Synchronized Chaos’ First September Issue: Piece By Piece

Thank you to Jacques Fleury for responding to our request for readers to offer their expertise to assist writers! He has a variety of published writing which he can refer people to on request and is open to being interviewed on these topics:

-History of Haiti, as an author on the subject & as a Haiti born  American citizen 

-Black/African American History, as a “black” man who grew up in America & as an author on the subject

-Race and Racism, as a Person of Color having survived & thrived despite lived experience of racism & as author on subject

-Mental Health/Illness/Wellness & Recovery, having had lived experience & as an author on the subject

Everyone else, if you have an area of knowledge where you’d be glad to be interviewed to help people who are writing about that topic, please reach out to us at synchchaos@gmail.com.

Also, our contributor Abigail George’s book When Bad Mothers Happen, released January 2024 from European publisher Morten Rand, is available for Synchronized Chaos readers to review. Please let us know if this interests you and her publisher can send review copies (and we can publish reviews!)

It is available on Amazon here, and here is a link to a promo video.

This month, our contributors figure out how to make sense of the universe, piece by piece.

Alan Catlin renders lists and catalogues into a form of poetry, building up objects from their components, like a brick tower or a floral arrangement. J.D. Nelson crafts auditory and visual snapshots that can stand for and evoke an entire scene.

Soren Sorensen contributes mixed media alterations of reality and existential poetry on making sense of the universe. Mars Brocke’s mixed media artwork plays with reality and perception in a nod to Alice in Wonderland. His poetry, also surreal, evokes memories and states of mind. Martha Ellen conveys the psychological changes induced by benzodiapine medicine and the fluidity and vulnerability of the human brain and mind. Mark Young creatively defines concepts through descriptive words that once explained something.

Christina Chin and Uchechukwu Onyedikam’s collaborative haiku focuses on and thus highlights the value of noticing small and in-between moments.

Saidova Mahzuna outlines methods for learning and teaching vocabulary. Mo’minjonova Diyora highlights the benefits of continuing to read and learn throughout life. Sevinchoy Sanat outlines ways to enhance education through technology as Ibrohimova Durdonaxon outlines different areas to focus on when improving childhood education. However, sometimes the old ways still hold wisdom: Daniel De Culla relates a humorous tale of a modern woman who chooses to go with folk wisdom regarding her health. Gregg Norman presents a poem from the point of view of a character who’s living life to the fullest, with health benefits as incidental.

Noah Berlatsky muses on the identity of Spock and on what makes intriguing literary characters. Jacques Fleury reflects on his personal and cultural identity. Mesfakus Salahin speaks to life, death, and personal accountability, redemption, and the meaning of one individual life. David Sapp relates a tale of responsibility, honor, and mailboxes. Ranjan Sagar reminds us that others’ poor character need not diminish our own. Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa addresses the tension between roots and wings, needing to fly free and wanting a stable nest, and reflects on the end of life. Paul Tristram speaks to personal growth, strength, and self-discipline while Sarvinoz Mansurova shares her family’s dreams for her and her own aspirations. Nigora Tursunboyeva’s short story celebrates adventure and finding one’s own way in life.

Two people, sci-fi or fantasy style characters, light skinned, in short dresses and vests, floating in the starry sky. They're shaded in purple and blue.
Image c/o Victoria Borodinova

Gaurav Ojha reflects on how he will take nothing with him when he leaves the earth. Graciela Noemi Villaverde expresses the exquisite anguish of losing someone close to her. Engin Cir speaks to the grief, but also the indignation, of romantic heartbreak. Faleeha Hassan evokes the feeling of anxiety, being exposed and weighed down. Mykyta Ryzhykh conveys alienation, cold, and a halfway state between life and death.

Duane Vorhees speaks to creativity, sensuality, and history, evoking major and minor apocalypses that occur when people cannot or do not adapt to constant change. Taylor Dibbert reflects on how creativity can help him weather, if not avoid, his struggles. Z.I. Mahmud links the expectations of Samuel Beckett’s characters in Waiting for Godot to those of broader Western religious and cultural traditions.

