NOAH’S CHILDREN PRAY FOR RAIN

                        Look around—the world is on fire!

                        We could really use a biblical flood.

                        But who will claim all available arks?

                        One large ark is seized by Supreme Court justices–

                        judges who seek to make presidents into kings,

                        turn women into passive breeding stock,

                        and reward rich pals with rulings that make them richer.

                        When the big rains come,

                        they will gather in the galley, break out the beer.

                        The outboard motor doesn’t want to pull-start.

                        A pair of penguins watch, shaking their heads.

                        One ark’s impounded by Congressional showboats—

                        pro-Putin, anti-vax, stolen-election right-wingers.  

                        Each stateroom features a wide-screen TV

                        so media mouths can monitor their sound bites.

                        “Bleached-blonde bad-built butch-body” rants

                        keep campaign contributions pouring in.

                        When the big rains come,

                        limelight-loving lawmakers will stand on deck

                        shouting into the wind at well-placed cameras,

                        blaming the cloudburst on liberals and drag queens.

                        A pair of chimps make faces behind their backs.

                        One gold-plated ark will house a convicted felon.

                        This puppet of greedy billionaires

                        will lounge on the top deck– combing his halo

                        and posting ALL-CAP diatribes on Truth Social.

                        He’ll rail against rivals, against RINOs, against rainclouds.

                        (File his complaints about Killer Clouds

                        with gripes about shower heads and flushing toilets.)

                        When the big rains come,

                        Nazis and Christian Nationalists alike

                        will tread water alongside his ark, seeking shelter. 

                        But he shows as little mercy to his followers

                        as to his enemies.  No one crosses his borders.

                        A pair of wolverines patrols his deck.

                        Those who did not reclaim his kingdom for him

                        deserve to drown, he says, along with immigrants,

                        disloyal politicians, DAs, fake news,

                        and disrespectful late-night TV comics.

                        No one’s at the helm to chart a course.

                        His ark runs on pure entitlement.

                        When the big rains come,

                        vested interests will launch corporate ferries;

                        lawyers will man fishing boats;

                        the NRA will commandeer a cruise ship at gunpoint;

                        MAGA die-hards will paddle kayaks;

                        QAnon will grab inflatable rowboats;

                        and cult sheep will gather on a flimsy raft,

                        which they firmly believe is a lifeboat.

                        Steady rain for 40 days and 40 nights.

                        With luck, the deluge will wash away pollution,

                        conspiracy theories, and self-serving lies.

                        With luck, masses of wavering voters

                        will think before casting one last ballot.

                        With luck, those enjoying deluxe arks

                        won’t notice bunches of barnacles

                        munching on their hulls; sharp-toothed, hungry mouths

                        chewing through their immunity—

                        and letting in fingers of angry sea.

                        Salt water will inundate the bilges,

                        slowly turning each ark full of smug VIPs

                        into the Titanic.

                        Crazed leaders torch our world, and fan the flames.

                        We need a flood to cleanse our hurting world.

                        Copyright July 2024                 Patricia Doyne            

Our regular contributor, prose writer Jim Meirose, invites Synchronized Chaos readers to review his two upcoming books. He will send PDFs to people who will provide at least 50-75 word blurbs in their blogs or on Amazon/Goodreads.

About his books:

Audio Bookies (Being published by LJMcD Communications)     – Audio book creators take on recording a book which begins absorbing them into its bizarre fictional world. 

Game 5 (Being published by Soyos Books)  –  Very experimental piece involving the efforts of residents to rejuvenate a community in decline. 

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

Now, for this month’s issue, Like a Flowing River.

This month’s contributions reflect how life may have ups and downs, smooth and rough patches, but mostly just keeps going.

Mahkamov Mahmudjan’s piece gives us our title. Mahkamov reminds us that life is like a flowing river, where we have influence but don’t control everything.

Jessica Barnabas Joseph reminds us that becoming who we are can be a journey. Mashhura Ziyovaddinova illustrates that the journey of life matters as much as our destinations. Wazed Abdullah presents a rhythmical ode to the constant ticking of time.

Alex Johnson’s poetry collection Flowers of Doom, reviewed by Cristina Deptula, explores times of change with a mixture of awe and repulsion.

