Tired of the world’s deceptive games, At times exhausted, at times worn away. Through countless knots that life became, I set my heart aside one day.
Some spread carpets beneath our feet, Some dig deep pits along our way. Sometimes the friend we trust deceives, While foes may bear their own dismay.
And who are we within this boundless earth? Just travelers in a borrowed place. In this short life, this fleeting path, Why do we bring each other disgrace?
Like our elder Abdullah, we should proclaim: “My homeland, your pain is my pain!” When noble dreams arise within the heart, My homeland is my joy, my honor, my name.
I need no false devotion lasting years; One moment of truth is enough for me. If you stand with pride and live content, Even the coldest heavens will know your dignity.
My name is Safarova Sabrina Fazliddin qizi. I was born on September 7, 2005, in Khatirchi District, Navoi Region, Uzbekistan. Since childhood, I have been passionate about learning, creativity, and the world of literature. The art of words, poetry, and literary works that reflect the human soul have always inspired me.
Currently, I am studying Russian Language and Literature at the Uzbekistan State University of World Languages. Studying the Russian language and literature, analyzing the works of writers from different historical periods, and expressing my thoughts through creative writing are among my main interests.
In my free time, I enjoy reading books, writing poetry, working on creative ideas, and exploring the world of art. For me, literature is the most beautiful way to express the human soul, emotions, and reflections on life. My future goal is to expand my knowledge and experience, become a highly qualified specialist in my field, develop my creative abilities, and make a meaningful contribution to society.
The soul is everlasting, Though every human, at some point in life, Must depart from this earthly shore. The body is left behind, While the journey continues beyond.
Thus we are noble, blessed, Honored, praised, and wrapped in love, Though sorrow still leaves its gentle trace Upon the contours of our faces.
Each living soul, when parted from its frame, Moves onward to another realm. Though the body may break and fade, The soul transcends, crossing From this side to the other.
Some forms never truly perish. As souls are gathered beyond, Layer upon layer in unseen order, So too certain legacies endure, While all else passes into dust.
A day shall come when every soul awakens. A day shall come when every being rises, Reunited with its form, Hastening toward the Great Sustainer—
The One who grants life today,
Takes it back tomorrow, And on another dawn restores it once again, Body and soul together.
Yet we remain consumed by countless tasks, Busy with the burdens of our days. We forget our true existence. We forget our highest worth.
We seldom seek the voice within, Nor reach out with hands of love. We do not widen the roads for one another.
And yet, sharing our sorrows and affections, Our joys and griefs, Our peace and unrest, We could become a tree of comfort, Spreading shade across the world.
Today’s present will stand one day In the court of the future; Some will smile, And some will weep.
Still, paying the price of time, Each of us continues to live In our own way, Upon this fleeting earth.
Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh
08 May, 2026.
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 the 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 for seven years.
Once when he was in grade ten in 1990, his Bangla letter was selected as the best one from Deutsche Welle, Germany Radio that broadcast Bangla news for the Banglalee people. And he was given 50 Dutch Mark as his award. They would ask letters from the listeners to the news in Bangla and select one letter for the best one in every month.
From 17 to 30 September, in 2018 he received a higher training in teaching English language in Kasetsart University of Thailand for secondary level students through a government order from education ministry.
On 06 November 2015 he achieved Amjad Ali Mondal Medal for his contribution in education field by a development organization in the conference and felicitation function for the honorable personalities at Rajshahi College Auditorium.
On 30 December 2017 from West Bengal in India he was declared a ‘Literary Charioteer’ in Bangobandhu Literary and World Bango Conference and they awarded him with a Gold Medal in their International Literary Conference and Prize Giving Ceremony.
In 2018, he achieved Prodipto Lirerary Award in Prodipto Literary Conference at Kesorhat, Rajshahi for poems in Bangla literature. He received honorary crest from the administration of Chapainawabganj District Literary Conference and Cultural Function in 2021 and 2022 consecutively.
