Experiment to Determine the Extent of my Country’s Infertility
[Aim]: To demonstrate that my country is blessed with the fecundity of a twice castrated eunuch.
[Apparatus]: Specimens A-C, a concentrated acid, a stethoscope, a blindfold, three tins, a passport, a scanner
[Test #1]
Specimen A is a loyal patriot. A highly concentrated acid was splashed on him & he was left undisturbed for some moments. No visible reaction was observed.
[Inference]: What is dead can never die again. Every patriotic citizen in my country is now a sepulchre that temples the withering bones of the dreams of a lofty country they once cradled.
[Test #2]
Specimen B is a young man. A thick blindfold was used on him until his eyes morphed into a bat’s. Three tins were placed in front of him, but only one of them had a passport. Seven times the tins were juggled around, but each time he picked the one with the passport.
[Inference]: My country is said to be one of the largest in the continent, still nearly every young man & woman wants to jàpà.
[Test #3]
Specimen C is a regular national. A scanner was used to screen her neck & wrists, but nothing was found. When used on her waist, however, a special bead was detected.
[Inference]: You’ll either find a crucifix or some prayer beads dangling from my countrymen’s necks or good luck charms as wristbands or some other apotropaic hung as scarecrow on other parts of the body. It’s not their fault; the country has devised a thousand ways of devouring them– if they don’t end up like chicks on a kite’s firm grip with their only ticket to salvation being the amount their kinsmen can rally as ransom, you’ll find their corpses decorated with bullets, or still they’d end up being remembered as part of a figure, say the number of casualties of yet another crisis.
Jàpà: Nigerian slang meaning emigration
In Breaking My Creative Block
today the muse came, her presence musicing itself into the direful world of my
heart’s silence. i first heard her whisper, a gentle feather of a sound, teasing the
labyrinths of my ear with its enigmatic fragility. her warm touch on the nape of
my neck ripples down my spine & culminates at my groin as the tender
beginnings of an arousal. it’s just a drizzle but a desert will worship the only
water it has seen in a long time. i’ve played this game for a long time, so I know
better than to scare her off. i do not take her under me immediately, but to the open
fields of my mouth. there’s a mixing, a thorough blending until my taste buds
become branded with her signature. my tongue knows the taste of her essence now,
the fragrance of it diffusing into all the corners of my cerebrum. she is at home in me
& i know this because of the wetness soaking all the way from her into me. the desert
in me is gradually dissolving into a forest. my hands take the cue, pushing their way
into the suppleness of her body, my fingers thawing at the icy rigidity of her flesh, so
that more wetness will break into my arid grounds. her body obeys the commands of
my fingers, softening at their lubricating grace. her heart can no more contain the
melody, spilling it into the streams of her mouth. her mouth, too, cannot stand the
pressure & she moans the secrets that soon grow into echoes, reverberating in the
void silence of my head. my head is full now, full of the secrets, full of her. the
borders of my mind are completely tumescent. let the union begin.
mockery of democracy
why mockery of democracy?
because demo
crazy can be easily
mocked.
this world or being optimistic
i read what
i’m interested in
yes, yes,
but it makes it
harder to live
yes, yes,
in this world.
which world?
a very
reliable
source
who said
that those
who are
honest & good
who have
character & discrimination
win the respect
of all
the world
must not
have seen
the latest
political
results.
William’s masterpiece
beyond honest
& good
character
& discrimination
there must
live
what is
impossible
to fathom
a phantom
lurking
in the shadows
somewhere in the coulisse
Shakespeare himself
hysterical
(laughing)
builders of this world or what his world builds
if i could
laugh
with you
i’d celebrate
all my mirth
& frivolity
reach beyond
the myth of
integrity & other worldly
lies
& lie with you
until at last
we make it true.
bonus:
tomorrow’s optimism or the new builders
we need
a new word
with a new
definition
for the new
world.
The daughter of Abdusamiyeva Iroda Sherzod was born on May 15, 2009 in Sherabad district of Surkhandarya region. In 2016 she went to study in the 1st grade of general education school No. 67 in Sherabad district of Surkhandarya region. Currently, she is a 9th grade student of this school. She started writing poems in the 5th grade and has written about 20 poems. His poems were published in magazines such as “Bekajon+”, “Sherabod Life”, “Bilimdon” and prestigious German magazines. Her poems were also published on Google Networks. She works as a coordinator and volunteer in Sherabad district. She wants to become a journalist in the future. She intends to become a mature person who will serve the country.
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.
Uzbekistan is a place rich in historical monuments!
There is probably no person who has not heard about Uzbekistan. Or a lot of foreigners rushing to see its historical places and ancient buildings after hearing about it. The number of tourists coming to Uzbekistan every year is more. This, in turn, means that Uzbekistan’s place in the world is rich in historical places. I would like to give some information about the Shaikhontohur Ensemble, one of which is located in Tashkent!
The territory of the Shaikhontohur ensemble is located between Abdulla Qadiri and Alisher Navoi streets. The ensemble consists of three mausoleums: the mausoleum of Sheikh Khavandi Tohur, the mausoleum of Kaldirgochbi and the mausoleum of Yunus Khan.
Shaikhontohur was born in the end of the 13th century in the mountain village of Boghustan (where the Charvok reservoir is now located) in a family of owners. His father Sheikh Umar was a descendant of Umar the Second Caliph. The people believed that Sheikh Omar could create miracles and control natural phenomena. It is said that this great blessing was passed on to his son. Young Shaikhontohur studied Sufi teachings. According to the biographers, the Tashkent Sufi was particularly impressed by one fact: “High spiritual qualities and knowledge in the sciences are in direct proportion to the patience and indifference of a wise person compared to the rudeness of the ignorant.”
Sheikh lived and preached in Tashkent and died between 1355 and 1360. According to legends, the mausoleum over his grave was built on the initiative of Amir Temur. It is a low-rise two-room structure topped by two domes of different heights.
The building got its current appearance as a result of numerous restoration works and reconstructions at the beginning of the 19th century. Inside it, there are three dahms under the big dome and two dahms under the small dome. Out of 48 cypress trees (planted by Alexander the Great) – Alexander’s one remains in the mausoleum. This petrified coniferous tree is located inside the mausoleum, directly next to the majestic tomb of the Sheikh.
Needless to say, many people from Tashkent, Ubaidulla Khoja Ahror (1404-1490) and Yunushoja, who was the independent governor of Tashkent in the middle of the 18th century, belong to the generation of Shaikhontohurs.
Next to the mausoleum of Sheikhontohur, another mausoleum remains to this day. This is the grave of Kaldirgoyabi. This 15th-century architectural monument is distinguished from other structures in the complex by its pyramid-shaped dome and reminds of the tombs of the Kazakh steppes. indeed, under the domes of this mausoleum, the body of the famous statesman Tolabi (Kazakh) was buried. Together with the Tolabi Tashkentians, they succeeded in expelling the militant Kalmyk invader from the lands of Central Asia. The executive power appointed the independent governor of the Tashkent state, the mayor of Sheykhontohur, Yunuskhoja, as his representative in Tashkent.
Another great monument in the complex dating back to the 15th century is the mausoleum of Babur’s grandfather, Yunus Khan. This building has been restored many times. This house has a unique type, it is T-shaped and has a high arch along the top of the facade.
There are many historical places like this in Uzbekistan. It is our responsibility to visit them, adopt them and pass them on to future generations!
Tuliyeva Sarvinoz The owner of the state award named after Zulfia Uzbekistan