Hillol Ray describes the stability and comfort he finds in his personal and intimate spirituality and how it’s developed and informed by his mixed-race heritage. Michael Robinson speaks to the solace he has found in his faith over many years. Stephen Jarrell Williams’ work addresses being lost and found again through faith and the love of family.

Muslima Rakhmonova reflects on the support and encouragement she receives from her family and on how families can both keep children secure and empower them to build their futures. Abdamutova Shahinabonu’s short story reflects the deep love and respect between fathers and their children, even as the children become young adults and leave to pursue their dreams.

Rizwan Islam evokes the joyful spirit of family celebrations of his birthday. Nigar Nurulla Khalilova offers up a son’s lament over separation from his mother. Habibullayeva Madinabonu grieves over the passing of her mother. Abrieva Umida expresses deep respect and caring for her mother. Amimova Zebiniso rejoices in the love of her family. O’roqboyeva O’roloy G’ulomovna expresses her tender love for her mother.

Brian Barbeito finds mythic beauty in Mother Nature, in industrial areas and even a truck collision, as well as in spring flowers and colorful fungi. Naeem Aziz outlines the life cycle, diet, and ecology of the praying mantis. Turdaliyeva Muxarram conveys the simple and colorful joy of flowers. Azimjon Toshpulatov laments the passing of the warm and flower-strewn spring. Aliyeva Matluba fashions images out of natural seeds and materials while Abdulazizov Dovudbek’s home economics paper reminds us when we should let go of stored food. Daniel De Culla crafts a myth about the creation of fish and the constellation Pisces.

Tuyet Van Do’s haiku points to the uncanny mysteries of nature and the paranormal. Nahyean Taronno continues his ghostly tale of trapped spirits and children in a haunted manor. Audrija Paul illuminates the destructive power of rain during a flood and crop-destroying storm. Praise Danjuma evokes the wildness and majesty of nature with a piece on a large and scary night-flying bird. Avery Brown presents a moment of narrative tension as futuristic cowboy characters in his novel Blood and Loyalty skirt one potential conflict to race towards another.

Lidia Popa’s piece reminds us of the mystery and wonder of poetry. Dilnura Rakhmanova poetizes about love, writing, and tulips. Kylian Cubilla Gomez’ photography captures moments of color, surprise, and interactions with the natural world. Isabel Gomez de Diego’s photography draws on themes of nature, history, and the wonder of childhood. Kande Danjuma reclaims the joy and wonder of her childhood. J.D. Nelson peers at life like a child glancing up at labels they can’t quite make out on a top shelf in his monostich poetry. Emeniano Somoza likens the moon to a lonely child drifting through the treacherous school hallways of space.

Luis Berriozabal speaks to loneliness, aging, and the power of words in his poetry. Duane Vorhees’ poetry probes themes of sensuality, romance, writers’ block and the timeless Mideast conflict.

Dilnoza Xusanova outlines the literary contributions of Erkin Vahidov to Central Asian and world literature. Abdunazarova Khushroy poetizes on the beauty of the Uzbek language. Ibrohim Saidakbar highlights the humane spirit and literary legacy of Central Asian writer Gafur Gulam. Otaboyeva Ominakhon examines Mark Twain’s use of satire in his literary works. Noah Berlatsky spoofs errors in proofreading in a humorous piece.

Ziyoyeva Irodakhon reviews the contributions of great Uzbek teacher and writer Abdulla Avloni to Central Asian and world scholarship and pedagogy. Salomova Dilfuza makes suggestions to help people optimize their learning. Guli Bekturdiyeva offers best practices for how educators can design syllabi. Abdusamatova Odinaxon offers recommendations on the best use of interviews as a tool for sociological research. Burikulova Shakhnoza remembers an inspirational teacher who motivated her to set high goals and work towards them. Sobirjonova Rayhona praises the dedication of her favorite teacher.

Axmatova Shakzoda outlines the unique opportunities and hardships of student life. Aziza Karimjonova Sherzodovna highlights the accomplishments of Uzbek students and scholars and the greatness of the nation.

Adiba Shuxratovna reviews Hossein Javid’s drama “Amir Temur” and outlines how the play highlights the nation-building work of Amir Temur through depicting both political and domestic moments of his life. Aziza Saparbaeva depicts a dramatic moment in the life of medieval Central Asian leader Tamerlane. Marjona Kholikova outlines the accomplishments of various historical Central Asian military and political leaders.