Adam Fieled writes of our twin natures, the balance of masculine and feminine. Z.I. Mahmud examines the family relationships in D.H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers through a Freudian psychoanalytic lens. Karimova Sarvara Karimovna crafts an elegant and highly personal love poem. Kristy Raines speaks to the joy of a close loving relationship. Aytuvova Khurshida shares a love story that gets interrupted by life, but where the former partners always remember each other. Numonova Khonzodabegim poignantly shares the challenges and risks military families face.

J.K. Durick speaks to the harsh realities of aging and death and hunger, which can be eased, but not completely erased, by modern culture. J.J. Campbell’s poetry addresses aging and resignation while Dildora Toshtemirova reflects on the loss of a close friend or lover. Nosirova Gavhar’s short story combines two great human passions: love and grief.

Paul Callus and Christina Chin collaborate on a wide-ranging haiku collection evoking home, place, and time. Stephen Jarrell Williams captures many of summer’s varied moods in his haiku. Steven Croft watches a Civil War reenactment through the eyes of a modern veteran. Brooks Lindberg speaks to what we remember and what we forget, of grasping happiness despite reality. Rustamjonova Nodira celebrates the perseverance of Uzbekistan’s founders, leaders, and people, as Nuraini Mohammed Usman urges her society to carry out collective housecleaning and purge old enmities.

Murodova Sitora urges teachers to continue to learn and develop their skills and be accorded the respect and resources in order to do so. Abduraximova Muyassarxon relates how a dedicated teacher helped her regain her confidence. Rukshona Qiyomova outlines the many responsibilities of a teacher and the value of the teaching profession. Sevinch Saidova reflects on the value of education for personal development. Sushant Kumar highlights the need for teachers to serve as role models as well as impart intellectual information.

Monument in Moscow, metal statue of a woman with short hair and a feathered hat, with birds landing on her coat. She's holding papers and a rules and is in front of a small building with trees and people in the background.
Image c/o Lynn Greyling

Majidova Sevinch pays tribute to the many dimensions of a mother’s love and care. Sobirjonova Rayhona offers a tribute to her sister’s care and friendship. Ilhomova Mohichehra takes joy in her friends and her lovely homeland of Uzbekistan.

Brian Barbeito revels in the easy intimacy of the conversation on a summer hike. Salokhiddinova Mohichehra examines the structure and function of nature close to home, the human kidney. Isabel Gomez de Diego contributes visual poetry of everyday life: dinner with family, a visit with a grandson, a tree in the yard. Kylian Cubilla Gomez takes closeup peeks at backyard chickens.

Sayani Mukherjee recollects a quiet morning outdoors under the blue sky, smelling the scent of trees with her child. Maja Milojkovic yearns for and finds reminders of her lover in every aspect of nature. Intizor Samandarova evokes the sky’s expansive emptiness in her poetry as Don Bormon poetizes about the vast variety of clouds.

However, nature is not always calm: researcher Les Beley speaks to the ecological impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Mahbub Alam describes the recent flash floods in parts of Bangladesh and the loss of life and property.

Farida Botayeva reflects on how quickly our circumstances and emotions can change. Ziyoda Murodilova considers how she will persevere in her life despite unpredictable feelings.

Finally, Christopher Bernard presents an old-style lyrical recipe for preparing hope in the kitchen.

Essay from Sevinchoy San’at qizi Shomurotova

Young Central Asian woman with brown hair up in a bun, brown eyes, small earrings, and a white collared shirt.

ORGANIZING EDUCATIONAL LESSONS BASED ON INNOVATIVE APPROACHES

Sevinchoy San’at qizi Shomurotova
Urganch State Pedagogical Institute  
Faculty of Pedagogy, 3rd-year student of Primary Education

Abstract: Education is considered the most ancient and eternal value that ensures humanity’s dignity. This article explores the organization of educational lessons using innovative approaches.

Keywords: education, innovation, teaching, pedagogy, personality.