His poems have been published in many international online magazines such as Juntos Por las L Raven Cage Zine, and Area Felix. His poems have been translated and published in Argentine and Serbian, and he participated in many international online cultural meetings.
I have no fear of becoming small and insignificant
I have no fear of touching my inner infant
I have great fear of becoming large
I have great fear of being deceptively in charge
Of keeping an illusion of masquerade ball
I would rather scream and call
Everyone to rip off their masks
To give up on their made up tasks
And hear the sound of wings clapping
Or maybe I should be tapping
Myself to the ground?
High voltage woman
There should be a sign on my forehead
So everyone could just sleep and go to bed
Instead of trying to be awake with my high-maintenance Self
They should just leave me on the shelf
Full of misunderstood books
I just don’t care about looks
About shallowness
About being less
I have never stopped being much and more
I have never stopped searching for soul’s core
A sign should say:
“Caution, high voltage”
I am somewhere near middle age
But it doesn’t stop me to engage
Myself fully to every emotion
To every life motion
I admit, it is exhausting
Sometimes I wish I could just sit and sing
Just dance and stare at sky
Just watch the birds fly
But I am a mother
I cannot just say I don’t care, I don’t want to bother
With life’s biggest responsibility
I want to learn how to have ability
To relax
But still be me
But still be someone who deserves True Love
Just the way I am
So dangerous, high-voltage woman.
Jasmila Talić-Kujundžić
Short biography:
Jasmila Talić-Kujundžić was born on December 26, 1989 in Banja Luka. She completed primary and secondary school in Zenica, and in Sarajevo, where she still lives, she obtained a master’s degree in Psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy.
Her first novel “The Sky Window” (BMG, Bosanska medijska grupa, Tuzla, 2025) was awarded as the best manuscript at the “My First Book” festival competition.
Jasmila worked for six years as the editor of the youth magazine “Preventeen”. She has a lot of experience working with children and young people, and has worked in schools and day care centers. She has published poetry, prose, essays, and articles on numerous portals, magazines, and anthologies.
She also won first prize in the competition for the best newspaper story organized by “Naša riječ” Zenica in 2008.
Jasmila is currently focused on motherhood and writing.
Scientific Foundations of a Healthy Lifestyle: A Systems Biology Approach to Human Longevity
A healthy lifestyle is not merely a modern wellness trend; it is a comprehensive, biologically substantiated approach to optimizing human physiology, preventing chronic diseases, and extending healthspan—the period of life spent in good health. According to modern biomedical and biophysical research, human health is a dynamic equilibrium governed by the interplay between genetic predisposition and epigenetic factors, the most prominent of which is lifestyle. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 50% of individual health outcomes are directly determined by daily behavioral choices.
From a systems biology perspective, the human body functions as an interconnected network of biochemical and physiological pathways. When these pathways are disrupted by poor habits, the body shifts from homeostasis (stable balance) to pathogenesis (disease development). This article explores the fundamental scientific pillars of a healthy lifestyle and their mechanisms at the cellular, molecular, and systemic levels.
—
## 1. Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolic Homeostasis
Nutritional science has evolved beyond the simple concept of satisfying hunger or counting calories. Today, it is understood as the cellular delivery of macronutrients (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) essential for driving metabolic reactions.
### The Energetic Balance and Mitochondrial Function
Every cell requires Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency of the body, generated by the mitochondria. To maintain metabolic homeostasis, energy intake must match energy expenditure. Chronic caloric surplus leads to the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue (fat around internal organs). This tissue is not inert; it acts as an endocrine organ, secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines such as Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-$\alpha$) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), which drive systemic, low-grade chronic inflammation.
### Glycemic Index and Insulin Resistance
The consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates (refined sugars, processed grains) causes rapid spikes in blood glucose. In response, the pancreas secretes large amounts of insulin to facilitate glucose uptake by cells. Over time, constant hyperinsulinemia desensitizes cellular receptors, leading to *insulin resistance*. This state is the pathophysiological hallmark of Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, and accelerated cellular aging.