Adiba Shuxratovna’s poetry extols the virtues of the new Uzbek constitution and its respect for human rights. Mamadaliyeva Aziza celebrates Uzbekistan’s rich history and its present and future promise. Eshbekova Xurshida Anorboyevna evokes the mythical beauty and grandeur of Samarkand while Dr. Reda Abdel Rahim reminds the world of the archaeological treasure of Egypt’s Royal Tombs of Tanis and encourages us to preserve and study them. Graciela Noemi Villaverde expresses her pride in Argentina’s history and flag.

Ruxzara Adilqizi’s poetry celebrates her love for nature, her partner, her country, and her heritage. Mahbub Alam flies into the sky at sunrise on the wings of love. Elmaya Jabbarova draws on classical references to convey the intense experience of having a lover stare into one’s eyes. Maja Milojkovic finds gentle and poetic love in a garden. Mesfakus Salahin speaks to the emotional and spiritual union of a couple in love.

Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa speaks to the futility of hiding one’s emotions. Usmonova O’giloy whispers poetry about the gentle grace of her dreams. Paul Tristram crafts vignettes of human experience from a large-hearted and compassionate place. Taylor Dibbert’s poetic speaker points out a detail that speaks to the depth of his mourning for his departed dog and thus the depth of the love they shared.

Alan Catlin’s poetry reflects the fragmented thoughts of memory and grief. Vernon Frazer adorns paper with shapes and shades of color and words in various fonts at precarious angles. Mark Young’s images play with shape and color and seem to almost represent various objects.

Nosirova Gavhar relates how music can serve as medicine for the human spirit. Sayani Mukherjee describes the sensations and images she experiences listening to classical music.

Joe Byrd’s new novel Monet and Oscar: The Essence of Light, excerpted this month in Synchronized Chaos, gives us a look at the groundbreaking Impressionist artist through the eyes of his gardener.

Sterling Warner evokes atmosphere, time, place, and memory with his poems on the Midwest, fungi, flora, and fauna, and the overzealous self-diagnosis made possible through pharmaceutical commercials.

Christopher Bernard critiques neoliberal philosophy for breaking down social order with its emphasis on one’s rights to the exclusion of one’s responsibilities to respect others.

Dr. Jernail S. Anand urges us to set aside extravagant philosophizing and simply live our lives. Santiago Burdon satirizes those who carry their principles beyond the point of reason with his piece on a vegan vulture.

Heather Sager takes joy in gentle, quiet moments of middle age, even as she feels off kilter and knows her body and life are slowing. Roberta Beach Jacobson’s haiku expresses observations on human nature taken from ordinary and surprising moments of everyday life.

Hillol Ray wonders about the future of humanity, if our compassion and solidarity can grow and develop alongside our technology. Mashhura Usmonova decries people who obsess over their phones to the detriment of flesh and blood relationships.

Faleeha Hassan urges others to recognize her common humanity although she’s in a traditional Muslim head covering. Bill Tope’s essay traces the changing attitudes towards the LGBTQ community in America over the past 60 years. Z.I. Mahmud outlines how Amrita Pari illustrates the isolation and longing of a queer woman in a modern city in her novel Kari. Jacques Fleury reviews a production of “Witch” at Boston’s Huntington Theater and reflects on how witches can represent those treated as “others” by modern society for various reasons.

Mykyta Ryzhykh speaks to the horrors of war and the destruction of innocence and the environment. Gozalkhan Samandarova highlights the indiscriminate destruction often caused by war and urges humans to work for peace. Bill Tope’s story highlights the senseless terror of a school shooting by portraying an incident from a child’s perspective.

Ana Bogosavljevic reminds us that even great pain and evil will not last forever and can be outlasted with patient goodness. Shaxzoda Abdullayeva takes joy in her current life and her hopes for the future, as David A. Douglas celebrates the power of community and kindness to overcome despair.

Abdulla Avlaniy’s contribution to the development of pedagogy

Irodakhon Ziyoyeva Umidjon’s daughter is a student of the Denov Institute of Entrepreneurship and Pedagogy.  Her scientific articles have been published in several international journals and websites.  Holder of several international certificates.

Annotation: This article presents the life and creative work of Abdulla Avloni, one of the prominent representatives of Jadidism, a poet, playwright and pedagogue, his contribution to the field of pedagogy, and examples of his valuable thoughts.

