telling the impartial
Unqualified truth does not let us sleep
Try the balm of poetry
Where the wounds are too deep.
Literature introduces us
To the best parts of humanity,
And history to the worst
Yet we love history
Though it always acts like a wamp
Tempts us with its perilous glory
Which bears the death's stamp.
Our silence can make stones speak,
And also shut whirling tempests
Of verbal extravagance.
History is the warbling noise
Of the river of life
In its glorious as well as meanest flow
Poetry interprets and modifies the show.
..........
HOPE AND FAITH
Hope sustains life
And it is hope
Which makes meat of a man,
Killing him bit by bit
Rather than despatching him off once for all.
Hope is a path kept open
While all the doors
Are closed
Leading to despair
All around the earth and the firmament.
Hope tempts us into living
And keep on suffering
The tantrums of fate
Believing
All will be well one day.
Men who fail in their endeavours
Turn to Hope
To keep the masters
In good humour thinking
The mortals believe in their mercy.
Faith, rather than hope, is
A positive asset for man
Which does not leave things
To the will of gods
Rather put the responsibility on human action.
..............
THE ARTIST(At a fancy eating joint in the Hotel La Matriciana opposite Operation House, Rome)
Whatever you have,
Body or mind
You have to exchange it
For food.
It is normal,
And has nothing to shock
If the exchange
Is willing and under no stress.
This exchange
Loses its exalted status
When we oversell ourselves
Because we have to survive.
Even if it is the centre of civilization
The Republic Square of Rome
The Creators of Beauty
Have to beg to run their home.
An artist, a singer, a poet
Perform for the joy of creation
But they have a body too
And a mind to be kept in motion.
When poets or singers sing
In the streets
It is divine
And sends us in a trance
But when next moment,
He advances towards you
With a begging bowl,
All divinity takes wing.
It was half for joy of his calling
And half for his stomach
Yet what a performer!
I appreciate the singer !
But I pity the system
Which has everything for the artless
And nothing for the artist
Whose work is so sublime.
...............
.
MAKING IT EASY
Easy chairs have been in vogue
Though these days
Ease has filtered out
And now chairs keep you near standing
As they resemble the tables only .
The more ease we find
The greater is the torture
Inflicted on the wooden stuff
Just see how uneasily
They are fixed to give peace to our flesh.
Some species of men are found
Looking so easy in life
I can't help remembering those
Whose bones are fitted beneath
To give them an elevated state of peace .
You cannot be easy unless you give Comparable torture to some one
And all ease which
Twists the bones of another person
Is indivine and unjust.
...............
THE SECOND FALL
Gods believe in subtle communication
They talk in silences
And gestures
Words and speech are crude arts
In their parlance
Which ignorant people use
Or verbal aids for mentally retarded.
Birds, animals, even insects know
The subtle language of love
Which gods understand
And feel happy to bless them
Man is the only creature
Who has lost this subtle approach
Because of his selfish know-mongering.
Essential knowledge to remain alive
Is imparted to every object
That is why doves and lambs
Have not been forced
Out of existence
They know the basic art of survival
And nature's world is still aglow with life.
Only men, in their selfishness, gathered
More knowledge than was required
To be alive with dignity
The result is before our eyes
See the fast fall of mankind alone
From essential graces
The greatest loss being their innocence and joy .
Gods wonder what to do with
Men with torn psyches who have
Converted themselves into debris
Impatient to overreach themselves.
How to bless this ignorant tribe ?
Who don't know when they abort a tree, they are cutting a descendant from the branch of life.
...........
............
ROME
Here, in my hotel room, there is absolute calm
I am in a state of complete self possession.
Only some memories dance their way
Into my mind.
Is man lonely any time? I think never. Life is reduced to memories and emotions and wherever we are, they follow us
But I find time with myself. This place where I stay has started communicating with me.
Here are the three poems I have composed
just now.
A feeling of thankfulness to gods has overpowered me. And from this mental state, spring up these poems inwhich you will find me conversing not only with God but with fellow human beings too.
FROM SILENCE TO DOCTORATE IN NOISE
The things He created
Were in an Accord of Silence
Spreading fom end to end.
It was the beginning of creation
And gods knew
Things possess communicative powers
Birds, animals, insects
Each one and then our waters
And mounts conversed in silence.