As President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized in his meeting with a group of scientists and representatives of science on December 30, 2016: “The first stage in nurturing a generation of capable cadres is to radically improve school education, ensuring the continuity of the process of training scientific personnel and highly qualified specialists. We will spare no effort in this endeavor.” In this meeting, our President also highlighted the significant role of science in the development of all sectors of our economy, noting that the collaboration between science and production is especially critical for our state’s progress today.

The process of education is multifaceted, involving both internal and external (subjective and objective) factors that contribute to understanding the essence of education. Subjective factors help individuals comprehend their inner needs, interests, and life relationships, while objective factors create conditions for individuals to live, form, and positively resolve life problems. The success of the content, direction, and form of educational activities depends on how well they align with objective conditions, leading to success in shaping the individual. In organizing and managing the educational process, not only the teacher’s activities but also the student’s age, psychological characteristics, thoughts, and life views play a crucial role.

It is well-known that innovation is the ultimate outcome that, by applying new technological processes, approaches, or methods in a specific field or production, leads to greater success than before. Innovation, developed within the educational system, has significant importance as a new approach. It is promising for developing the content of education, arising from initiatives and innovations, and therefore always positively impacts the development of the educational system. Consequently, the teacher-educator organizes their activities creatively, striving to renew the form and content of the lesson each time based on new research and innovative approaches. The teacher applies their insights experimentally, analyzing the results to continue exploring and introducing innovations in the educational process, identifying and correcting shortcomings, and perfecting the process. Often, existing methodological perspectives and theoretical principles may not satisfy teachers. Indeed, the innovative pedagogical process demands that the teacher’s activities constantly evolve, improve, and enrich with new ideas. Regular acquisition and improvement of new knowledge, possessing creative abilities that meet modern requirements, is not only a demand of the educational process but also of society as a whole.

In nurturing the younger generation, the level of a teacher’s innovative preparation is one of the most important indicators of their professional qualification. In a teacher’s activities, innovation involves creating and applying advanced ideas, discovering innovations, and demonstrating the potential to introduce new elements in the process of improving the form and content of education. One of the most important tasks in this field is forming students’ creative, independent thinking, and the ability to achieve goals through conscious creative relationships.

Modern technology-enhanced lessons aim at encouraging students to independently seek, study, analyze, and even draw their conclusions from the knowledge they acquire. The teacher, in this process, facilitates the development and formation of the individual and the group, as well as their acquisition of knowledge and upbringing, while also fulfilling the role of a manager and guide. In such an educational process, the student becomes the central figure. Today, the use of pedagogical technologies in the educational and upbringing process of educational institutions is of particular importance for the following reasons:

1. Pedagogical technologies offer broad opportunities to implement developmental education, which is emphasized in the Law on Education.
2. Pedagogical technologies allow for the extensive implementation of a systematic activity approach in the educational and upbringing process.
3. Pedagogical technology encourages the teacher to design the entire technological chain of the educational process, starting from the goals to the diagnosis system and controlling the progress of the process.
4. Pedagogical technology, based on the use of new tools and information methods, demands that the teacher act as the main organizer or consultant in the process. This requires the teacher to exhibit more independence, creativity, and willpower qualities.

Lessons conducted based on pedagogical technology satisfy students’ need to express their attitudes towards important life achievements and problems, and provide opportunities to think and justify their points of view. In the current era of innovation, the educational system needs individuals who are capable of assimilating new information, evaluating the knowledge they acquire, and making necessary decisions independently and freely.

Therefore, the place and importance of modern teaching methods, interactive methods, and innovative technologies in the educational and upbringing process of educational institutions are incomparable. Knowledge and experience related to pedagogical technology and its application in education ensure that students become knowledgeable and skilled professionals.

Sevinchoy Shomurotova San’at qizi was born on August 5, 2004, in Shovot district, Xorazm region. She is currently studying at the Urgench State Pedagogical Institute, in the Faculty of Pedagogy, specializing in Primary Education.

Short story from Tursunboyeva Nigora

Central Asian teen girl with dark hair in a blue jacket.
The Adventures of Zippy the Sparrow

In a vibrant forest where the trees stretched toward the heavens and the rivers sang songs of ancient times, there lived a little sparrow named Zippy. Zippy was no ordinary bird—she was filled with a boundless curiosity and an insatiable love for adventure.

