G. Bragolin’s The Crying Boy

His hair was tousled dark brown,

his lips downturned.

All houses burned to the ground,

these mass-produced prints of a painting remained.

He was weeping as he ran from his home;

his papa was on fire holding a weapon.

The heated argument sparked when she 

told him to take the exam for the nth time;

he said he was a loggerhead.

Diablo or DJ is the crying boy,

a tear streaming down his orange cheek.

NOTE

On September 5, 1985, The Sun reported an Essex firefighter claiming that copies of The Crying Boy survived house fires unscathed. By November’s end, the paper’s readers were burning the prints en masse fueled by the painting’s growing curse reputation. David Clarke, a journalist, says the claim that the boy was Diablo didn’t emerge until 2000 in Tom Slemen’s book.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY
Fhen M. studied Writing in the Discipline, The Literature of the Philippines, and The Literature of the World at Eastern Visayas State University. His work has been featured in various publications, including the Waray poem “Uyasan” in Pinili: 15 Years of Lamiraw, and English poems like “Lighthouse,” “Seaport,” “Barbeque Stalls along Boulevard,” and “Tetrapod” in Poetica anthology by Clarendon House. Other publications include “Outside the Block Universe” in About Time: A Coming-of-Age Poetry Anthology by Red Penguin Books, and a poem in Flora/Fauna Anthology by Open Shutter Press. He also submitted Waray verses, including “Duha nga mga pagtug-an” (“Two Confessions”), to the 5th Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop in 2008, with notable panelists like David Genotiva, Merlie Alunan, and Victor Sugbo.

THE HAUL

The apostles

learned to equip

their gospel ship

with hooks cross-shaped

and Christ as bait.

And they employed

muscle and wit

to deploy nets

of iron strength

at untouched depths.

Mighty fishers,

they spent their catch

on wishers’ masts,

sinners’ anchors,

and sure harbors.

THELONIOUS STRAIGHT

The monk in

habit black attacked

attacked        attacked

his devil — devil grinned 

on four legs — — attacked —

blue monkish evangelist fanatic

he went afterafter his 

4legged infidel foe —

with fingers uncurled 

straight for the eyes, for their whites and 

for their blacks

until they scream in blind

NO CHASER

the unsquare monk

the monk melodious

prayed and prayed

mystic irre

ligious

prayed his round midnights with

out even a chaser of

sunny Cannonball blues

attackattacked, in bflat

solitude

YOUR GARDEN

is filled

with forget-me-nots

but I can’t

find

any rue.

HOMESICKNESS 

In my childhood

homesickness was a cheap stamp.

I was here

and Mom just over there.

When I was grown,

homesickness a boarding pass

and bride just beyond.

But then

homesickness became a tiny tomb.

I stayed outside

but Mom was deep within.

And now

Homesickness is a narrow strait.

I on one side

continents on the other.

–after Yu guangzhong

BL IN KI NG unedited by

Life starts when some man rams his Dodge

into some garage and guns the engine,

then gets lost somewhere between debacle and apocalypse.

Time unscrolls itself outside the windshield,

vibrates and alters again just beyond attention,

in constant motion from mist to liquid to real to uncongealed.

 Not every stage equates to hajj,

but no ride’s just road nor map nor engine

nor even mere pathway among all the altars and the crypts.

If life’s the shimmer between death and sex,

the interplay’s the thing! The strength is in the tension.

In our yinyang universe, concave shapes itself toward convex.

…

In the New Uzbekistan, the Voice of a New Generation

Why should I not praise you before the wide world, calling you “my Uzbek,” When my era has granted me the chance to know my true self, my Uzbek.

— E. Vohidov

As I write these lines, two drops of pearl-like tears roll down beneath my glasses. Recently, I traveled to the Tian Shan mountains. Those three days felt like three years. On my way back, the very moment I set foot on my beloved Homeland, my chest filled with the scent of serenity. I felt the taste of peace and happiness. As I got into the car, these lines echoed in my heart:

My Homeland, you are my pride,

The soil where traces of my childhood remain.

You see me off when I leave and wait until I return,

I feel your love like a mother’s embrace.

I have seen many lands, I have seen the Tian Shan,

Yet I understood your true worth even more, my dear motherland.

I do not need Paris and its Eiffel Tower,

A handful of your soil is honor and glory for me!

