In March we will have a presence at the Association of Writing Programs conference in L.A. which will include an offsite reading at Chevalier’s Books on Saturday, March 29th at 6 pm. All are welcome to attend!

So far the lineup for our reading includes Asha Dore, Douglas Cole, Scott Ferry, Linda Michel-Cassidy, Aimee Suzara, Reverie Fey, Ava Homa, Michelle Gonzalez, Terry Tierney, Anisa Rahim, Katrina Byrd, and Cindy Rinne.

Author Justin Hamm is hosting a FREE online literary event the weekend of AWP, known as StayWP. This will include author talks, informative panels, book launches and networking!

To register, please click here: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSe0jqgxfQn…/viewform…

Poet and essayist Abigail George, whom we’ve published many times, shares the fundraiser her book’s press has created for her. She’s seeking contributions for office supplies and resources to be able to serve as a speaker and advocate for others who have experienced trauma or deal with mental health issues.

Also, the Educational Bookshop in Jerusalem, a store that has the mission of peaceful dialogue and education, invites readers to donate new or gently used books (all genres) that have been meaningful to them, with a note enclosed for future readers about why the books were meaningful. (The books don’t have to be about peace or social justice or the Mideast, although they can be). Please send books here. US-based Interlink Publishing has also started a GoFundMe for the store.

Eva Petropoulou Lianou shares the Dylan Thomas poetry contest and her own poetry launched off to the Moon on the Artemis mission as part of a collection.

A new book, Poetry Mexico, China, Greece, a collection from contributors Jeannette Tiburcio Vasquez, Yongbo Ma, and Eva Petropoulou Lianou, has just been released.

Our April 1st issue will be crafted by co-editor Kahlil Crawford. He’s a poet, musician, and essayist who has put together previous issues on Latin Culture and Electronic Music.

********************************

This issue’s contributors seek balance and mental health by journeying into their pasts, the world’s pasts, into nature, into community, heritage, romantic, and family love. Others find Sanity Breaks in the subconscious, poetry, and art of various kinds.

Marjona Xushvaqtova celebrates the beauty and energy of spring. Shamsiya Khudoynazarova Turumnova takes joy in the fact that winter is dissipating and warmth and growth are returning.

Anna Keiko’s paintings bring a bit of off-kilter color and joy to nature and childhood. Kylian Cubilla Gomez’s photography presents joyful, colorful images of childhood play.

Brian Barbeito conveys the comfort and nostalgia of a small town that seems forgotten by time. Nilufar Anvarova remembers a joyful morning listening to roosters and smelling basil in a country village. Sayani Mukherjee also finds joy in moss, trees, and thatched roof cottages in her piece “Earth’s Song.” In another piece, Brian Barbeito shares intuitions and reflections from a day of walking his dogs in the snow.

Shukurillayeva Lazzatoy translates a poem from Uzbek writer Alexander Faynberg lamenting human-caused environmental destruction and analyzes the literary elements present in much of Faynberg’s work.

Ibragimova Rushana discusses the effectiveness of online language learning programs. Shahnoza Ochildiyeva describes the science of translation and the contributions of Ozod Sharafiddinov to the field.

Shukurillayeva Lazzatoy translates a poem from Alexander Faynberg about always searching for a distant shore, as well as another Faynberg work about finding hope and strength to continue a long journey.

Stephen Jarrell Williams speaks to the shared journey of finding meaning throughout one’s life. Grant Guy contributes musings on relationships and the passage of time as Daniel DeLucie reflects on how time marches relentlessly for us all.

Azamat Abdulatipov highlights how Uzbekistan pays national attention to youth issues through their student development programs. Gulnozaxon Xusanova reminds us to celebrate youthful achievements.

David Sapp draws upon classical art and music to trace a man’s journey towards maturity. Alan Catlin views art and landscapes through the eyes of a variety of well-known international artists. Norman J. Olson seeks out art old and new in London and Italy.