### Lipid Profiles and Cellular Membrane Integrity
Lipids are essential components of cellular membranes, maintaining their fluidity and signaling capabilities. Replacing saturated fats and artificial trans-fats with polyunsaturated fatty acids (specifically Omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA found in fish and flaxseeds) alters the composition of cell membranes. This optimization improves endothelial function (the lining of blood vessels), lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, and significantly reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
—
## 2. Kinesiology and Cardiorespiratory Physiology
The human musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems are highly adaptive architectures designed for movement. Physical inactivity, known as hypokinesia, initiates a cascade of degenerative structural and functional changes across multiple organ systems.
Engaging in regular aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling) increases the stroke volume of the heart and expands the vital capacity of the lungs, optimizing systemic oxygenation. On a molecular level, the mechanical shear stress of blood flowing through vessels during exercise stimulates the endothelium to produce *nitric oxide (NO)*. Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator that relaxes blood vessels, reduces arterial stiffness, and regulates systemic blood pressure.
### Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Muscle Plasticity
Musculoskeletal adaptation to physical load involves a process called *mitochondrial biogenesis*—the creation of new mitochondria within muscle cells. Driven by the activation of the master regulator PGC-1$\alpha$, an increased density of mitochondria allows cells to burn fats and sugars more efficiently, increasing physical endurance and protecting against metabolic decline. Furthermore, resistance training prevents sarcopenia (age-related muscle wasting), which is vital for preserving metabolic rate and skeletal integrity.
### Myokines and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)
Skeletal muscles act as endocrine organs during contraction, releasing signaling peptides called *myokines*. One prominent myokine is irisin, which crosses the blood-brain barrier and stimulates the expression of *Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)* in the hippocampus. BDNF promotes neurogenesis (the birth of new neurons), enhances synaptic plasticity, and serves as a powerful natural defense against neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and depression.
—
## 3. Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
Biological systems operate on an internal, evolutionary timekeeping mechanism known as the *circadian rhythm*. Governed by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus, this 24-hour cycle regulates hormone secretion, body temperature, and cellular repair.
### The Glymphatic System: Brain Detoxification
One of the most vital scientific discoveries in sleep medicine is the *glymphatic system*. During slow-wave (deep) sleep, the extracellular space in the brain increases by up to 60%, allowing cerebrospinal fluid to rapidly flush through the tissue. This process effectively cleanses the brain of metabolic waste accumulated during waking hours, including neurotoxic proteins like beta-amyloid and tau proteins, which are directly implicated in cognitive decline.
| Sleep Phase | Dominant Physiological Process | Health Benefit |
### Endocrinology of the Dark Cycle: Melatonin and Cortisol
As environmental light decreases, the pineal gland synthesizes *melatonin*. Beyond inducing sleep, melatonin is one of the body’s most potent endogenous anti-oxidants and radical scavengers, protecting cellular DNA from oxidative damage. Artificial blue light from screens suppresses melatonin synthesis, delaying the sleep cycle and artificially elevating morning cortisol (stress hormone) levels at night, which disrupts the natural hormonal balance and impairs immune function. Clinical data indicates that adults require 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep nightly to preserve these homeostatic functions.
—
## 4. Pathophysiology of Chronic Stress and Psychohygiene
While acute stress is an evolutionary survival mechanism (“fight or flight”), modern chronic stress acts as a persistent, low-level physiological toxin that slowly degrades the body’s defenses.
### The HPA Axis and Systemic Wear
Perceived chronic stress triggers the continuous activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to sustained high levels of glucocorticoids, primarily *cortisol*. Prolonged hypercortisolemia exerts a destructive effect on the immune system by inducing the apoptosis (programmed death) of T-lymphocytes and suppressing natural killer (NK) cell activity. This leaves the body highly susceptible to viral infections and compromises its internal surveillance system against mutated cancer cells.
