What Leans against the Grass

Yet the green sleeps in the grass
The sweetness in the eyes over the beauty of the flowers
The sweet melody in the tune of the birds’ song
Yet the current blows on the rivers sounds much to run
Love plays between nature’s every set up for each other to grow
Yet my heart stops, blear eyes scratch in moving 
In so hot weather without an umbrella
Umbrella, under which I can save myself 
From the scorching heat of the sun
But who can save the children, the women, 
After all the people of Palestine
From the hit of bombs, firing or hunger?
How can I proceed, energy fails to step on
Standing before the naked humanity of the world.

Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh,
29 March, 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 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 Magazine for seven years.

Spring
 
In fields of green, where flowers bloom, 
The air is sweet with nature's perfume. 
The sun shines bright, the sky so blue, 
As spring arrives, the world anew. 
Birds sing melodies, dance in the breeze, 
Leaves unfurl on the budding trees. 
Life bursts forth in vibrant array, 
Welcoming the warmth of a brand-new day. 
Gentle rain showers, the earth's embrace, 
Awakening life with each drop's grace. 
In spring's embrace, we find rebirth, 
A symphony of joy, across the earth. 
So let us revel in this season's delight, 
As nature paints with colors so bright. 
For in the heart of spring's gentle hue, 
We find hope, and dreams anew.


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 shealso is a member of the Poetry club "Area Felix" in Serbia.

Date

I opened my palm and wandered around the ruins asking for bread, when I heard the call to prayer. I ran to our hut and saw my mother lying lifeless next to the four-cornered cloth, and my heart broke. As it was time to break the fast, I brought some water in a bowl and I gave it to my mother to drink. I couldn’t look at my mother’s face. She barely smiled and closed her eyes saying: «break fast.» In the
morning, when I looked at her near dawn, her breath was not coming out of her throat, there was no blood on her face. My eyes were filled with tears, and when I opened the lifeless, fisted palm that fell on the empty table, there was a single date.
If I took it, the date would smell like my mother…

Nosirova Gavhar was born on August 16, 2000 in the city of Shahrisabz, Kashkadarya region of Uzbekistan. Today, she is a third-year student of the Faculty of Philology of the Samarkand State University of Uzbekistan. Being a lover of literature, she is engaged in writing stories and poems. Her creative works have been published in Uzbek and English. In addition, she is a member of «All India Council for Development of Technical Skills», «Juntos por las letras» of Argentina, «2DSA Global Community». Winner of the «Korabl znaniy» and «Talenty Rossii» contests, holder of the international C1 level in the Russian language, Global Education ambassador of Wisdom University and global coordinator of the Iqra Foundation in Uzbekistan. «Magic pen holders» talented young group of Uzbekistan, «Kayva Kishor», «Friendship of people», «Raven Cage», «The Daily Global Nation», Argentina's «Multi Art-6», Kenya&;s «Serenity: A compilation of art and literature by women» contains creative works in the magazine and anthology of poets and writers.

The Independence of Bangladesh
 
Through 71's war we got independence 
We are free hence. 
In the heart of Bengal, 
A nation's pride, 
Independence Day, 
A journey's stride. 
With courage and hope, they took their stand, 
Freedom's flame ignited, 
Across the land. 
Bangladesh's story, in history's rhyme, 
A nation's spirit, enduring through time.

Wazed Abdullah is a student of grade nine in Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.

Nature's Sound

In the hush of dawn, the world awakes,
To the gentle sounds that nature makes.
A chorus of birds, in the canopy sings,
As the whispering wind, its message brings.
 
The rustle of leaves, in the ancient trees,
A soft, subtle hum, carried on the breeze.
The babble of brooks, over pebbles and stones,
In nature's orchestra, each has its tones.
 
The pitter-patter of rain, on the forest floor,
A rhythm, a beat, a natural encore.
The buzz of the bees, as they dance in the air,
A melody of life, without a single care.

Don  Bormon is a student of grade nine in Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.