With these thoughts, I continued my journey. At one moment, I noticed a girl sitting nearby, quietly reading a book. 
Again, I sank into reflection:

In which country does a president give a car simply because someone reads a book?

In which country does the state reward you by funding six months of education if you learn a foreign language for just two months?

In which country is an entire Olympic town built freely, solely for young people?

The answer to all of these questions is one: Uzbekistan.

Indeed, today Uzbekistan is a country of youth. For the first time in history, practical solutions are being implemented to support the dreams and initiatives of the younger generation — solutions that nurture their pursuit of knowledge, creativity, sports, and a rightful place on the international stage. As a result, every young person today has the opportunity to make their voice heard, to present their ideas, national values, and identity to the world.

Yes, today’s generation is educated, healthy, and confidently proving itself on the global stage. Young Uzbeks are studying at the world’s most prestigious universities — Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, and many others. And if we speak of sports, you have surely seen our flag proudly waving atop the world’s greatest arenas at least once. Our young innovators, meanwhile, present their inventions at renowned platforms such as the International Innovation Expo and UN & UNESCO Youth Forums, consistently being in the spotlight of international investors.

Let us speak through simple facts from 2024–2025:

For the first time in history, UNESCO’s General Conference was held outside Paris — and that city was Samarkand. Uzbekistan became the first country to make this happen. Moreover, Uzbekistan became a member of the UN Human Rights Council.

International education standards were introduced. Transparency and openness were promoted in politics. For the first time in history, our female karate and judo athletes stood atop the podiums, bringing chains of medals back to the Homeland. For ten consecutive years, our boxers have once again proven that they are among the world’s strongest. In 2025, our footballers carried the Uzbek nation onto the FIFA stage. At just 20 years old, Sindarov once again proved to the world in 2025 that he is the “King of Chess.”

When we analyze these developments, it becomes clear that in recent years Uzbekistan has secured a strong position internationally as an open, reform-oriented country that ties its future to its youth. Remarkable victories in sports, achievements in science and innovation, young men and women studying at leading global universities, and active participation on international platforms are tangible results of this transformation. State-led youth policy, investments in education and sports, and cooperation with influential international organizations such as the UN and UNESCO have elevated Uzbekistan’s global standing.

Particularly, initiatives that bring youth rights and opportunities to the international level clearly demonstrate the country’s strategic vision.

Shokhida Nazirova was born on March 22, 2004, in Andijan. 

She serves as a representative of Uzbekistan for nearly ten international organizations. She is fluent in German, Russian, Turkish, Italian and Kyrgyz. She is a young leader who has made nearly ten social projects in the region.

Chronicle of a Rescued World 

The planet’s lungs, once torn, 

now breathe with the rhythm of an ancient oak, 

its branches, veins laden with new sap, 

reaching toward a sky that has forgotten the toxic haze. 

We were blind sculptors, 

carving cracks in the earth’s skin, 

extracting gold from its bones, 

without hearing the lament that rose from the roots. 

The ocean, a shattered mirror of plastic, 

reflected our indifference, 

its creatures, stars drowned in the abyss. 

But one day, 

the echo of a dying hummingbird 

pierced the glass of our deafness. 

We saw the moss wither on the edge of the stones, 

the sun, a pale coin amidst the smoke. 

We were reborn, not from maternal wombs, 

but from urgency, from transparent guilt. 

Each tree planted, a silver thread on a damaged loom, 

each river cleaned, the pupil of an ancient god regaining its sight. 

Now, the bees, tiny goldsmiths of the air, 

dance over fields that don’t smell of chemical lament. 

The mountains, wise guardians of memory, 

rise up, green scars that tell of our redemption. 

Our hands, once weapons of felling, 

are now architects of nests, 

tilling the earth with the respect of those who sow a future. 

Conscience, a beacon lit in the fog of oblivion, 

guides our steps toward the embrace of the wild. 

This is the time of the second chance, 

where the jaguar’s roar is not a legend, 

and the whisper of the wind brings the promise of skies without ash. 

We have learned that life is not a loan, 

but a symphony we must protect, 

each note, each being, 

indispensable. 

We have been the castaways who found their shore, 

not building new ships, 

but repairing the only one we had: 

this blue, vibrant, and fragile home, that breathes with us.