 Key words: modernism, modern methods, old method schools, worldly knowledge, ethics.

          It is known that since the 90s of the 19th century, the Jadidism movement spread widely in Central Asia, especially in the Turkestan region.  Their main goal was to renew, enrich and fundamentally improve the old underdeveloped education system in the country.  In order to raise the awareness of the population and spread knowledge, they published various newspapers several times, established various theaters, replaced the old methods in schools with new ones, began to teach subjects related to modern worldly knowledge along with religious knowledge, instead of paid schools  in order to support the needy strata of the population, they even established free educational institutions.  Of course, at that time, these changes were not liked by the tsarist government and some pedagogues who were making money from the old schools.  For this reason, the Jadid movement was strongly opposed by the tsarist government, and many dedicated intellectuals died prematurely.  Abdulla Awlani is one of the devoted intellectuals of that time.

The life and work of Abdulla Avloni

     Enlightener, writer, dramatist Abdulla Avloni was born on July 12, 1878 in Tashkent in a peasant family.  In his youth, he studied at the old school.  He wrote about himself in his biography that he started studying at a madrasa in Okhchi neighborhood from the age of 12, and from the age of 13 he worked as a laborer in the summer and studied in the winter.  After graduating from Avloni madrasa, he worked as a school teacher.  Changing the structure and direction of the schools of that time has done a lot of work on radical improvement.  In particular, providing students with modern worldly knowledge and teaching Eastern and Western languages ​​in schools was one of Avloni’s main ideas.

Avloni joined the Jadidchilik movement in the 20th century.  He, in turn, knew Arabic, Russian, and Persian languages ​​and worked as a translator.  He translated several famous writers.  The ages of Leo Tolstoy, Konstantin Ushinsky are among them.  Abdulla Avlani published several newspapers and presented them to the public to raise awareness in the society.  In particular:

1.Progressive” 1906

2. “Fame” 1907

3. “Asia” 1908

4. “Turon” published in 1917.:

Among them, Shuhrat newspaper was printed by Avloni at his home.  Taking into account that writing and printing books was not developed at that time and it was a laborious process, it required a lot of hard work.

Pedagogical activities and views of Abdulla Avlani

       Abdulla Avlani, for his part, knew that changing the direction of school education was not an easy task, and sufficient conditions were required for this.  One of the main problems in the education system of that time was the lack of educational resources.  In order to prevent this problem, Abdulla Avlani created several textbooks and started using them in his new method schools.  Some of these works include: “The First Teacher”, “The Second Teacher”, “Turkish Gulistan and Ethics”.  The first Teacher’s book was mainly used as an elementary textbook for schools, and it was written on the principle of easy to difficult.  The second book of the Teacher is its logical continuation.  Abdulla Avloni’s collection “Literature or National Poems” (consisting of 5 volumes) and “School Gulistoni” were created as a textbook-complex for the upper classes of schools.  That is why he included not only his own poems, but also children’s works of other authors in these collections.  The collections were published during 1909-1917, the textbooks-complexes served as the main guide in expressive reading.

    Abdulla Avlani paid great attention to literacy and expressive reading and even listed several types of expressive and fluent reading.  It is known that in the schools of the old system, students blindly followed the teacher and pronounced without knowing the letters, but could not read the pronounced words when they saw their written expression.  Since teachers in old schools mainly relied on the oral method of teaching, very few students were able to read and write fluently after graduating from school.  Avloni prevented this shortcoming and created its modern forms without limiting himself to the initial forms of expressive teaching.In 1917, the book “Turkish Culture and Morals” was published, in which the socio-pedagogical views of Abdulla Avloni, an enlightened scientist, were described.  Abdulla Avloni, speaking about the education of children in the work “Turkish culture and morals”, emphasizes that the main task is the responsibility of the teacher.  In his opinion, the strength and breadth of thinking of a pedagogue depends on the breadth of worldviews.  If the teachers’ words contradict their actions, then the students do not believe in such moral teachings.  In Avloni’s pedagogical works, the glorification of intelligence and knowledge is supposedly closely connected with the glorification of this person.Also, Avloni has always encouraged people of knowledge to learn languages.  He said: language and literature are the mirror life of every nation in the world.  Avloni emphasizes that the spoken word of a person is the scale that measures his perfection, knowledge and virtue.  In fact, many scholars know a person’s thoughts, intentions and even value from his words.  When we study Avloni’s point of view, it is surprising that the ideas he put forward are still necessary and have not lost their power.  Educating a mature person in all respects, encouraging him to turn away from evil and to do good is directly related to education.  Abdulla Awlani defines education as follows: “Education and pedagogy means child pedagogy. Good education for the health and happiness of the child, keeping the body clean, correcting the profession at a young age, and teaching good manners are like doctors, the doctor is the disease in the patient’s body.  “A teacher should do a great job by treating the center of anger in the child’s body with the remedy of “good behavior” and above the remedy of “purity”.  Here, Abdulla Avloni compares a pedagogue to a doctor, and purity and good behavior to a cure.  The thinker divides education into three groups: physical education, intellectual education and moral education.  First of all, the first of these is important for a person.  Because if the body is healthy, the mind will be healthy and clear, and the behavior will be beautiful, – says Avloni.