While most of the other birds were content to stay within the safety of the forest, Zippy dreamed of exploring the world beyond. She would often sit on the highest branch of the tallest tree, gazing at the horizon, wondering what lay beyond the mountains, rivers, and valleys she had never seen.

One day, Zippy decided it was time to follow her dreams. With a flutter of excitement, she spread her wings and set off on her first grand adventure. The forest quickly became a patchwork of green beneath her as she soared higher and higher, her heart racing with anticipation.

Zippy's first stop was a sparkling lake that shimmered like a jewel in the sunlight. As she swooped down to take a drink, she met a wise old turtle basking on a rock.

"Hello, little bird," the turtle said with a warm smile. "What brings you to this part of the world?"

"I'm on an adventure!" Zippy chirped, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "I want to see everything there is to see!"

The turtle chuckled softly. "The world is vast and full of wonders, young one. But remember, the greatest adventures are often found in the smallest places."

Zippy thanked the turtle and continued on her journey, flying over hills and valleys, across rivers and meadows. She met all sorts of creatures—a family of playful otters, a wise old owl, and a friendly fox who shared stories of faraway lands.

One day, as Zippy was flying over a dense forest, she noticed a strange and mysterious fog. The trees below seemed to whisper secrets, and the air was thick with mystery. Undeterred, Zippy dove into the fog, eager to uncover its secrets.

Inside the fog, Zippy found herself in an enchanted grove, where the trees were adorned with sparkling lights, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of flowers. At the center of the grove was a beautiful, glowing crystal that pulsed with a gentle light.

As Zippy approached the crystal, she felt a warm, comforting presence. "Welcome, brave sparrow," a voice whispered. "You have shown great courage and a true love for adventure. This crystal holds the heart of the forest, and it is said that those who find it are granted a special gift."

Zippy felt a surge of joy as the crystal's light enveloped her. In that moment, she realized that her love for adventure had led her to something truly magical—a deeper connection with the world around her.

With a heart full of wonder, Zippy flew back to her forest home, where her fellow birds greeted her with awe and admiration. She shared her stories with them, telling of the sparkling lake, the wise turtle, and the enchanted grove.

From that day on, Zippy was known as the bravest bird in the forest, and her adventures became legendary. But no matter how far she traveled or how many wonders she discovered, she always remembered the turtle's words—that the greatest adventures are often found in the smallest places.

And so, Zippy continued to explore the world with an open heart, always ready for the next adventure, no matter how big or small.

Tursunboyeva Nigora Abdumannob qizi was born on February 23, 2009, in Uzbekistan. She is currently a 10th-grade student at the Is'hoqxon Ibrat Creative School. She is fluent in English, Russian, German, and Uzbek. Due to her interest in literature, she writes poems, stories, and articles. Her creative works have been published in numerous renowned international journals, such as The Mount Kenya Times, The Diaspora Times, Classico Opine, The Seoul Times, Raven Cage, Synchronized Chaos, Kavya Kishor, Orfeu.al, Elisa mascia and many other magazines and newspapers. This year, she won literary competitions and was awarded two medals. She is interested not only in creativity but also in volunteering, and she is currently continuing her volunteer activities. And she is an active member of the World Writers and Artists  Working Group Juntos Por Las Letras.

Poetry from J.D. Nelson

Five One-Line Haiku


sky grows darker sunset or storm clouds?


—

nephew’s 13th birthday whitecaps on the lake


—


red rocks pink at sunrise I wake up to check my phone


—



Memorial Day three unsharpened yellow pencils by the dumpster



—


a crow calls before six you’re early this morning


—




J. D. Nelson is the author of eleven print chapbooks and e-books of poetry, including *purgatorio* (wlovolw, 2024). His first full-length collection is *in ghostly onehead* (Post-Asemic Press, 2022). Visit his website, MadVerse.com, for more information and links to his published work. Nelson lives in Boulder, Colorado, USA.