To counteract HPA axis dysfunction, practicing psychohygiene—such as mindfulness, breathwork, and cognitive behavioral adjustments—is essential. These practices shift the autonomic nervous system from a sympathetic (“fight or flight”) state to a parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) state via the vagus nerve. Over time, these interventions promote positive *neuroplasticity*, increasing gray matter density in regions of the brain responsible for emotional regulation (the prefrontal cortex) while shrinking the overactive fear center (the amygdala).
—
## 5. Toxicology: Cellular Impact of Xenobiotics
A critical aspect of a healthy lifestyle is protecting the body from harmful external substances (xenobiotics), specifically nicotine and ethanol, which cause significant damage to vital organs.
### Nicotine, Carbon Monoxide, and Cellular Hypoxia
Cigarette smoke introduces thousands of toxic compounds into the respiratory tract. Among them, *carbon monoxide (CO)* has an affinity for hemoglobin that is roughly 200 times higher than that of oxygen. When inhaled, it binds to hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin, severely reducing the blood’s capacity to transport oxygen. This induces systemic *cellular hypoxia* (oxygen starvation), forcing the heart to work harder and damaging the delicate endothelial lining of arteries, which accelerates cardiovascular disease.
### Ethanol Metabolism and DNA Adducts
When alcohol (ethanol) is consumed, the liver prioritizes its clearance using the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase to convert it into *acetaldehyde*. Acetaldehyde is a highly reactive, toxic compound and a known carcinogen. It interferes with DNA replication and repair by forming destructive DNA adducts (bonds), which can cause permanent genetic mutations. Furthermore, its metabolism generates massive amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to oxidative stress that destroys liver cells (hepatocytes) and can progress to cirrhosis.
—
## Conclusion: The Epigenetic Power of Choice
In summary, a healthy lifestyle is a deliberate, scientifically backed system of daily habits that work together to optimize human biology. By understanding and applying the principles of nutritional balance, physical movement, circadian alignment, stress management, and toxicological avoidance, individuals can actively influence their genetic expression.
While we cannot alter our inherited DNA sequence, we hold substantial control over its *epigenetic expression*—turning on health-protective genes and silencing disease-promoting ones. Ultimately, cultivating a healthy lifestyle is far more than a preventative measure; it is the most effective, biologically proven strategy to achieve long-term vital energy and biological longevity.
When the sea shrinks and the wind screams its rage,
you are the silence that dwells in my chest;
my soul is a field ravaged by the storm,
and you are the seed that knows how to wait.
There is no tempest that does not tire of fighting,
nor darkness that would not yield to your light;
you are the path that opens in the clay,
the breath I hold in my cold hours.
Because companionship is the sun that rises
just when we believe the night will never end,
an embrace woven with threads of stars,
that sustains the world even when it falters.
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.
I cannot even be bothered to go to south of the river or Dalston to watch the commemoration film I’ll I’ll see it tomorrow I promise myself.
I looked earlier in the morning for moon
moon jewellery, scavenged through my necklaces but found nothing. Stars,
stars, I think later in the day,
I could have worn star jewellery.
Google Doodles. The banality.
This is not what I expected, which I
I might as well admit happened to be global peace the world united in Western commemoration. Girls in silver go-go boots, young men painted chrome, a U.N. Declaration to call it Moon Day.
Everything stops just like the footage
video I duckduckwent all the
all the way to YouTube.
Only three London cinemas
movie theaters theatres cinemas theaters theatres screening the big day.
Maybe the programmers forgot the
the momentous occasion but
but most likely it’s generation y z born after
but x still remembers the child blips of
of space boots tang. Or maybe not.
I am American. I am an extraterrestrial here.
Different history but
but my fate has converged here in London like like my mother’s egg and
and my father’s sperm against the odds.