Joshua Martin evokes the subconscious behind-the-scenes consideration of thoughts and sensations in text that reads more like code than writing. Vernon Frazer clangs words together into a street corner symphony. Mark Young’s “geographies” intertwine color, shape, line, and form in unexpected ways. Peer Smits creates abstract images where thick lines and stamps color white canvases, and where posters blur and dance into rippled reflections.

Mark Murphy illuminates the power of art and imagination to inspire people to claim agency in a world where much seems historically inevitable. Jasmina Makhmasalayeva urges people to form their own self-concepts apart from societal pressure.

Jacques Fleury posits a “resume” for a Black street thug in a way that troubles and questions stereotypes. Isaac Aju presents a tale of a brave student who stands up to institutional disrespect.

Taylor Dibbert highlights the need to write creatively for joy, not for money. Ivan Pozzoni’s work speaks to the struggles of the creative artist in a society dampening creative urges and to romantic love between people not afraid to live fully embodied and present.

Alaina Hammond’s play dramatizes the struggle of a young woman choosing between a steady and comfortable family life and the promise of passionate love. Natalie Bisso’s poem illustrates a tender and intense romantic attraction. Yusufjonova O’gilkhan’s tender short story explores the love between a brother and sister.

Duane Vorhees takes a lexical flight of fancy through nature and romantic attraction. Isabel Gomez de Diego’s photos weave together nature, romantic and family love, and religious devotion. Eva Petropoulou Lianou honors mothers through a poem translated to Arabic by Egyptian poet Ahmed Farooq Baidoon. Musurmunova Gulshoda honors parents, friendship, country and heritage, and teachers. Eva Lianou Petropoulou celebrates friendship and mutual respect among women.

Poet Joseph C. Ogbonna references the love, comfort and solace he finds through his faith. French poet Timothee Bordenave speaks to his love for the faith-infused atmosphere of Paris.

Mesfakus Salahin speaks to a tender and poetic love, and also describes the joy of authentic love that does not match poetic expectations. Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa also addresses true love as opposed to exploitation and how reaching maturity will help people figure out the difference, along with the need for universal compassion and empathy.

Kathleen Hellen highlights the fragility and tenuousness of the bonds that connect us. Bill Tope’s short story speculates on the many might-have-beens of a life cut tragically too short.

Mykyta Ryzhykh highlights the devastation of losing years of life to war and grief, blind but able to sense a tree losing leaves and a world that “still remembers the shape of our bodies.” Z.I. Mahmud analyzes the anti-war sentiment of Bertolt Brecht’s play Mother Courage and Her Children by showing how hardship and violence can change or flatten a person’s character and feelings. Umid Najjari’s poetry addresses war, love, loss, and grief.

Eva Petropoulou Lianou raises awareness of how domestic violence can start with control and possessiveness before physical assault. Mahbub Alam writes of his concern for his homeland of Bangladesh where women and girls face rape and assault. Linda S. Gunther’s short story deals with a woman recovering from and reclaiming her self-esteem after a breakup with a powerful man.

Orinbayeva Dildara reflects on how love has inspired her poetry, but not brought her happiness. Murodillayeva Mohinur expresses the rage and pain caused by betrayal. J.J. Campbell’s work captures ennui and frustration within lonely suburbs.

A fresh installment of Grzegorz Wroblewski’s poems, translated from Polish to English by Peter Burzynski, arrives with surreal and strangely humorous disillusionment about modern society and life in general. Naaman Al-Gharib laments how the modern intellect has descended into petty selfishness and solipsism rather than expansive thought.

Poet Pat Doyne speaks to history’s cycles repeating in the modern world and how easy it is to lose hard-won liberties. Daniel De Culla lampoons and apes Donald Trump in a satirical romp.

Sharipov Dilshod Bakhshullayevich outlines how to maintain one’s sanity and civility in a world that can test your patience. Maja Milojkovic relates how she’s mindfully and carefully maintaining her wisdom and kindness and how she urges the world to do the same, as Mirta Liliana Ramirez shares how she’s choosing the most uplifting and thoughtful memories from all of her past to help her move forward to the future.

We hope that Synchronized Chaos, while challenging your mind and heart and broadening your horizons, also serves as a kind of sanity break.

*********

Spring!