Poetry from J.K. Durick

             The Costco Generation

The world is a famine place, a drought place

a war-torn place, a place we have made over

into a place of hunger and displacement. We

watch it all on TV, keep up as best we can. We

try to stay out of it all, very easily we look away

change the channel, fix a snack, reassure our-

selves. There’s nothing wrong with us. We are

the Costco generation, the Walmart generation

the all you can eat generation. We shop our fill

through aisles and aisles stacked to the ceiling

giant sized, jumbo sized, larger portions of all

we need or might need. We fear running out, so

we fill our cupboards and freezer and look for

the best deal, look for the best deal. We are ex-

ceptionalism in action, being exceptional and

living in it, acting it out. While the rest of them

seem to get it all wrong, stay homeless and stay

hungry, have wars playing out within their borders.

We, on the other hand, make war elsewhere and

send the weapons to fight in them. We complain

about the homeless and spend fortunes on diets

so we can look the part and live for almost for-

ever. We fill out the surveys, write online reviews,

spend countless hours on social media trying to

keep up enough to respond. This is the Costco

generation, warehouses full of all the things that

define us, make us over – leave us like this.

                  Terrorizing

We’re learning about terrorism from

the best of ’em, the worst of ‘em

Isis, Hezbollah, and Hamas, the better

known groups, and those smaller ones

and individuals who often claim

responsibility for some attack, explosion

or the assassination of some political figure

anything to get to be part of the news on

our various news networks, claim it and

get the fame, the recognition they need in

the terrorist game. We watch it go on

24 hours a day, yesterday, last night, this morning.

It’s like an out of control weed, a pandemic,

a bit of climate change that is drying us out

leaving us the shell of our former selves.

Now we have become students of death, in its

various forms, destruction for its own sake.

We’ve become helpless talking heads that

are watching the world come apart, and we

are terrorizing ourselves with it.

        Modern Medicine

Check-In and Check-Out for

Interventional Pain Medicine

shares a waiting room with

the Check-In and Check-Out

for Endocrinology and Bone

Density Scan, so there’s sort

of a crowd checking-in or out

most of the day. This is a quiet

crowd, mostly older folks who

probably know what’s coming.

The diabetics cluster around one

end of the room, while the rest

spread out, some alone and some

have a driver along, the pain meds

they get numb up a knee or hip

or other joint making their drive

home a bit of a problem. This is

contemporary medicine with an

assortment of cheerful nurses and

aids and over-serious receptionists

near a sign reminding us not to harm

health care works – it’s a crime to

hit or spit on them or even threaten

them – this is modern medicine and

modern patients are ready to take each

other on – this is the waiting room.

J.K. Durick is a retired teacher, taught for years at Trinity College of Vermont and after that for many years at the Community College of Vermont. He and a friend started following the pandemic by writing a poem for every day – we now have run out of pandemic and have written 1618 and plan to continue till we run out.

Essay from Abduraximova Muyassarxon

Teen Central Asian girl under a leafy tree with white flowers. She's got long dark hair and a white collared blouse.

The Impact of a Legendary Teacher on a Girl’s Life

One cold winter night, a girl with a heart as pure as snow was born. Her parents called her Ice heart. Ice heart started school earlier than her peers. She was a bit shy and timid, which made it difficult for her to connect with classmates. After 6 years of school, she prepared for the entrance exam to a higher-level school. She studied for a month and took the exam. Two months later, she was overjoyed to be accepted. She immediately began attending classes but only stayed for two years. These types of schools were shut down and replaced with specialized schools under a new system. She continued her education at this new specialized school. This year marked a turning point in her life. Ice heart fell into deep despair, losing all motivation.

One day, a legendary teacher, who would play a crucial role in her life, entered her world. This teacher rescued Ice Heart from her despair and changed her life for the better. Thankfully, she had the opportunity to learn from this legendary teacher. Now, Ice heart holds the keys to success and good fortune.

That Ice Heart was me.

Abduraximova Muyassarxon Anvarjon qizi  was born on January 6, 2008, in Toshloq district, Ferghana region. Currently, she is a 10th-grade student at a specialized school in Toshloq district, Ferghana region.