And there was no problem
In understanding each other
So plain was the language of silence.
Things took a 'loud' turn when men
Appeared on the scene
Who took silence for half approval
They decided to kill the trees
They were silent,
And men considered it half approval
They wanted to imprison rivers into bottles
But rivers were in a trance
Men considered half yes when they said no No
Men prayed for more and more
Gods remained silent.
Men took it as their half-approval
When they found nature grumbling
And gods frowning
Men decided to break the Accord of Silence
From silent communication
they came to words
And from words to blows
From blows, to muscles, and then,
Over to machine guns
Silence has now received doctorate in noise.
..........
LIVING WITH GOD
Someone told me keep remembering God
Go on telling him
You are doing these good things
And you have done this bad
Soon I came to know
God does not like to be kept busy
All the time
No fun engaging him in minor issues.
I realised this thing in a very
Costly way.
Whatever I said,
God often found fault with my words
Finally every time I had to say sorry
God never reverted to me
When I was busy
Only I did it out of fear or to please him.
Now I let God do his work
He knows I am here
And I remember him.
And when in need, he is here for me.
We do not talk now much
I also do not tell people
How much I love him
Or He loves me
He is there in his grand presence
And I am here in mine
Mini presence trying to partake
Some sparkles of his splendour.
........
JOURNEY OF JOY
Is joy a personal domain?
Entirely individual property?
Something like food
Which we own and eat
When we need?
No it is a protean im mass
Falling and rising each moment
Does not stay in the same shape
Nor in the same mind
Can't trust it.
Every other person around you
Related or unrelated
Can make his participation
In the creation of
This dynamic content
I sometimes feel though we call it
My joy my pleasure, my happiness
It is all an illusion.
It is supplied to you
By people you operate with.
Any one can cause dents in your joy
Turn it into grief
And make you weep.
You are at the receiving end only
When your joy turns grief
How helpless I am!
It is a matter of the heart !
Where is my heart?
Is it inside the vaults of my chest
Oh..I see it like a ball running out
And from there it returns carrying
So much soil and waste matter
Bruised too at times
And sometimes when kicked,
Crying.
Joy which looks so much my own
Rides on my passions
Knocks at several doors
In search of a return feeling
But often returns crestfallen.
Can I erect walls around it
So that it does jump out
Nor expect anything
Nor feel lost
But just stay inside, content with itself?
Gods were unhappy to see me distraught
They suggested another way.
If you love others,
Without expecting returns
Nobody can divest you of your joy.
Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa was born January 14, 1965, in Manila Philippines. She has worked as a retired Language Instructor, interpreter, caregiver, secretary, product promotion employee, and private therapeutic masseur. Her works have been published as poems and short story anthologies in several language translations for e-magazines, monthly magazines, and books; poems for cause anthologies in a Zimbabwean newspaper; a feature article in a Philippine newspaper; and had her works posted on different poetry web and blog sites. She has been writing poems since childhood but started on Facebook only in 2014. For her, Poetry is life and life is poetry.
Lilian Kunimasa considers herself a student/teacher with the duty to learn, inspire, guide, and motivate others to contribute to changing what is seen as normal into a better world than when she steps into it. She has always considered life as an endless journey, searching for new goals, and challenges and how she can in small ways make a difference in every path she takes. She sees humanity as one family where each one must support the other and considers poets as a voice for Truth in pursuit of Equality and proper Stewardship of nature despite the hindrances of distorted information and traditions.
Rahmiddinova Mushtariy Ravshan’s daughter was born on March 1, 2011 in Gulistan district of Syrdarya region. Now she is a student of the 8th grade. Mushtariy is interested in reading poetry, reading books, drawing. She appeared on television in kindergarten at the age of 3 and is still appearing on television. Participated in the Bilimdon competition. She took the 2nd place in English in the 2nd grade. Participates in many contests and projects. In the future, she will become a dentist. She is preparing for admission. Her dream is to make everyone proud of Mushtariy. She also participated in many anthologies. Participated in webinars.
I took you to the flower garden loving from the core of my heart
You passed away in the palm of water
You received death by your own hand
I became the witness of your love forever and ever
Days pass away, your absence chases me too much
Like a tiger behind a deer
Sometimes it seems that
Tiger reflects so sweet.
Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh
26 November, 2024.
Md. Mahbubul Alam is from Bangladesh. His writer name is Mahbub John in Bangladesh. He is a Senior Teacher (English) of Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh. Chapainawabganj is a district town of Bangladesh. He is an MA in English Literature from Rajshahi College under National University. He has published three books of poems in Bangla. He writes mainly poems but other branches of literature such as prose, article, essay etc. also have been published in national and local newspapers, magazines, little magazines. He has achieved three times the Best Teacher Certificate and Crest in National Education Week in the District Wise Competition in Chapainawabganj District. He has gained many literary awards from home and abroad. His English writings have been published in Synchronized Chaos for seven years.
This four session virtual workshop will provide poets and writers of all levels, genres, and backgrounds with the tools to write from their experiences with atrocity, the traumas produced by atrocity, and the healing (personally, communally, nationally) your words can make of it. Featuring Ellen Bass, Jacqueline Osherow, Joy Ladin, Geoffrey Philp, Jehanne Dubrow, among others. Moderated by Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum. Four consecutive weekly sessions (January 7, 14, 21, 28 ).
Each session includes content from the forthcoming book The Wounded Line: A Guide to Writing Poems of Trauma (“ethical concerns and helpful craft elements for writing poems [and other writing] that engage with trauma”) presented by the author Jehanne Dubrow, and session related writing prompts and open review of selected flash fiction, poems, etc. as submitted by attendees. Each registrant receives New Voices: Contemporary Writers Confronting the Holocaust suggested readings from which coordinate with the workshop series. Session recordings will be made available to registrants unable to attend specific sessions upon request. Registration fee includes all four sessions. Limited registration closes December 30. Presented by the New Voices Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. newvoicesproject.org and you may sign up for the workshop here.
Now for our issue’s theme, Plumbing the Depths. We look into the varied aspects, not always visible at first glance, of people’s interior and social lives, human societies, the natural world, and our artwork, history, and culture.
Chuck Taylor’s story reminds us about the complex layers of each person’s life, that we are more than our most obnoxious moments. Paul Tristram explores everyday human feelings and interactions in his “street poetry,” claiming them as a worthy literary subject.
Gabriel Kang speaks to the important issue of men’s mental health by illustrating men’s struggles passed down through generations. David Sapp delves into Middle American family life in the 1970s through a cascade of shifting perspectives.
Daniel De Culla laments relationships inside and outside of the church which are exploitative rather than nurturing.
Ivan Pozzoni brings a comically psychoanalytic perspective to digital and analog aspects of modern life. Mykyta Ryzhykh illuminates the internal and external destruction of total war with a landscape suffering from PTSD. Alexander Kabishev evokes the displacement of civilians during wartime in his continuing epic of the siege of Leningrad. Muheez Olawale’s dramatic tale of escape and survival highlights the tragedy of human trafficking and the slave trade. Nicolas Gunter evokes the hopelessness of a person displaced and oppressed within a cruel climate.
Daniel De Culla’s fragmented near-death dream vision excoriates the political and economic power structures of the modern Western world. Noah Berlatsky illustrates the grotesque nature of hate and vitriol through his consciously repulsive imagery. Patricia Doyne excoriates the rising tide of racist and anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.S. Jake Cosmos Aller lambastes the political climate of the United States. Howard Debs preserves the words of and speculates along with the hosts of The View, wondering about Trump’s recent victory. Christopher Bernard suggests that America’s unique mix of cultural values and priorities helped to produce a leader akin to Trump. Bruce Roberts registers disgust at Trump’s voice, attitude, and behavior.
Turgunov Jonpolat describes how he stopped his peers from bullying him by reminding them that they were not all that important in life. Ivanov Reyez crafts vignettes of people determined to live and thrive despite the small and larger cruelties of the world around them.
Nuraini Mohamed Usman’s tale of enemies-to-lovers takes place within a secondary school. Ahmad Al-Khatat describes two broken people finding and healing each other in an unexpected love story. Mesfakus Salahin offers his gentle love to someone for whom he cares very much. Lan Qyqualla poetically immortalizes his late wife Lora in his mythical verse. Taylor Dibbert conveys continuing grief over the loss of a beloved canine companion. Kodirova Barchinoy Shavkatovna mourns the loss of her grandfather’s kind and poetic soul. Faizullayeva Gulasal reflects on how her love and respect for her parents helped her get through sheltering in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. Cameron Carter describes a love that inspires him to become a better version of himself.