We waited for you when we were children,
We used to run down the hill,
Blue-green grass is the strangest corner,
Bud reminded you today.

We would build a tent out of grass,
What a hero Clouds was.
We made wreaths, beautiful,
Your beauty was also a gem.

When I think about it, I don't appreciate you. 
I will not laugh with you when the time comes.
I didn't become your daughter, Marjon, 
I don't feel you com, spring...

Spring...

Marjonabanu Khushvaktova was born on June 13, 2004 in Kokdala district of Kashkadarya region. Currently, she is a 2nd year student of Shahrisabz State Pedagogical Institute. Her creative works are in “Taloktepa tolei” , “Taloktepa tolei” selection book and “The smart youth of Uzbekistan”, “Raven Cage Zine”, “Page 3 News”, “Youth of Uzbekistan” “Yoshlar bayozi” and has been published in many international books, magazines, newspapers and anthologies, and is the owner of many diplomas and certificates.

Effectiveness of Online Language Learning Platforms

Ibragimova Rushana Bobomurod daughter

Shakhrisabz State Pedagogical Institute

4th stage student

Abstract

The rise of online language learning platforms has transformed traditional approaches to language acquisition by offering learners increased flexibility, accessibility, and a range of interactive resources. This paper examines the effectiveness of these platforms, highlighting their advantages, such as the ability to learn at one’s own pace, the use of gamification, and access to native speakers and authentic materials. However, challenges such as the lack of personalized feedback and potential issues with learner motivation and accountability are also discussed. The paper finds that while online language learning platforms can be highly effective for motivated and disciplined learners, they are most beneficial when used as a supplementary tool in a blended learning approach.

Introduction

The advent of the digital era has revolutionized various aspects of human life, and education is no exception. Online language learning platforms have emerged as popular tools for acquiring new languages. Platforms such as Duolingo, Babbel, and Rosetta Stone have become popular due to their convenience, affordability, and innovative use of technology. These platforms offer learners flexibility, convenience, and access to a wide range of resources that are often not available in traditional classroom settings. This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of online language learning platforms, focusing on their advantages, potential drawbacks, and overall impact on language acquisition.

Advantages of Online Language Learning Platforms

One of the primary benefits of online language learning platforms is their accessibility and flexibility. Unlike traditional classroom settings, online platforms allow learners to study at their own pace and according to their own schedules. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for individuals who may have full-time jobs, family responsibilities, or other commitments that prevent them from attending regular classes. Platforms like Duolingo, Babbel, and Rosetta Stone provide learners with the opportunity to practice language skills anytime and anywhere, as long as they have an internet connection. Moreover, online language learning platforms often employ interactive and engaging methods to teach languages. These platforms use a combination of text, audio, video, and interactive exercises to enhance the learning experience. For example, Duolingo incorporates gamification elements, such as points, levels, and challenges, to motivate users and keep them engaged. Studies have shown that incorporating interactive elements in learning can significantly enhance knowledge retention and comprehension (Zarzycka-Piskorz, 2016).[1] By offering varied and interactive content, online language learning platforms cater to different learning styles, making language acquisition more effective. Another significant advantage of online language learning platforms is the access to native speakers and authentic language materials. Many platforms offer features that allow learners to connect with native speakers for practice, either through text chat, voice calls, or video calls. Websites like iTalki and Tandem enable learners to find language exchange partners or tutors, providing an immersive experience that is crucial for developing speaking and listening skills. Additionally, online platforms often include real-world content, such as news articles, videos, and podcasts, allowing learners to engage with the language in authentic contexts.