GRACIELA NOEMI VILLAVERDE is a writer and poet from Concepción del Uruguay (Entre Rios) Argentina, based in Buenos Aires She graduated in letters and is the author of seven books of poetry, awarded several times worldwide. She works as the World Manager of Educational and Social Projects of the Hispanic World Union of Writers and is the UHE World Honorary President of the same institution’s Activa de la Sade, Argentine Society of Writers. She is the Commissioner of Honor in the executive cabinet in the Educational and Social Relations Division of the UNACCC South America – Argentina Chapter.

First, a few announcements.
Sandra Tabac invites poetry and art submissions for an international Hands of Love anthology.

Also, The Arab Poets Forum has recently published the book “Alphabet of Pain… Letters Bleeding Meaning”, a remarkable poetic encyclopedia featuring 212 poets from around the world, presented in two volumes spanning 800 pages.

The cover artwork is created by Iraqi visual artist Nada Askar, and the cover design is by Lebanese artist Layla Beiz Al-Mashghariya. Several Synchronized Chaos contributors, including Taghrid Bou Merhi, Mirta Ramirez, Eva Petropoulou Lianou, Dildora Xojyozova, Binod Dawadi, and Kujtim R Hajdari, are published in this collection.

Now, for this month’s first issue, Where Memory Meets Tomorrow.

This issue is beautiful, rich, and international. There’s a strong throughline of memory, devotion, identity, and renewal running across continents and genres.

For this month’s first issue, we are proud to present a collection of voices that span styles and topics, each offering a meditation on what it means to live, remember, and hope.

Vo Thi Nhu Mai opens with a heartfelt tribute to her mother, honoring the quiet love and lifelong dedication of a teacher. From Uzbekistan, Orzigul Ibragimova calls her people forward with intelligence and determination, while Namozova Sarvinoz Erkin qizi explores the nation’s ongoing transformation toward an eco-friendly, energy-efficient future. Sevara Abduxalilova reflects on the legacy of Mirzo Ul’ugbek, the great Central Asian astronomer whose vision still resonates across time, as Botirova Gulsevar Muzaffar qizi honors political leader and poet Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, known for promoting education and national development. Munisa Islomjonova celebrates her native Uzbekistan through verse.

The power of words themselves comes into focus in Harinder Cheema’s celebration of poets as messengers of peace and inspiration, echoed by Soumen Roy’s prayer to poetry as a source of healing and transcendence. Jamoliddinova Dilnozaxon Mirhojiddinovna discusses how countries and social groups form communication and speech traditions. Olimova Shahina Botirjon qizi discusses strengths and weaknesses of different methods for teaching foreign languages. Hamdamova Sevara Saidmurodovna outlines modern philological theory about the power of language beyond literal meaning. Türkan Ergör sharpens her focus to highlight the pain of a world without trust and truth. Rev. Dr. Jitender Singh speaks to human unity across race, color, nationality, or creed. Manik Chakraborty and Mesfakus Salahin and Mahbub Alam each issue urgent calls for peace, reminding us of our shared humanity in a fractured world. Graciela Noemi Villaverde depicts the pain of words felt but never sent. Christina Margeti speaks to war and childhood, what humanity destroys and what we strive to protect. Faleeha Hassan reviews Saudi directors Meshal Al-Jaser and stars Adwaa Badr and Yazeed Al-Majioul’s film “Naga” (Purity) which, through the tragedy of a betrayed and rebellious young woman, shows the weight of a society imploding upon itself as it punishes the existence of femininity. Asadullo Habibullayev brings violence down to a smaller scale, reminding us that how we treat each other at the interpersonal level matters. At the same time, poet Nilavronill decries how poets have failed to stop the world’s violence with their words.

Themes of love and devotion weave throughout the issue. Sandro Piedracita reflects on the distinction between selfless love and possessiveness, while Eva Petropoulou Lianou honors the tender, enduring bond between mother and child. Nazokat Jumaniyozova offers a moving elegy for her grandfather, and Danijela Ćuk pays tribute to Eva Petropoulou’s tireless support of fellow writers. Saparboyeva Laylo Xajibay qizi relates a folktale-like story of grief, justice, fate and renewal. Joseph Ogbonna expresses his spiritual devotion in the Easter season and his thanks for Christ’s humble sacrifice. Maqsudova Anora Alisherovna’s poem urges heartfelt sincerity and reflection when people observe Ramadan. Sarvinoz Bakhtiyorova relates the tale of a now-adult son who sacrificed his own body for his mother. Jahongir Murodov expresses his tender care and respect for his mother. Xojamurodova Nigina urges sensitive souls to continue loving and not lose heart in a brutal world as Ms. Kim Sun Young shares how longing for a lost love is persistent, like a weed in her heart and Do’sanova Dilnoza Xolmurod qizi reflects on heartbreak and regret.