Summary

 Abdulla Avloni has a prominent place among the representatives of Jadidism with his works and productive work, and his great services in the field of pedagogy.  The educational and moral views advanced in his works still serve as an important guide in the culture of the modern age.  Avloni was also an exemplary pedagogue and was able to make a significant contribution to the educational system of the 19th century.  In his works, the necessary qualities of not only the student, but also the personality of the pedagogue are shown.  In fact, in order to educate a student, a pedagogue must first be an example in science and education.  It can be seen from the above examples that Avloni’s works still enrich Uzbek literature, and these works can directly educate the reader to form moral qualities such as love for the motherland and the pursuit of knowledge.

During his time, Avloni worked in the positions of consul, minister of public education, editor, and teacher.  It is true that he was not persecuted and condemned as an enemy of the people, but his work was not studied until 1966, and none of his works were published after his death.  If the works of a poet or writer do not reach the reader, it means that the poet is forgotten.  But the work of Abdulla Avloni was later studied and researched by Begali Kasimov.  During the years of independence, among other representatives of Jadidism, Abdulla Avloni was highly honored and respected, his works were re-examined, updated and brought to the attention of the general public.  In Tashkent, a street and 2 neighborhoods, national research institutes were named after Avloni.  A statue of Avloni was also installed on Adiblar Avenue.

References:

  1. Abdullah Awlani.  Turkish culture or morals.  – T.: “Teacher”, 1992.

 2 Begali Kosimov, Shukhrat Rizaev.  Abdulla Avloniy (1878-1934) -https://ziyouz.uz/ilm-va-fan/adabiyot/milliy-uygonish/begali-kasimov-shuhrat-rizaev abdulla-avloniy-1878-1934

 3. CONTRIBUTION OF ABDULLA AVLONIY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEDAGOGICAL THOUGHT – Karamatova Dilfuza Sadinovna

“I’m like a disease that only I seem to have caught…” begins a jarring introductory soliloquy from Elizabeth Sawyer, the principal character from “Witch” as played by prolific Boston based actress Lyndsay Allyn Cox. Written by New York based playwright Jen Silverman and directed by Boston local Rebecca Bradshaw, this production is playing at the Huntington Theater’s Calderwood Pavilion/Boston Center for the Arts.

“Elizabeth”, a single woman presumed to be a “Witch” lives in what is described as a country village in Edmonton. Amidst navigating a life of persecution and vitriol saunters in “Scratch” who is the devil incarnate as played by Michael Underhill, who previously appeared in the Huntington’s production of “Man in the Ring” back in 2018. He proffers to her an opportunity for “revenge” against her tormentors in exchange for her soul, nonplused and intrigued by her leery propensity to not readily yield to his protracted cajoling particularly since some other members of the town folk have already become ensnared in his trap in exchange for their souls. This essentially marks the starting point of interest in this mordant play for the scenarios that resulted out of what could have been a predictable afflicted witch revenge story turned into a complex tale of forbidden love, lust, gender biases, challenging systemic inequality and emphasizing ideologies of “the other” in our society and daring to challenge the status quo of the power structures that has defined our lives for centuries.

“The character of Elizabeth is forcing you to look at the status quo and question it,” explained “Witch” director Rebecca Bradshaw in an interview with Huntington production dramaturg Pascale Florestal. She went on to say, “That is so important right now, to not get stuck in our own ways or in societal ways and to really think about why we do the things we do.” Ponderings that have become even more pressing during the pandemic inertia while the world was in quarantine.

