Poetry from Melita Mely Ratković

Young Eastern European woman with short dark blonde hair, green eyes, and a black top.

PLAVETNILO

Iz unutrašnjosti nebeskog

Plavetnila, prosuta zvjezdana

Prašina, stapa se sa  korijenjem 

Zemljine utrobe  kosmičkim sjemenom 

Zajedno daju zemaljske plodove 

Lakoćom fluidnog kretanja neprekidno

Putuje duša, spiralnom međusvjetovnom 

Svjetlošću pamti astralna putovanja

Svjesnost poznaje tjelesni oblik, nikada 

Ne kasni, neprekidnim vraćanjem 

Svome još uvijek usnulom tijelu

Pred svitanje, ponovno se  spaja

Duh, duša sa tijelom, životni ciklus 

Zatvara krug praiskonsko modro

Sa zlatnim zracima aurore, 

Neprekidno rađanje I umiranje,

Događa se istovremeno u obje 

Realnosti, jedno bez drugog ne

Može, tako je i bit će!!!

                           

BLUE

From the interior of the celestial

Blue, spilled starry

Dust, merges with the roots 

Earth’s womb with cosmic seed 

Together they give earthly fruits 

With the ease of fluid movement continuously

The soul travels, spiraling interworld 

With light it remembers astral journeys

Consciousness knows the physical form, never 

Is not late, by continuously returning 

To its still sleeping body

Before dawn, it reunites

Spirit, soul with body, life cycle 

Closes the circle of the primordial blue

With the golden rays of the aurora, 

Continuous birth and death,

Happening simultaneously in both 

Realities, one cannot exist without the other

It can, it is and it will be!!!

Poetry from Dr. Perwaiz Shaharyar

Iconic image of Renee Good with a smile and long curly hair with her name underneath. Black and white.

RENEE the Brave SOUL

Yes, it’s true

No one can kill you

If you are a poet

You have sung songs

All were happy with you

Only a few

No one can make everyone happy 

The crazy ones never be happy 

They are sadistic 

No one can satisfy them

They stick like glue

May God rest your soul in peace 

As a poet we love you 

You have left

This, full of hatred world

You will live always 

Within our hearts 

If a poet is true

Like you

Can never be snatched away

RENEE NICOLE

Your golden memories 

Your good works

Will always remind us 

Will always motivate us 

How should we fight for others

To safeguard weaker people

To protect others

To stand with your neighbours 

You are our inspiration

You have taught us

Believe in good works

Don’t lose patience 

RENEE, 

You are our inspiration 

Dr. Perwaiz Shaharyar 

New Delhi, India 

Essay from Erkinova Shahrizoda Lazizovna

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL NETWORKS ON STUDENTS’ DAILY
LIVES


Erkinova Shahrizoda Lazizovna
Student of Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages.
shahrizodaerkinova26@gmail.com


Annotation: This article analyzes the impact of social networks on students’ lives in the modern era of globalization and digital technologies. Today, social media platforms are becoming an important and integral part of university students’ lives. The article examines both the positive and negative effects of social networks on students’ daily lives, academic activities, and mental and physical health. Many scholars, including Sampasa-Kanyinga and Lewis, Woods and Scott, and Jamil, have studied the extent to which social networks affect students’ lives. It is also highlighted that social networks can play a positive role in supporting the learning
process.


Keywords: Social networks, students, academic activity, psychological state, FOMO, education.


Introduction: In the 21st century, social networks have become not only a means of communication for young people, including students, but also a broad platform for obtaining information and entertainment. Students’ daily routines, preparation for classes, social relationships, and even sleep patterns are increasingly dependent on their use of social networks. The significant increase in time spent on social networks has both positive and negative effects on students’ lifestyles. Therefore, this issue is a relevant research topic not only for educational institutions but also for society as a whole.


Social media tools provide many conveniences for university students and positively influence their academic performance. They enable collaborative group work and projects, as well as the prompt sharing of necessary literature, lecture notes, and other information. In addition, they allow online conferences, online professional development, and audio communication.

For example, in many universities, especially in fields such as engineering or IT, students use various applications to exchange ideas and receive quick feedback from instructors, which would take much more time in offline settings. In this respect, the Internet has surpassed television, radio, and other media in attractiveness.

Several scholars have also emphasized the impact of the Internet. In particular, Sampasa-Kanyinga and Lewis studied the relationship between social media use and psychological distress. They
found that using social networks for more than two hours a day is associated with higher levels of psychological pressure. Banjanin et al. examined the relationship between excessive social media use and depression but found no statistically significant relationship between the two variables.

Frison and Eggermont studied different patterns of Facebook use, perceived social support on social networks, and mood among male and female students. They found a positive relationship between both passive and active Facebook use and depression, with perceived social support acting as a mediating factor. Gender was also identified as a moderating variable.


Vernon et al. examined changes in negative emotional investment in social networks and their relationship with depression and externalizing behaviors.