The Mind's Gambit

Part 2: The Confrontation

Inside the store, Max moved swiftly, his eyes scanning the glittering jewels displayed in glass cases. He carefully selected his targets, pocketing them with practiced ease.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on, and Reynolds emerged from the shadows, his gun drawn. "Freeze, Max! You're under arrest," he barked.

Max's smirk widened as he turned to face the detective. "Ah, Detective Reynolds, fancy meeting you here. You always did have a knack for showing up at the most inconvenient times."

Reynolds frowned, his grip tightening on his weapon. "Save it, Max. Your charm won't work on me. You're going away for a long time."

Part 3: The Negotiation

Max chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Come now, Detective. Let's be reasonable here. You know as well as I do that you don't have enough evidence to put me away. But perhaps we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Reynolds hesitated, his mind racing. He knew Max was cunning, but he couldn't deny the truth in his words. Without concrete evidence, Max would walk free.

"Fine," Reynolds finally conceded. "But you're under my watch from now on. One wrong move, and I'll make sure you rot in jail."

Max grinned, extending his hand. "Deal."

Part 4: The Partnership

In the weeks that followed, an unlikely partnership formed between Max and Reynolds. Under the guise of cooperating with the police, Max continued his criminal activities, always staying one step ahead of the law.

As they worked together, Reynolds couldn't help but grudgingly admire Max's cunning and intelligence. Despite his criminal nature, there was something undeniably captivating about him.

But lurking beneath the surface, Reynolds remained vigilant, knowing that one wrong move could shatter their fragile alliance.

Part 5: The Betrayal

Months passed, and their partnership flourished, with Max becoming bolder in his heists and Reynolds growing more determined to bring him down.

But as they planned their biggest score yet, Reynolds began to suspect that Max was playing him all along, using their partnership as a means to an end.

Doubt gnawed at Reynolds' mind as he struggled to reconcile his growing admiration for Max with his duty as a police officer.

Part 6: The Showdown

The night of the heist arrived, tension crackling in the air as Max and Reynolds stood outside the bank, their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills.

But as they made their move, chaos erupted, and Reynolds realized too late that he had underestimated Max's ruthlessness.

In the heat of the moment, Max turned on Reynolds, his eyes cold as ice. "I'm sorry, Detective. But you were always too smart for your own good."

Before Reynolds could react, Max's gun fired, and darkness enveloped him.

Part 7: The Revelation

When Reynolds regained consciousness, he found himself bound and gagged, his head throbbing with pain. As he struggled against his restraints, Max loomed over him, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Surprised, Detective? You always thought you had me figured out, but you were wrong. I'm not just a criminal; I'm a master manipulator."

Reynolds seethed with rage, his eyes burning with fury. "You won't get away with this, Max. I'll make sure of it."

Part 8: The Escape

With a chuckle, Max stepped back, leaving Reynolds alone in the darkness. But as he turned to leave, Reynolds saw his opportunity, seizing it with all the strength he had left.

With a burst of adrenaline, Reynolds broke free from his restraints, lunging at Max with a fierce determination. Caught off guard, Max stumbled backward, his composure faltering for the first time.

But before Reynolds could land the final blow, Max regained his footing, delivering a swift kick to Reynolds' chest, sending him sprawling to the ground once more.

Part 9: The Revenge

As Reynolds lay battered and bruised on the cold pavement, Max loomed over him, his gaze filled with contempt. "You should have known better, Detective. No one outsmarts me."

But as Max raised his gun, ready to deliver the final blow, Reynolds saw his chance, his hand darting out to grab a nearby weapon.

With a roar of defiance, Reynolds fired, the gunshot echoing through the night as Max crumpled to the ground, his reign of terror finally at an end.

Part 10: The Aftermath

As dawn broke over the city, Reynolds stood victorious, his heart heavy with the weight of his actions. Though he had stopped Max, he knew that the scars of their encounter would never fully heal.

But as he looked out at the city skyline, Reynolds knew that he had upheld his duty as a police officer, bringing justice to those who sought to disrupt the peace.