Playwright Jen Silverman echoes Bradshaws’s assertions that “…the question of transformation, whether or not we are capable of change, how far people will go to feel visible, to be perceived the way they want to be perceived…how we get trapped by systemic power dynamics [and] what it takes to break free.”

This is the first play I’ve seen since the 2020 Covid pandemic hiatus of well, EVERYTHING, but for this purpose, particularly the arts. Amidst challenging times like these, I truly believe that the arts proffers creative altruistic opportunities to be a guiding light in immanent darkness, a beacon of hope in all worldly madness. “Witch” sets the stage, granted it’s a stage rightfully full of questions but also lays out ample opportunities to decipher a plethora of possible answers.

Right from the onset, “Witch” casts its spell and snatches our attention with a bold and foreboding soliloquy from principle character Elizabeth as the witch. As she delivered her inauspicious speech, she radiated confidence, authority and control and I, for one, readily surrendered to Madame “Witch” and with marked accelerated heart rate– due to a fair amount of trepidation, was willing to go wherever she saw fit to take me…

One of the most important characteristics of the theater is the ability to be pliable, the ability to shift to reflect what is happening in a precise moment in time. Although this play was written in 2018, it still manages to be relevant in 2021 since we are still facing some of the same afflictions from 2018. The pandemic is still lingering on with Covid19 “variants” morphing into other more deadly “variants”, remnants of a precarious political climate since the contentious election of Joe Biden, social unrest due to a panoramic number of issues ranging from America’s reckoning with racial justice and gender gaps to abortion rights and rainbow flag communities all fighting for unequivocal equality. “Witch” becomes a buxom motif for “the other” in a society where not all are necessarily created equal. The fact that Elizabeth as the witch is played by a woman of color, a black woman in particular, was not lost on me.

Elizabeth explains how she doesn’t feel “seen”, how people make uncorroborated claims about her character simply because she’s been labeled a “witch“, much like some people make uncorroborated assertions about those who have been labeled “black” simply because they are black. Even though this play is based on the 1621 Jacobean era original play “The Witch of Edmonton: A Tragic Comedy” by William Rowley et al, it still manages to be relevant in contemporary times, underscoring our prejudices against each other, whether conscious or subconscious. It is a grievous reminder that treating some like “the other” is not a present day anachronism that should have been left in the past. It is a present day reality that we as a society is constantly railing against so that it does not become the legacy we leave behind for our posterity.

Smart effective staging that weaved in and out as if seamlessly, casting that could only be compared to a strike of lightning hitting the same place twice, which as we’ve learned is VERY unlikely, and a deliciously contrasting tension of the erotic and the demonic sort between the characters, mostly due to a devilishly handsome devil stirring the pot that will ignite towns peoples’ stealthy passions and desires.

Although the staging resembled 17th century England with a Jacobean décor, the dialogue is modern, fresh and sometimes caustic without any “fake” English accents per the request of the playwright. One particular moment of modern dialogue that brought delight and laughter from the audience was when Elizabeth boldly tells the devil that he’s been “talking sh*t” ,just to give you an idea.

This production is a bewitching Risorgimento wailing for an apocalyptic end to the status quo in a manifested sociopolitical uneven social order replete with glaring disparities. With palpable chemistry between the stellar cast, a non sequitur fight scene bringing the play to a bizarre yet touching crescendo, Existentialist ideologies amidst pandemic quarantined musings asking us to reexamine our purpose, conventions and priorities during our impromptu stillness, ostracized individuals feeling seen and known for who they really are only some of the major themes. There were some guttural laughs and guffaws resounding from the audience including myself brought about by the play’s dark comedic genius or madness interchangeably, made even funnier and even more awkward since I was seated next to an austere male audience member who tensed up annoyingly  every time I dared to enjoy myself…I once read that if you don’t like something change it, if you can’t change it, you can laugh at it. Well this play proffers ample opportunities for laughter and more importantly, proffers possibilities for change in the form of a brighter more equitable future. It is a miscible concoction heralding inclusivity and equity for those living seemingly in the perspicuous margins of humanity.