Other contributors turn toward time, myth, and the natural world. Ananya Guha evokes deep, mythic landscapes, while Sayani Mukherjee and Lan Xin draw on the imagery of spring—its motion, memory, and rebirth. Ankica Anchie Biskupović finds unity in flowing water, and Elaine Murray immerses herself in nature’s quiet revelations. Ms. Koo Myongsook reflects in stillness on a mountain as a metaphor for life. David Kokoette’s desert journey and Duane Vorhees’ meditation on absence and longing remind us of the inner landscapes we all traverse. Maja Milojkovic laments the steady decline of her powers due to old age. Aziza Jorayeva expresses heartbreak, loneliness, and grief. Dr. Prasanna Kumar Dalai speaks to autumn, night, longing, and confession. Siyoung Doung expresses the mystery of our existence and the beauty of finding small moments of beauty and meaning. Dr. Tomasz Laczek urges us to make the most of the lives we have and live for something that matters.

This issue also engages with contemporary life and its tensions. Abdumaxamediva Gulchexra looks at the positive and negative effects of American cultural influence on traditional Uzbek culture. Patricia Doyne sharply critiques the current U.S. administration, while Bill Tope employs satire to confront its institutional excess and brutality. J.K. Durick reflects on individuals navigating vast, impersonal systems, even systems invented for fun, such as professional sports, engaged yet estranged. Peter Cherches plays the absurdist blues for us in his poem that’s equal parts exile ballad, street song, and darkly comic cabaret. Christopher Bernard kicks off the first installment of his children’s story Otherwise, with a mixture of philosophy, mystery, and middle-grade energy.

Science, education, and personal determination appear in compelling ways. Urokova Nargiza discusses ways to protect against new types of viruses. Jorakulova Gulshoda Uchqun qizi examines disease detection through the lens of blood cell analysis, while Abduhalilova Sevdora Xayrulla qizi advocates for reconnecting physical education with nature. Nabiyeva Xilolaxon Axrorjon qizi discusses how to make fuel composition less toxic and more environmentally sustainable. Choriyeva Oynur analyzes the role of music in helping students concentrate and learn. Anarboeva Madina Ulmas qizi highlights her accomplishments in the Uzbek national sport of kurash. Laylo Yo’lbarsova highlights the role of personality in determining suitability for different careers. Priyanka Neogi asserts her self-determination, strength, self-respect, and independence. Maxsudbekova Farogat Izzatbek qizi valorizes self-assurance, personal dignity, and individuality. Toshmamatov Javohir tells a story of perseverance through the journey of a computer science student, Jumayev Akmal G’ulom o’g’li discusses ways to get young people more involved in shaping the future of Uzbekistan and to help them take their place in the workplace, and Gulhayo Abduqahhorova considers the choices that shape life after college.

Artistic memory and cultural reflection round out the issue. Mark Young presents his signature altered geographies, while Brian Michael Barbeito revisits the world of hockey through personal recollection. Mykyta Ryzhykh captures the intensity of first awakenings—moments that divide life into before and after. Jacques Fleury offers a haunting vision of beauty, resilience, and power embodied in a goddess who still fades from view while he can only watch. Ms. Im Sol Nae looks at death not merely as an ending, but as a transformation, a communal aesthetic experience.

Finally, editor Cristina Deptula contributes a review of No One Dreams in Color by John Biscello, a work that meditates on consciousness, grief, the creative process, and the fragile boundary between reality and imagination.

Together, these works form a tapestry of voices, which are urgent, reflective, and deeply human. They remind us that across distance and difference, we are united by our search for meaning, our capacity for love, and our enduring hope for renewal.