Everyone in the world gets along in love and beauty. Beauty. I’d like to teach the world to sing.
Sing. We have sailed to the stars. We have touched up Luna.
Instead everyone taps their smartphone in deep thought I I console myself to say maybe they’re watching the the landings too or at least the Google Doodle. I was seven months old but we
we were in the Arctic with no TV or
or even radio so my mother told me
several years ago when she elaborated that
she never could in fact have held me up
to see the screen as I had always assumed.
My mom too only saw it properly for the
the first time this year at the age of 75.
Instead we have a slither in the
the White House bleating soundbytes on Mars a
a desecration no communion tongue to cheek
frenching the white tongue of the cool moon,
our opal rising blue and gold green glittering
like a Turk’s eye in the old form of
of turquoise adjective admixture earthrise protect us
us against the evil eye we are one people,
we are one, we are al one.
Like Knut at tides we stare at our phones at
at inevitable earthset cut off from it it all but
no we I one in the queue for the 249 bus one
one woman at last is wearing a shirt
with ostentatious stars on it that’s
got to be it has to be a tribute I think but
but I say nothing nothing to her.
II. Night (when it is eerie to consider the scope of our passions a half year before the pandemic)
I will try not to let it go to my head.
But Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins
just liked one of my space paintings on
Instagram today of all days.
I was just thinking that if someone ever
ever offered me a free trip to
the international space station I
I would turn it down I think. Chicken a
squawking earthbound chicken a flightless bird.
Would you? I text my friends
whilst humblebragging about social media valentines.
I’d really have to think about it,
friend one says. I couldn’t live easily myself
if I turned down the chance, friend two says.
I would go too, I say, because I’ve now changed my mind.
Ha ha, no one’s asked, says friend two.
My new friend MC is begging me to
come with on his next launch, I text,
claims he got a little bored with just Armstrong and Aldrin.
I was going to go to bed, but I got so overexcited over the
Michael Collins contact I poured myself a glass of champagne and and went out looking for the moon.
However, I also dropped the Ikea glass and
and then cut my hand whilst being a responsible citizen. I
I give a hoot and don’t pollute. I was
was walking down a road next to mine home champagne
Widow Click actually and
and bleeding from my hand. I text this. Life in second person.
Perfect, says friend two, that’s peak life.
A guy tried to pick me up and I said
I was looking for the moon, I elaborate.
Then he saw my bleeding hand and desisted.
“I dig crazy chicks,” says friend two.
“Crazy chicks are easy…
Oh wait, her hand’s bleeding… Nah.”
I am texting with one hand. Time for a bandaid.
Goodnight. Goodnight, Moon.
London on the Moon
Moon on a Stick is a good name for a pub
or a retrofuturist dessert or a prog-rock album.
I wonder how often it has occurred to you that
all space medical doctors are essentially veterinarians
due to their expertise in multiple species
A.L.F., Vulcans, E.T., greys their
cats, hamsters, bluebirds, dinosaurs.
It has occurred to me.
And now you have looked askance
on my latest commission,
on the anatomically incorrect Crystal Palace dinosaurs
I was bribed to paint for £200
alongside watercolour Routemaster omnibuses.
I have defied you and painted this anyway.
Despite my benign pareidolia that has me detect
fizzing physiognomies in nearly everything
with increasing regularity these days
including the predictable jolly man
like a 1970s smiley decal plastered on my planet’s rocky satellite. Yes, I know you can’t see the curve of the moon when you’re on it; yes, I know you cannot see stars save the sun from the moon; yes, I know there are no Crystal Palace dinosaurs or red buses on the moon.
Kathleen Bryson is an Alaskan-born evolutionary anthropologist and an EU virtual reality research fellow, with previous posts at Oxford and QMUL. She has had four novels previously published; 25+ short stories in publications ranging from Aesthetica to Bending Genres; and 45+ poems in venues from Magma, Star*Line, Always Crashing to Ranger.