And though Max may have been cunning and manipulative, in the end, it was Reynolds' unwavering determination that prevailed, proving that even in the darkest of times, light will always triumph over darkness.


Nahyean Taronno is a student of grade eight in Harimohan Government High School, Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.

We are hosting our Metamorphosis gathering again! This is a chance for people to share music, art, and writing and to dialogue across different generations (hence the name, the concept of ideas morphing and changing over the years). This event is also a benefit for the grassroots Afghan women-led group RAWA, which is organized by women in Afghanistan who are currently supporting educational and income generation and literacy projects in their home county as well as assisting earthquake survivors. (We don’t charge or process the cash, you are free to donate online on your own and then attend!)

This will be Saturday April 6th, 2-4 pm in the fellowship hall of Davis Lutheran Church at 317 East 8th Street in Davis, California. It’s a nonreligious event open to all, the church has graciously allowed us to use the meeting room. You may sign up here on Eventbrite.

Also, we encourage everyone in the California area to attend the third annual Hayward Lit Hop on Saturday, April 27th. This is a public festival with different readings from different groups throughout downtown Hayward coinciding with Hayward’s choosing a new adult poet laureate, culminating in an afterparty at Hayward’s Odd Fellows Lounge. Several Synchronized Chaos contributors will read from their work at the 2024 Lit Hop.

Now for our second March issue: One Wild and Precious Life. Poet Mary Oliver said, “Tell me what it is that you plan to do, with your one wild and precious life!” In that spirit, this month’s contributors wonder and dream and fear and love and plan, all in the face of human mortality.

Susie Gharib comments on the tragedy and transience of life on Earth, while Duane Vorhees ponders the weight and influence of human ambition and history on an individual’s life.

Jacques Fleury celebrates Black history and encourages respectful and nuanced portrayals of Black people in media.

Gulyaho Karimova’s essay outlines the life and legacy of Jaloliddin Manguberdi, patriotic Turkish hero from centuries in the past. Z.I. Mahmud looks to the past and the influence of a single person in his essay on Walt Whitman’s elegy to Abraham Lincoln. Muntasir Mamun Kiron rhapsodizes in his poetry about Bangabandhu, the military and political leader considered the father of modern Bangladesh.

Xushroy Abdunazarova’s poem concerns the beauty of the Uzbek language while Adhamova Laylo discusses the structure of the Korean alphabet. Sarvinoz Mamadaliyeva urges support for the education of women and girls. Zulaykho Kosimjonova outlines strategies to improve students’ reading comprehension while Malika Oydinova compares the advantages of distance versus in person learning. Bill Tope reminds us of the value of free access to information in his protest story about book bans and censorship while Faleeha Hassan highlights the power of writing and creativity in her narrative prose poem on the cataclysmic effects of writers’ block on her imagined worlds.

Xabibullayeva Madina writes of the elegance of her Uzbek heritage, spring, and femininity. Graciela Noemi Villaverde illuminates the wonder, beauty, and strength of women. Annie Johnson celebrates romantic love and the divine feminine archetype as grounded in nature and culture.

Brian Barbeito speaks to the timelessness and mystical quality of natural landscapes and our place in them. Sayani Mukherjee describes how thoughts align in her brain like a choir or a forest of trees. Umid Qodir’s poem urges people to have the courage of a flower in the rain, while Maja Milojkovic compares committed love to a flower continually receiving needed water from nature. Christopher Bernard compares a graceful female dancer to a fountain of water. M.P. Pratheesh’s concrete photographic poems illustrate red rocks lined up and covered to varying degrees. Kristy Raines writes of the return of spring, spirituality, compassion, and lost love with a sensitive spirit. Mahbub Alam writes of swimming at dawn with a beloved, immersing himself in water and his tender feelings. His daughter Monira Mahbub crafts gentle scenes of village life and connection among people. Maurizio Brancaleoni contributes clever haikus on winter cold and human nature.