Challenges and Limitations

Despite their numerous advantages, online language learning platforms also have some limitations. One of the main challenges is the lack of personalized feedback. In traditional classroom settings, teachers can provide immediate, tailored feedback to students, which is essential for correcting mistakes and improving language skills. However, online platforms often rely on automated systems that may not always accurately assess nuanced language use or provide detailed explanations for errors. While some platforms do offer access to human tutors, these services often come at an additional cost, which may not be affordable for all learners. Another limitation of online language learning platforms is the potential for reduced accountability and motivation. Learning a language requires consistent practice and dedication, and some learners may struggle to maintain motivation without the structure and accountability provided by a classroom environment. The flexibility of online platforms, while advantageous, can also lead to procrastination and irregular study habits. Research has indicated that learners who lack self-discipline may find it challenging to progress in online learning environments (Kizilcec, Pérez-Sanagustín, & Maldonado, 2017).[2]

Evaluating Effectiveness

The effectiveness of online language learning platforms depends on several factors, including the learner’s goals, learning style, and level of self-discipline. Studies have shown that learners who are highly motivated and disciplined can achieve significant progress using online platforms. For example, a study conducted by Vesselinov and Grego (2012)[3][4] found that users of the Duolingo platform made substantial gains in their language skills, equivalent to a semester of university-level language study. However, the same study noted that dropout rates were high, suggesting that not all learners find online platforms suitable for their needs. It is also important to consider the role of online platforms as a supplementary tool rather than a replacement for traditional language learning methods. Many language educators advocate for a blended learning approach, combining online platforms with in-person classes or other interactive methods. This approach leverages the strengths of both online and offline learning environments, providing learners with a more comprehensive and effective language learning experience.

Conclusion

Online language learning platforms offer a flexible, accessible, and engaging way to learn languages, making them a valuable resource in the modern educational landscape. They provide learners with the opportunity to practice language skills at their convenience and offer a variety of interactive and authentic materials. However, these platforms also have limitations, including the lack of personalized feedback and potential challenges with motivation and accountability. The effectiveness of online language learning platforms ultimately depends on the individual learner’s goals, discipline, and commitment. As technology continues to evolve, these platforms will likely become even more sophisticated, providing enhanced features and more personalized learning experiences. For now, they serve as a powerful tool that, when used effectively, can significantly enhance language acquisition.

References

1.Kizilcec, R. F., Pérez-Sanagustín, M., & Maldonado, J. J. (2017). Self-regulated learning strategies predict learner behavior and goal attainment in Massive Open Online Courses. Computers & Education, 104, 18-33.

2.Vesselinov, R., & Grego, J. (2012). Duolingo Effectiveness Study. City University of New York.

3.Zarzycka-Piskorz, E. (2016). Kahoot it or not? Can games be motivating in learning grammar? Teaching English with Technology, 16(3), 17-36.

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[1] Zarzycka-Piskorz, E. (2016). Kahoot it or not? Can games be motivating in learning grammar? Teaching English with Technology, 16(3), 17-36.

[2] Kizilcec, R. F., Pérez-Sanagustín, M., & Maldonado, J. J. (2017). Self-regulated learning strategies predict learner behavior and goal attainment in Massive Open Online Courses. Computers & Education, 104, 18-33. 

[4] Vesselinov, R., & Grego, J. (2012). Duolingo Effectiveness Study. City University of New York.

Ibragimova Rushana Bobomurod’s daughter. She was born on September 5, 2004 in Mubarak District, Kashkadarya Region. She has several international certificates. She can communicate fluently in English and Turkish. Currently, she is a 4th-year student of Foreign Language and Literature at the Shahrisabz State Pedagogical Institute.

As kind as a mother, as dear as a father,  

There is a being who is cherished like a friend.  

Carrying my burdens on their shoulders,  

Holding my hands, helping me overcome hurdles.

Introducing the good and the bad,  

Enlightening the heart with the light of knowledge.  

Awakening beautiful virtues in the heart,  

Completely forgetting their own comfort.

NATION, MOTHER, FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, and AFFECTION,  

Demonstrating their essence like a guiding flame,  

Burning for someone’s destiny,  

Spending sleepless nights in their thoughts.

Yet there’s no debt for all this love!  

Only a bright future is my only reward.  

If my heart is a mountain, should I succeed,  

It will embrace me, saying, “My child!”

If I achieve my goals,  

All my efforts are merely a drop in the ocean.  

If I weigh both of us on the scale,  

THIS HUMAN is the ocean, and I am simply a drop.

Life flows like a rushing river,  

Constantly adding youth with every passing moment.  