The staging illuminated subtle balances of light and shadow adding to the perceived nefarious undercurrent embodied within this cryptic tension filled drama. It made me think about things. I find it rather questionable how some sanctimonious humans see it fit to torment and torture “other” humans simply because they are different from them. Why not question why you may think you matter more or you matter less than your neighbor? The play argues that it is imperative that we question long established social conventions and disparate hierarchical structures of power; an ideal world would be where power is sought, power is achieved and ultimately power is shared. Is that too much to hope for in an increasingly changing world? Haven’t we progressed enough as a civilization? All marginalized “others” vying for a morsel of the American Dream…perhaps it might prove more viable to “live and let live” as the dictum goes…Is the possibility for equality such a farfetched ideology?

“Witch” speaks to the empirical manifestation of worldwide protests against societal polarities.The play basically woke me up from a long quarantined aesthetical sleep and catapulted me into the world of the occult, myth, intrigue and the communal hallowed earnest yearnings of humanity striving for something better than what is immanent; compounded by a sterling cast whose astute banter and chemistry ricocheted like a ghostly yet robust echo around the stage, making for tender magnanimous moments of artistic excellence, exhortation and pure exhilaration! This play confirmed why I love the theater…” I give this bewitching gem a 5 out of 5 stars!

Jacques Fleury is a Haitian-American Poet, Author, Educator and literary arts student at Harvard University online. His book “You Are Enough: The Journey to Accepting Your Authentic Self”  & other titles are available at public libraries, The Harvard Book Store, The Grolier Poetry Bookshop, Amazon etc…

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
right before their eyes
 

apple pie, baseball, fireworks,

racism and fucking over

the next guy before he

fucks you

 

amazingly, most people

don't believe in evolution

even though it is playing

out right before their eyes

 

democracy is the last flower

hanging on in a drought

 

and sadly, none of this

rain actually penetrates

the concrete jungles

anymore

 

not sure if people

understand what

happens when

that flower dies

 

i doubt we have the

stomach to understand

how many senseless

deaths we still have

to come

 

so, laugh while you can

 

love as much as you can

 

be present as much as

possible

 

the final days are finally

upon us
----------------------------------------------------------------
ghosts in a haunted house
 

another lost afternoon

 

some guy strumming

along to an old elvis

costello song

 

you remember playing

that for one of the past

loves of your life

 

some memories

are roses

 

some are ghosts

in a haunted house

 

both of them are traps

 

needless retreats on

the flat circle of time

 

endless thoughts of

what could have been

are only good for

alcohol sales

 

here comes another

holiday

 

just in time
------------------------------------------------------
this horror show
 

cry yourself to sleep

every other night for

a month

 

stress has a way of

eating away at your

soul

 

makes the figure in

the mirror into a monster

the worst of you still

to come

 

as death gets closer to

the door the inevitable

demise creeps into the

brain and stays

 

plunging into a depression

that has no bottom

 

eventually, you forgot

you know how to swim

 

that this horror show is

the same movie you've

been in all your life

 

but this shit never ends

like the movies
-------------------------------------------------------------
the prettiest girl in the world
 

shooting stars

in the quiet

of the night

 

wishes never

seem to come

true

 

my mother

told me to

have patience

and one day

the prettiest

girl in the

world would

be mine

 

what a

fucking

lie
-------------------------------------------
lost in your own world
 

embrace the pain

and keep on going

 

these words aren't

limitless

 

one day you will

be broken and lost

in your own world

 

sprint to the finish

 

only the fools think

forever is even

possible



J.J. Campbell (1976 - ?) is trapped in suburbia, plotting his escape or faking his own death. He's been widely published over the years, most recently at The Beatnik Cowboy, Horror Sleaze Trash, The Rye Whiskey Review, Disturb the Universe Magazine and The Asylum Floor. He has a book coming out later this summer with Casey Renee Kiser. You can find him most days on his mildly entertaining blog, evil delights. 

Argentine Homeland 

In the Argentine homeland, a symbol flames, 
created by Belgrano with fervor and work. 
Flag waving, in heaven and earth, 
witness of struggles, history that it contains. 

In light blue and white stripes it is shown, 
emblem of a people, its essence exposed. 
Belgrano, visionary, with courage and passion, 
He drew the revolution in the wind. 

Argentina, it is reflected in your flag, 
the strength of a people that never goes away. 
Belgrano, master of dreams and desires, 
with the creation of him, he marked the flashes. 


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 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.