Their study showed that excessive attention to social networks increased depression among adolescent students, which was associated with sleep disturbances. Barry et al. explored the relationship between adolescents’ social media use and psychological adjustment, finding a moderate positive association between social media activity, depression, and anxiety. A study
conducted in China by Li et al. showed that insomnia played a mediating role in the relationship between social media addiction and depression among middle school students.

In the same year, Yan et al. studied the relationship between time spent on social networks and anxiety among middle school students, finding that more than two hours of use was significantly associated with higher anxiety levels. However, despite its many benefits, the Internet also has negative consequences, often affecting
mental health by increasing depression, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness.


In particular, the concept known as FOMO (fear of missing out) describes the strong anxiety experienced when individuals feel excluded while observing others’ successes. In short, excessive Internet use can contribute to various mental health issues.

Conclusion: In conclusion, social networks today have a significant impact on the upbringing and daily lives of young people. Therefore, developing a culture of conscious and purposeful use of social networks—aligned with personal values and goals—is a key factor in ensuring students lead successful and healthy daily lives.


References:


Alimov V. S. Social Networks and Their Role in the Socio-Cultural Life of the Country // Bulletin of the National University of Uzbekistan. – T., 2015. www.in-academy.uz


Blau, I., Weiser, O., & Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (2017).
Bhandarkar, A. M., Pandey, A. K., Nayak, R., Pujary, K., & Kumar, A.
(2021). Bernacki, M. L., Vosicka, L., & Utz, J. C. (2020).

Poetry from Jamal Garougar

Older middle aged Middle Eastern man with short dark hair, brown eyes, and a blue sweater.

One Horizon for the New Year

At the gate of the year,

we remove our shoes—

the earth is sacred,

wounded by too many names.

From the breath of deserts

to the patience of olive trees,

the world whispers:

enough of division.

O New Year,

teach us the art of return:

return to the human face,

so we may recognize one another

beyond fear and banners.

Let peace be

not a slogan,

but a daily gesture—

bread shared,

a wound listened to.

We were made from one breath,

and to that breath we return,

different in paths,

equal in dignity.

Poetry from Abduqahhorova Gulhayo

Young Central Asian woman with long dark hair, a long tan dress, standing at a lectern with balloons and signs behind her.

My lord


He never stopped working for his family
He thought about the happiness of his children
He always lived happily and with a smile
My dear, gentle, kind lord

He always held my shoulder and kissed me
He always prayed for me
When I cried, he wiped my tears from my face
My lord, he also gave me joy

He never bowed his head when trouble came
He looked for an opportunity in every task
He always supported his loved ones
My dear, sweet-spoken, generous lord

Essay from Jacques Fleury

Middle aged person with a baseball cap on and a black jacket and tan jeans and black boots checking their phone in a subway station. Another person of indeterminate gender next to them also checking their phone.

Coming Home

[Excerpt from Fleury’s book: Chain Letter To America: The One Thing You Can Do To End Racism:

A Collection of Essays, Fiction and Poetry Celebrating Multiculturalism

“Coming Home” Photo Art c/o Jacques Fleury

Well, because a fall leaf fell before my feet today I see
In serendipity I yearn to live daily,
Consider this my soliloquy.
To awake to its bounty of unlawful acts of intrepid beauty
I yearn to taste the morning dew on my tongue at sunrise,
That is to feel again; to unfurl my wings like silver springs
And fly again; to sound out sounds yet to be heard;
Supposedly it’s all been sounded,
Supposedly it’s all been said,
But not by me so here I am, like a black-tailed deer prancing on wobbly legs,
Trying not to remember that I was once hunted so that I can
Imagine a world without hunters; but I do remember and that’s how I got stronger.
I yearn to bay at the moon at night but not like a black wolf,
But a white swan flouncing on the foamy lake.
I want a world of butterflies and rainbows…
Yes, I want to have my cliché and eat it too.
Poets! Allow me to harangue you:
Coveting prizes and publication can consume you!
Defy and denounce racism!
Confront and contain classism.
Confer and celebrate humanism.
Pursue the ultimate orgasm!
Happiness is accepting the life you see,
Be happy and enjoy your journey.
My heart has been doused in the dawn of new age reality:
Not unlike the reality TV that gave me a place to hide in uncertainty;
No one is talking.
Everyone is texting.
Social media: the new pathway to a social life.
We are in a crisis of technological isolation!

So technically we are less and less connected
And more and more isolated.
Caught in the cross fires of neocolonial consumerism,
I want to live a life free of materialism, free of egoism;
I want to be like Buddha.
I want to meditate all day and sleep all night.
Keep your dreams alive!
I once publicly hid from love;
I yearn to love again like the moon tickling the midnight sea;
“You are a true Poet, don’t EVER let them take that away from you.” They told me.
Now here I am, battered and bruised, my silver wings have dulled
By the wear and tear of my new reality: not quite young, not quite old, not quite done;
Yet I’ve resolved to flail my silver wings again against the moon lit skies,
This time without worry,
And come home to my original love
Of prose and poetry.