But I will not erase this person from my heart,  

The loving TEACHER who introduced me to the world.

Musurmonova Gulshoda Olimjon qizi was born on March 9, 1997, in Jizzakh district of Jizzakh region. After completing secondary school, she attended an academic lyceum and then continued her education at Jizzakh State Pedagogical Institute in the Faculty of Primary Education.

During those years, her interest in writing poetry began to develop. Currently, she is teaching primary classes at school number 42 under the system of MMTB in Sharof Rashidov district of Jizzakh region.

Gulshoda is married, and her poetry predominantly covers themes such as Parents, Homeland, Love, Consequences, and Life. She deeply expresses human feelings and promotes enlightenment in her works.

THE BOMBED GENERATION

Bivouacking among nameless bards, sounding boards transfixed by twinges of toothache,

i summon monsters masked by pain and anguish under bombardment

skilful tightrope walkers on the strings of enchantment, or disenchantment,

intermittent comet stars.

Shunning wishes of the Maurizio Costanzo Show,

like eighties vates, we take to the streets to sing,

and to endure charges like animals in battery,

never surrendering to the scheming

created by statesmen alien to all embarrassment.

OUT OF ISCHEMS

Try, once in your life, to stop living outside each ischeme,

without constant ink interruptions to the vein’s phoneme,

so that the western crisis becomes an occipital crisis,

with the saving of ants increase the consumption of cicadas.

As you stopped reading, at least stop writing

‘public’ that doesn’t exist and forces us to sell books like vacuum cleaners,

Porta a Porta, where Novi Aldi goes on Vespa and returns Bompiani,

after abandoning Theseus’ ship, in whiff of hurricanes.

This is the century, or the millennium, of the professional artist

not knowing how to do anything, you are content to remain a figurehead,

among the various shrewd actors and actresses of the publishing market

willing to give their children to a rom in exchange for an inch of shelf space

in the prestigious Feltrinelli bookshop in your town

you don’t want to stop living out of ischems, c’aggia fa?

I DON’T CARE

For the last twenty years or so, ‘I don’t care’ has been back in fashion,

herds of brainless constipated people, all, in search of the rehabilitierung of ego,

brick by brick, in the black shirt of ignorance organising raids,

with the outcome of ending up dead, a mosquito bite away, on couch Freud’s.

The new mass, without any strength, waiting for an acceleration,

placed under scrutiny receives its models from television magazines,

moved by a self-esteem disproportionate to its actual neural entity,

ite, missa est, giving extreme unction, being a cancerous mass.

Talking to the average italian is like talking to Louis XVI,

an anencephaly patient who dreams of residing in the Medici court,

living in Masters of Florence, the Renaissance soap opera,

forcing you to surrender to the Magone as Lucius Chinchus Alimentus.

With the new ‘I don’t care’ generations we should build democracy,

stuff of exterminating homo sapiens sapiens with an attack of epizootics,

we will rely on a detailed deliberative referendum of protest,

forcing our fellow-citizens to use their heads.

ASSAULT ON THE OVENS

Panem et circensens is asked of the contemporary artist,

playing the clown at readings grants 15 minutes of impromptu success,

they read kilometres of verse, written in half an hour, with a shrewd attitude,

they would also declaim verses in arabic if Isis established a Caliphate in Palermo.

They read, read, read, all the flour of their infinite sack

and we, with our gags on, to be subjected to their dribbling to end up in checkmate,

the queen, bored, is undecided whether to fuck the king or a horse,

and the contemporary reads, reads, without allowing us an interval,

without allowing himself an interval, between one bullshit and another, without ever being satisfied

he has to bring home the bread-roll, hey, as an artist who boasts of being overpaid.

THE BARBARIAN AND THE PRINCESS

To you who observe with your bistro eyes my discontents

you defuse me with a smile, you neutralise me with a love

as enduring as a Compact Fluorescent Lamp,

becoming aeriform, neon, argon, krypton,

maybe it’s the krypton that deactivates my Superman cravings,

climbing up my spine with catlike paws,

dissuading me from gobbling, from drinking, from brawling, from stopping writing.