Mykyta Ryzhykh also speaks to human nature, with lonely modern, or post-modern pilgrims wandering alone, wondering who they are and what they are looking for in life. Our prophet of lonely wanderings, J.J. Campbell, returns with pieces on the joy and precarity of romantic and family relationships, conveying the lostness he felt with his family of origin.

Nathan Anderson addresses questions of human nature in an even less linear manner, playing with punctuation and spacing of letters on the page. Mark Young renders images from his neighborhood into mixed media art images, providing a unique way of seeing things where reality melds with imagination. Clive Gresswell, in his new book Shadow Reel, reviewed by Cristina Deptula, explores our unconscious, how ideas and words continue to resonate in our brains past the point of linear thinking.

A. Iwasa provides a comical essay about his encounters with dopplegangers. J.D. Nelson’s haiku presents encounters with the unexpected: minor mishaps, strange combinations, reunions. Grant Guy’s concrete poems about surrealist artist Alfred Garry evoke the whimsical nature of his work and the tragedy of his short life.

Mesfakus Salahin ponders how he will prepare to meet the implacable force of death, while Jerry Langdon sings the blues for a soul doomed to damnation.

Ivan de Monbrison describes physical and mental pain as a force mangling the brain and body, permeating our structural integrity and the wholeness of our relationships with each other.

Taylor Dibbert reflects on the end of a relationship while Bill Tope relates the tale of a lonely woman who feels rejected in love and commits suicide. Farangiz Murodova’s breakup poem provides an elegant rendering of loneliness.

Zebo Ibragimova writes of the global scourge of drug addiction and the many lives affected. Pat Doyne speaks to questions of personhood and government authority in her poem satirizing a recent American court decision concerning in vitro fertilization. Emina Delilovic-Kevric evokes images of civilians oppressed by German military forces in a piece about the mental toll of society’s inhumanity.

Meanwhile, in a more abstract vein, Clive Gresswell crafts surreal images of invasion, decay and destruction.

Noah Berlatsky sends up a poem about the daily matters of life, such as breakfast, which continue even when our lives are in chaos. Wazed Abdullah compares the journey of life to a piece of music, to be experienced in all its different stages and moods.

Ezoza Eshonkulova’s piece personifies a clock and reflects on the passing of time. Dildora Toshtemirova’s two essays concern finding the courage to go live your dreams through determination and hard work and making the most of your time. Nosirova Gavhar expresses her wish that her fellow young people would achieve their goals.

Sherbekjon Salomov writes of the future potential of youth in Uzbekistan. Isabel Gomez de Diego revels in the beauty of a children’s playground in her photography.

In her literary essay on Tolstoy, Ravshanbekova Asalkhon discusses the author’s deep empathy for the poor and downtrodden. In Mashhura Umaraliyeva’s story, simple human kindness helps a girl lonely at summer camp. Sarvara Sindarkulova speaks to the importance of respect for parents. Muhammed Sinan describes his quest for goodness and compassion and Anila Bukhari’s poems reflect a deep faith and tender compassion for the human condition.

Ahmad Al-Khatat writes of learning from fellow immigrants how to move from fear to dreaming and hope, while Ellie Ness addresses the precarity and joy of travel.

John Edward Culp describes an easy camaraderie between two people while Nasser Al Shaikh Ahmed evokes romantic love with creative and lush poetic imagery. Elmaya Jabbarova evokes a sense of wonder and mystery about human relationships in her mystical piece. Stephen Jarrell Williams’ playful pieces express hope for softness and beauty and lasting love. An actual couple who met in a writing workshop, Ubali Ibrahim Hashimu and Maryam Yakubu, send up a gentle collaborative love poem as Daniel De Culla gives an earthy reflection on a romance.

Eva Petropolou speaks of seeking love and human connection, more family love and general compassion than romance. Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa writes of respect and empowerment for women and also crafts a tale of an eccentric character finding welcome in a small town.

We hope that you might also find a welcoming home for your own creativity within this issue, with its many poignant, tender, amusing, strident, thoughtful, eccentric, and inspiring pieces.