---

Mama

 Mother is the doctor for any sickness 

Mama is the country that everyone loves

without conquering

 Mama is joy and sorrow Mama the power

Mama the forgiveness 

One word was created by God To forgive people

 Say it every day

 Call her if they put chains on you

To sweeten it the wound

To bring peace

My mom, you’re unique

 You never told them you were upset…

With gold I will cherish you 

Chosen person 

 I crown you, My mother

 My sun

My compass

Ελληνικα 

……

Μαμά

 Η μητέρα είναι ο γιατρός για κάθε ασθένεια, Η μαμά είναι η χώρα που όλοι αγαπούν, χωρίς να προσπαθούν, να την κατακτήσουν.

Η μαμά είναι χαρά και λύπη

 Μαμά η δύναμη,

Μαμά η συγχώρεση

Μια λέξη που δημιουργήθηκε από τον Θεό για Να συγχωρήσει τους ανθρώπους.

Πείτε αυτή τη λέξη κάθε μέρα..

Φώναξέ την, αν σε δέσουν με  αλυσίδες.

Θα έρθει για να σου γλυκάνει την πληγή

Να φέρεις την ειρήνη Μαμά μου, εσύ είσαι μοναδική..

Δεν τους είπες ποτέ ότι στενοχωρήθηκες … Με χρυσό θα σε λατρέψω

Σε στεφανώνω, μητέρα μου

Ήλιε μου, 

πυξίδα μου.. 

©  Εύα Πετροπούλου Λιανού

IT’S NOT US, IT’S YOU

America’s neighbors to the north think the U.S. is a bigger

threat to world peace than Russia.” — Politico Poll, 2/19/26

The poll was bleak. Canadians now see

the U.S., the whole country, in decline. 

They look at Trump. “You knew what he was like,”

they say. “His COVID lies, his insurrection…

Then, even after multiple convictions,

your voters chose him for a second term.”

So Trump’s a symptom of a point of view

that’s traded decency for short-term gains.

Voters thought his policies would hurt

others, not themselves. When prices rose

for food, for health care, gas;  when ICE showed up

and nabbed their neighbors, fired on citizens;

when Trump was named in Epstein’s steamy files—

there’s shock! Some mea culpas. Not revolt. 

Usurping roles of Congress and Supreme Court;

unleashing armies on his enemies–

abroad, at home, at whim; building mass jails—

we all can see what’s coming. Who rebels?

Who demands we take back ownership

from Trump’s sly puppeteers? Who rises up

and thunders, “No! You can’t seize Canada”? 

Too many shrug—and watch democracy

dismantled, step by step. A nation weak

and rotting from within. Self-serving. Blind. 

Incapable of ousting a bad leader

because a full third of the country’s voters

still see him as der fuhrer, cheer him on. 

The whole world’s watching– tense, on edge, dismayed—

knowing that the USA’s demise

will shake world order to its very core.

When did democracy stop working? Why?
Copyright 3/2026           Patricia Doyne

LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK 

The PresIdent turns the faucet handle–

lives spill out—foot soldiers, disposable. 

A steady flow go down the drain, vanish into earth.

War powers: bullying with bombs and bombast! 

But now the public’s questioning his judgement.

He thought a show of force would faze Iran.

Heavy missile strikes, dead Ayatollah–

Then take a break to play a game of golf, 

post tweets, chastise reporters. 

Threaten more bombs– watch Iran cave in,

and offer oil deals just to make us stop.

What? It didn’t work?  Recalculate.

Iran’s new leader’s eager for revenge.

NATO allies roll their eyes, won’t help

to make the Strait of Hormuz safe again. 

At home, redacted names swirl in a cloud

above the Epstein mess—those damning files. 

In Congress, stooges get cold feet, have doubts.

The price of gas out-gouges groceries. 

MAGA support is springing leaks. Some flip.

So look ahead. Secure the next elections! 

Design a bill to save Republicans.

Get rid of libs– those whose married names

don’t match birth certificates, or passports.

There go problem voters down the drain–

along with mail-in ballots.  It’s a win!

Don’t let oil dependency derail you.

Promise to fix everything.  Blame windmills. 

Blame Obama, immigrants, and “woke.” 

Prevent networks from airing wartime news,

but flex expensive military muscle. 

Raise those sagging polls. Impress the world–

Lie by lie.

Threat by threat.

Bomb by bomb. Copyright 3/2026               Patricia Doyne