Princeza romana, eu sou seu bárbaro,

i keep wearing white tank tops in my black underwear

not washing the dishes, banging on the keys,

better than washing the keys and banging on the dishes,

i kidnapped you on a raid on the coasts of Gaeta,

enchanted by you, late-modern Circe,

capable of turning pigs into men,

pig’s heart is equal to the human heart,

you alone have understood this, in twenty years, with your insulinous carefreeness,

with your insecurities, with your premenstrual breakdowns, with your questioning face,

always capable of disconcerting me, square mime destined to go bald,

without replacing me.

Princeza romana, eu sou seu bárbaro,

yet without being able to dedicate Odi barbare to you,

i am not equipped to hate anyone, or to mix metres,

– what shall we do, half a metre?- better my aptitude for duelling,

Ro rocamboling, half Cyrano de Bergerac and half Socrates,

i’m convinced that you prefer me whole, and long-life,

not having the ambition of the modern woman

to turn her man into an asshole.

AT THE TAVERN OF SOLID LOVE

My little love, solid, you, today, fell

and i was not there to support you, with my aggressive biceps

of a barbarian from the northern forests, my face painted blue,

lying in the spasmodic berserksgangr of drinking from the skulls of the vanquished,

it all begins with a trembling, chattering of teeth and a feeling of cold,

immense rage and a desire to assault the enemy.

My little love, fragile, you, today, fell,

and there is a tavern behind our house, all brianzola, your new world,

there is a tavern that serves a hundred and a hundred types of risotto

to spread on your wounds and on your skinned knees,

where i, imperative man, can still interpret every amber darkness

in your wise child’s eyes, manipulating the kaleidoscope of your irises,

voluntarily uncovering my flank to the dagger of your arctic lucidity.

If not a tavern, our love, resembles us: we eat and live,

remunerating each other, victories and defeats, hôtellerie, we bustle and eat,

until the innkeeper Godan, the god of stubborn ‘poets’, slams a mug of mead on the table

invite us to dance at Walhalla, Mocambo a contrario, dance far away, to the end of the worlds,

you will return to the simple freshness of your sea, you wandering caetan siren of sand,

and to me the fog-damp earth of the valley without ascents or descents will not weigh on my zinc.

In the ancient taverns of solid love continue to mix fog and sea-water,

outside thunderstorms, lightning and thunder, liquefied by the cloudburst everything is drying out,  

and we, we eat and live, we bustle and eat, sheltered, in our reserve of happiness,

aware that, hovering in the air, in the long run,

the misty ice crystals will flow into the sea.

Ivan Pozzoni was born in Monza in 1976. He introduced Law and Literature in Italy and the publication of essays on Italian philosophers and on the ethics and juridical theory of the ancient world; He collaborated with several Italian and international magazines. Between 2007 and 2024, different versions of the books were published: Underground and Riserva Indiana, with A&B Editrice, Versi Introversi, Mostri, Galata morente, Carmina non dant damen, Scarti di magazzino, Qui gli austriaci sono più severi dei Borboni, Cherchez la troika e La malattia invettiva con Limina Mentis, Lame da rasoi, with Joker, Il Guastatore, with Cleup, Patroclo non deve morire, with deComporre Edizioni and Kolektivne NSEAE with Divinafollia. He was the founder and director of the literary magazine Il Guastatore – «neon»-avant-garde notebooks; he was the founder and director of the literary magazine L’Arrivista; he is the editor and chef of the international philosophical magazine Información Filosófica. It contains a fortnight of autogérées socialistes edition houses. He wrote 150 volumes, wrote 1000 essays, founded an avant-garde movement (NéoN-avant-gardisme, approved by Zygmunt Bauman), and wrote an Anti-manifesto NéoN-Avant-gardiste. This is mentioned in the main university manuals of literature history, philosophical history and in the main volumes of literary criticism. His book La malattia invettiva wins Raduga, mention of the critique of Montano et Strega. He is included in the Atlas of contemporary Italian poets of the University of Bologne and is included several times in the major international literature magazine, Gradiva. His verses are translated into 25 languages. In 2024, after six years of total retrait of academic studies, he return to the Italian artistic world and melts the NSEAE Kolektivne (New socio/ethno/aesthetic anthropology) [https://kolektivnenseae.wordpress.com/].