Poetry from Greg Wallace

Older middle aged white man with sunglasses, a large brown and black hat, and a collared and buttoned white, yellow, and dark blue top standing in front of a canvas full of random paint.

PAPER PLANET

Paper planet unpinned on something glassy 

also pink ambulance

table wipe emergency dressed candy

  square game was force of hospital 

 fluid zigzag elements felt mannerism

 repeated hunt near ring letters 

 fit molars the way sleep soon little would

one accomplice looked

 and the issue flow and paper 

 hand panic for quash of some dropped

 questions wanted eyes of Halloween

amalgamated snakes forever outlines milk 

 that house floating 

your automatic sleep stampede built on the bifocal 

Fractal gladiator carries lugubrious toy rifles 

 A coffee is a squares pipes   

the registering girl flowed streaming wet

rain in the looped army 

 oceans slowly open child

 glittering morphological lining 

  recorder kept single pudding 

palm world powers narcissist module 

then stuck dripping steamed gulf

 wooden dress could hyphenate 

swift blackness the transverse thin for water

circles surged dactyl our dead

 cars solids curtains tiny jaguars wanted another explosives

vast software guns arranged someone to the stretched

PERISCOPE  

She bumped red suns 

crackling white galactic 

clicking engines luminous 

orange car slammed ink animals 

sonorous notifier flaming griffin 

simple hand put down porcelain 

tingling troops tumbling 

The bright inter-spaced creatures 

engravings lengthen estuary  

tanks ensconce over echo kill 

printed lance the white words 

leather waterfalls of tranquil light 

translucent faded statues 

mysterious Indian rays  

The few people of ice gods 

crazy hyperborean troops   

darkened day package 

resistant sailor tripped  

office burns the air   

run in the fine summer Data 

imperial curtains shook the machine  

The lamp her curling clerks 

zinc encircled candle furry with anesthetize threshold 

the whipper shut moons 

reflection in pinball  

dressed eye and clouds 

but static torch falling    

plastic antique face hid guns

LINCOLN LOOP

A geometrical design drifted past 

disconnected hands twinkle

a fold in the flows held a glassine eye 

facsimiles of dead space in the disorganized area 

in blue time desolation thread broke 

a complex flow disconnected the intruding lines

design accident instar horizon 

automatic movements of the tiny area

ballerina knew the suspected man 

Burning specters like thought wings

a lake that glitters with radioactive fluorescence 

something strained almost to breaking

ashes frayed like threads of fabric

the darkness depressed child propellant 

blotted minds with metabolic radiocarbon

Sumerians slide down glistening icicles 

tropical bomb suddenly formed fish channel

gnomic trouser that first discovered life

THE PROXY INTELLIGENCE

Candied terabyte of meson water 

rubbed a couple of skies with

xenon supply paper

submerged thickness of brownstone 

partially pulling regrettable friends 

Osiris piloted 3 musketeers 

scooped bronze hospital ship with frozen stamp

Dixie hook looks with lucrative sugar 

Mars girls stay with area 56 in underwater fur 

tank curves in noteworthy knees

ultraviolet rainbows over a microwave sea

dispenser of strangeness strikes strontium

sea breakfast gives an inch 

analgesic reprisal of quick colonnade 

our Goliath buildup uses his plush nightlife 

accidentally flattens bobcat

Didn’t rinse sylphs with metallic blood 

opening calibration out of vortex aggregate 

specters appear in the polar ring 

knight clamps nettle out of cubed windows

capacitor crowns tactless morphology  

French flags wash beautiful scrimshaw 

foobar needs camerawork structures

waterfalls on pirate ship pumping high 

FURRY CHILDREN

Someones touch electrified the visiplates 

blood and bone only with eyes of iron 

this but sparkles and hovers

the fire banister became Egyptian

king of sleep in concession stand

geometric anthem sometimes covers sky

attached flare of sizzling ripples 

commandos pierce narrow blind 

hands drift in darkness

milky teeth traps tank beneath polar bears

there parted somewhere heroes  

Machine looking into small fingerprints 

closed uniformity glasses 

filing furry children from willows Garbo

small earth fell over the night rays of birds

Little John resplendent in the tiny tools of time

later doom to atoms behind the kangaroo 

green against this studded thunder 

water patiently wears the edge

stopped dreaming fishes  

thought seeps into the very spaces between 

pressure zone conceals enormous carved gargoyles  

Gregory Wallace has been making art of various kinds for at least 50 years. He was active in the mail art scene in the 80s and participated in international mail art exhibits and correspondence. Mr. Wallace was a founding editor of Oblivion magazine and has published several books of poetry including The Girl With Seven Hands, The Return of the Cyclades, and Exile and Kingdom Come. His artistic activity encompasses poetry, collage, sculpture, assemblage, photography and painting. His work has appeared in Typo, BlazeVox, #Ranger, Synchronized Chaos, and God’s Cruel Joke.