Harinder Lamba presents a love story between a couple, their baby, and the Earth as they help our planet navigate climate change.
Michael Robinson leans on the poetic voice of Rumi to describe his spiritual intimacy with Jesus. Brian Barbeito evokes the mystical feeling that can come with staring into the deep daytime or nighttime sky as Sayani Mukherjee offers up a sensuous take on fallen leaves.
Sidnei Rosa da Silva gently chronicles a ladybug’s climb up a sand dune as Muslima Murodova relates the tender tale of a beautiful but short-lived butterfly.
Kylian Cubilla Gomez zooms in on bits of nature and culture from unusual angles, cultivating a sense of childlike wonder. Isabel Gomez de Diego’s work accomplishes something similar with scenes of cultivated nature: sheep on a hillside and seaside lookouts. Raquel Barbeito also gets up and close with nature, sketching outdoor scenes as well as a closeup of a person’s eye.
Duane Vorhees’ poetic speakers merge with nature in their own way in his descriptions of passion and indigestion.
Sarvinoz Quramboyeva highlights the beauty of Uzbekistan and its people’s optimism. Nilufar Anvarova celebrates the beauty of her Uzbek village and the kindness of its people while Ilhomova Mohichehra highlights the goodness of Uzbeks. Mansurova Sarvinoz Hassan, an Uzbek writer, relates her educational and professional accomplishments and thanks those who have supported her.
Zafarbek Jakbaraliyev outlines the language and distribution of the world’s Turkic-speaking peoples. Irodaxon Ibragimova relates the history of the Bekobod area of Uzbekistan. Sarvinoz Tuliyeva elucidates the history and importance of Uzbekistan’s Shaikhontohur Ensemble. Dilbar Koldoshova Nuraliyevna highlights the elegance and history of the Uzbek language as Farangiz Abduvohidova explores proverbs in Uzbekistan’s culture and Shamsiyeva Gavhar celebrates the beauty and rich history of the Uzbek language and its integral role in Uzbek culture. Maftuna Rustamova praises the wisdom of the Uzbek constitution.
Z.I. Mahmud draws out themes of nationalism and civilization vs wild nature in his analysis of Ted Hughes’ poetic works. Ari Nystrom-Rice illuminates the sheer force of nature, rainwater crashing into the sea. Kass evokes images of nature and plant life overtaking cities. Olivia Brody revels in melding with the beach, merging with wind and sand and ice plants.
Niginabonu Amirova blusters about the power of wind to transform a day and a landscape. Federico Wardal celebrates the lush landscapes and many talents of emerging Egyptian painter Nour Kassem. Nathan Anderson highlights the pure blunt force of Rus Khomutoff’s new poetry collection Kaos Karma as John Dorsey celebrates the soft and tender melodies of jazz. Jacques Fleury’s poetic mishmash twists and turns syntax around into a kerfluffle.
Joshua Martin weaves biological and mechanical images into his elaborate syntax-adventurous poetry. Mark Young’s “geographies” adjust, alter, and repurpose images and style elements. Texas Fontanella also probes the edges of conscious thought with his stream-of-consciousness text-message dialogues.
Also through a stream-of-consciousness form, Abigail George recollects personal struggles and a lost love in a poetic and descriptive essay. Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa shares her own journey through poetry, towards balancing compassion for self with that for others. Bill Tope’s short story calls attention to the silent suffering of many with misophonia, sound sensitivity, through its depiction of a person’s quest for outer and inner peace.
J.J. Campbell speculates through vignettes from his own life on our place in the world, among time, history, and other creatures, and whether we are learning and growing as time passes.
Mahbub Alam compares the cycles of life to stops along a train route, as our world continually moves and changes. Through the tale of good clothes hung up and set aside, Faleeha Hassan reminds us not to save our entire lives for some amorphous special occasion.
Richard Stimac comments on the rhythms of life and human experience through the metaphor of Argentinian tango as Sara Goyceli Serifova rejoices in the look and feel of a long-awaited hopeful night.
We hope this issue will help plumb the depths behind the surface of the headlines and wring some hope from the sodden fabric of the world.
