“The sharpness of mind is never born in harmonious conditions” (Haruki Murakami).
If we look at the origin of someone’s poetry through that prism, then Umid Najjari would be its prominent representative. His literary description and narration confirm that he is a highly intellectual and artistically delicate poet. His poetry is not distant or alien and has no boundaries. His fragile written word has a mighty power of artistic creation, and this is exactly the impression given by the poems in his collection Photo of Darkness.
Umid Najjari was born in 1989 in Tabriz – East Azerbaijan Province, in northwestern Iran. After completing his studies at Islamic Azad University of Tabriz (2016), he continued his postgraduate studies at Baku Eurasia University, Faculty of Philology in Azerbaijan. As a writer, journalist and translator, he published the books “The land of the birds” and “Beyond the walls”, which stand out in his work. His poems have been translated into many world languages and published in the USA, Canada, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Georgia and many other countries. He is the winner of “Samad Behrangi” Award (2016) and “Ali bey Hoseinzadeh” Award (2019). He was awarded the “Mihai Eminescu” Award in 2022. He was awarded the International Prize “Medal Alexandre The Great” in 2022. Najjari has also been elected Vice-President of the BOGDANI international writers’ association, with headquarters in Brussels and Pristina. And he is an active member of the Turkic World Young Authors Association.
By combining life and literary experience, Najjari writes poetry that evokes inviolable sense of depth with his readers. Sometimes pointless and ungenerous descriptions reveal the essence and and let us travel from apparently meaningless to the deep meaningful, from abstraction to real stronghold of events, and by its authenticity they attract the reader to explore further through his poems and to return to them again and again.
A poet of the original style, deep in himself, does not divide the past and the present as the two different spheres, but perceives them as equally dominant and represented with the same intensity in his life.
There is no harmony between them, expressing deep emptiness and loneliness in his life:
“everything seen in a mirror is loneliness…” (the poem “A homeland as big as umbrella”).
There are many and diverse relationships present in the poem, from immeasurable love to immeasurable nostalgia.
As the themes of Najjari’s poetry, besides longing and helplessness ‘the shadow of longing enters us….sometimes the laughter is the last breath of crying’ (The Shadow of Longing), the poets draws hints of tragedy in his descriptions – ‘sad black stones in cemeteries’ (The Shadow of tree) that sometimes even have apocalyptic tones.
Night pains…
Darkness shot into his lap….
So we cannot fly …” (,, I Fire a Match”)
(implication of despair, variation of sorrow and suffering, a step curled up in despair)
…
‘a pile of fire on the cross…’
Rebellious, unstoppable restlessness of fire is a picture of eternal movement, a world full of opposites, the scene of the constant struggle of opposing forces of light and darkness….. Heraclitus)
The light is a reflection of hope, and the frequent return to a night in poems reminds us of torturous reality, and various sides of dark forces and evil fate of the centuries…
His poetry weeps over the fate of the world, over darkness, without a stronghold of posterity. In his poem The Symphony of Separation he tries to find an escape in oblivion. The lack is strong (Telegram), passing through an awareness of freedom of choice and the need to live.
The poem Absurd mentions Zarathustra, the ancient philosopher, underlining his idea of the essence of our existence represented by the constant struggle between light and darkness, good and evil.
The unequal verses and intermittent rhythm of his poetry remind us of Mayakovsky’s writing. He even mentions him in the same poem by saying: ,,The side of Mayakovsky in my body hurts’, emphasizing the lyrical creation of the suicidal instinct and near death….
Above all the poet glorifies love, in various relations, as the most important and motivating thought in the essence of our being:
‘Open your hands, protect me from the winds, keep me from drying out my eyes….’ (‘They are all excuse’).
This is just one of the possible interpretations of Umid Najjari’s individual and extraordinary poetry.
The Heart is Where We Belong. – Author Haroon Rashid
We always feel that life is there, Somewhere, where we want to search for. But why do we forget that life is within, The Peace is within, the charm, the spark, The light and the dark, everything is within.
What do we search outside for? What is beyond our horizons? Nothing. There’s nothingness in the air, There is no flair in the hair. Everything is in the heart, And heart is where we belong. And the heart is with you. Yes, with you.
And with you, this spark, this light, This charm, this life, everything comes out. So live your best life, Give your heart where it belongs, And live the life, love the life, and feel alive. —Written by Author Haroon Rashid
Author Haroon Rashid – Biography
Haroon Rashid is an internationally celebrated author, poet, and scholar renowned for his profound literary works and contributions to global peace and education. He gained worldwide recognition for his poetry book We Fell Asleep in One World and Woke Up in Another, which deeply resonated with readers across cultures and was later translated by Nobel Prize Laureate 2024 Eva Petropoulou Lianou. His book Author Haroon Rashid Quotes further solidified his reputation as a writer who masterfully blends wisdom, spirituality, and human emotions into his work.