Seeing Four Times

 1-

Hopper boarding house:

lights on behind each

window, a story in every room.

 2-

Hands framed like O’Keeffe’s

in black and white. Age spotted

and arthritic now. Two handled

coffee cup nearby, steaming.

 3-

Burchfield snowscapes surreal

as sun behind snow burdened

trees. All the walls inside

papered with dreams.

 4-

O’Keeffe’s night sky.

clouds over the desert.

Windows open to let

the stars in.

Seeing Five Times

 1-

Loud noise startles-

crows rise from

Van Gogh’s fields.

 2-

After the shipwreck-

Turner recreates

the storm.

 3-

Light clarified-

Monet’s out of focus

flowers.

 4-

Shadows brushed by light

at sunrise-new eyes

are needed.

 5-

Inside the cathedral:

sunlight through stained

glass. Hopkins’ pied beauty.

Seeing Six Times

 1-

Windblown sun against

window glass, a study

for a landscape.

 2-

An arrangement of summer

squash on a picnic table

by size and height;

almost art.

 3-

Rock formations where

mountains abruptly end.

Rising mist envelopes

lost climbers. Nowhere to go.

 4-

Felled trees carved

Into animal heads.

A man with a chainsaw.

Making art.

 5-

Dawn in the mountains.

Fog layers a lake.

Last night’s rain still

on trees.

 6-

Landscape with sunset.

low slate gray clouds

underscored by dayglo

red on the hills, windows

reflect bits of color.

Seeing Seven Times

 1-(Durant)

Last flourish of sun

over white mountains.

Shadows cloud still

water. Nothing moves.

Not even the light.

 2-(Hokusai)

Snowcapped Mt. Fuji.

Red sun sinks.

The sea on fire.

 3-(Cropsey)

Fading clouds last

reflective glow on still

water, sun tainted evening

mists drift towards shore.

4-(Hokusai)

Draws perfect circles,

one inside the other.

Then the Great Wave.

 5-(Church)

Low ridge of black

clouds. The whiteness

of a snow peak. A full

moon rising.

 6-(Hokusai)

Musing. Travelers hike

curving paths bearing

burdens on their backs,

where one trail ends,

another begins.

 7-(Self-Portrait)

Deeply furrowed flesh.

Collapsing facial lines.

Tired eyes still laughing.

The White and the Blue and the Black Three Times

 1-

The sky bleeds 

where sun meets

the sea

The slow tide

of night that

follows after

 2-

Lilacs in full bloom.

The white and the blue.

A purple Iris border;

Spring’s tone poem

 3-

Before the storm:

dead calm of still

black night

The island drawing

lightning from the sky

Wind chimes sound

the alarm

Les Preludes: Ted and Sylvia, One Each

 1-

Fluctuating sea breezes,

sky changing from

blue to gray to black;

hawk in the rain

 2-

Dead fall amid winter

trees; matted grass where

the deer lie down

world with no possible escape

 – Victor Serge

afternoons flip by like 

well …  afternoons 

what else is there to be said

 bygones be bygones 

perhaps

write along

it’s saturday 

oh no

it is tuesday 

where did the words go

he said

making love is not a sound bite

she said

want to lay a bet

evening

fine dinner

wine glass empty

evening

walk along the Seine

she cut the roses

he cut down the forest

together

the two of them

had an unhappy life together 

Grant Guy is a Winnipeg, Canada, theatre maker and poet. He has 6 books published and his poems and satories have been published internationally online and as hard copy. He was the 2004 recipient of the Manitoba Arts Council’s Award of Distinction and the 2015 Winnipeg Arts Council’s Making A Difference Reward.

Today’s poems are very reductive. They reflect more of the micro theatre pieces I began during the time of COVID.  In the micro theatre pieces the object or the gesture was the event.  In today’s poems the words are the event. Each word and/or line can be connected as pieces of shards by the reader.