Haroon’s literary achievements have earned him numerous accolades, including the United Nations Karmaveer Chakra Award and the Global Peace Award from the Mother Teresa International Foundation. His influence extends beyond literature, as he has been honored with an Honorary Degree in Humanity from La Haye, France, and the Golden Eagle Award for Literary Excellence. He has proudly represented India at various international literary and peace events, including the Paper Fiber Fest and the International Congress of Education in Mexico.
Beyond writing, Haroon Rashid is an advocate for sustainable development, serving as an ambassador for SDG4 (Quality Education) and SDG13 (Climate Action). His works emphasize themes of peace, cultural harmony, and personal transformation through enriching humanity. As the National Vice Chairman of Youth India at the Mother Teresa International Foundation, he actively promotes youth engagement in education and humanitarian efforts.
Haroon Rashid’s influence has reached global platforms, with invitations to speak at prestigious events in Mexico and Greece, and features in O, The Oprah Magazine and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Through his writing and activism, he continues to inspire millions, leaving an indelible mark on literature and global consciousness.
A call to see whether one of the four is weakening
They need to know who gets the most in harvesting
Though they are strong and science is advancing
Power growth development and resource producing
Both at same time is too much for maintaining
Supply and demand defeats technology source
Deficit in alternative energy and resource
Science has not yet advanced sufficiency
To the stage of not needing natural resources,
Be it in agricultural or mineral produce
Time, of course, comes when one cannot hide
Where small allies will need to choose a side.
Not from two but actually four stong fiery tide
But now’s time to juggle, paint over national pride
Neighbor in friendly alliances for mutual benefits
Symbiotic relationship for opportunity and profits
But all must be careful not get so much credits
Big Four shall check if we reached the limits
Hounds shall come for potential threats to diffuse
Tribal wars, distrust, gossips , rebels to confuse
Chiefs to change if interference foolishly refuse
Convenience of profit to harvest where they choose
Nation have agricultural, sea or mineral treasure
People have technical, medical, skills to measure
Be productive and generous, no alien pressure
Peaceful farms in long protected tenure
Free trade and cordiality as an allied gesture.
Yet I see non political people speaking
Unity in diversity everyone is learning. Resistant to racism and discrimination
Probe the manipulations and misinformation
People blending colors of the rainbows
Harmonious arc of peace everyone knows
I wonder how my friends see the world?
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.
Elmaya Jabbarova was born in Azerbaijan. She is a poet, writer, reciter, and translator. Her poems were published in the regional newspapers «Sharginsesi», «Ziya», «Hekari», literary collections «Turan», «Karabakh is Azerbaijan!», «Zafar», «Buta», foreign Anthologies «Silk Road Arabian Nights», «Nano poem for Africa», «JuntosporlasLetras 1;2», «Kafiye.net» in Turkey, in the African’s CAJ magazine, Bangladesh’s Red Times magazine, «Prodigy Published» magazine. She performed her poems live on Bangladesh Uddan TV, at the II Spain Book Fair 1ra Feria Virtual del Libro Panama, Bolivia, Uruguay, France, Portugal, USA.
Once upon a time, a little girl named Momo decided to go on a journey with her favorite animals. She took a red ball, a yellow fox, a blue bird, and a black sheep, and set off to explore wonderful places.
During the journey, Momo and her friends visited many exciting spots. They played in a colorful garden filled with wildflowers, swam by a strong and beautiful river, and listened to the lovely songs of the birds. At each location, Momo and her friends learned new things: the different colors of flowers and how they grow, how clean the river water is, and how birds find their way.
Throughout the journey, Momo learned the importance of helping her friends and understanding their needs. She also discovered how cooperation and supporting one another made the adventure even more enjoyable. For instance, they learned to play together and solve problems as a team.
In the end, when Momo and her friends returned home, their hearts were filled with joy and wisdom. Momo realized that traveling is not just about seeing new places but also about learning new things, spending wonderful time with friends, and experiencing life’s valuable lessons.
Educational Significance
This tale teaches children the importance of travel and exploration, as well as friendship, teamwork, and problem-solving. Through Momo and her friends’ experiences, children can understand the value of helping each other, being empathetic, and learning new things.
Thus, travel is not only about discovering new places but also about building friendships and learning vital life lessons.
Ochilova Ozoda Zufar was born on September 16, 2003 in Jondar district of Bukhara region. Her nationality is Uzbek. Currently, she is a 4th grade student of Jizzakh State Pedagogical University and a member of the Male and Female Gifted Students of Jizzakh State Pedagogical University and a member of the student academy. She’s the author of about 10 articles and a Mental Arithmetic Trainer…
