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 I drive my piercing Blade
   Beneath the rocky soils
         of a Blessed Sky
              driven by
                winds.
And Fear itself
 Scatters the Rocks
         to leave the Silt,
For Rains will draw
      a carried path
              to fruition.
   A Tall
  Shield differentiates
Love's lights to mend
Our
 Hearts         
     with
       Grace 
           ♡

                                                ............



Composition May 21, 2024
 on a Tuesday Morning 
by  John Edward Culp 

Al-Kamilah: The Legend Who Unites the East and the West 

by Count Federico Wardal 

—————

The story of Shah Malika Al-Kamilah, a purebred Arabian filly (Golden Cross Egyptian-Arabian-Spanish) is now a legend across the planet. 

In California (USA) it happens that, following an injection, the filly Al-Kamila breaks her spine and is destined to die. Hon. Esq. Angela Alioto, a leading lawyer in the USA and an internationally popular public figure for her humanitarian actions, against the advice of any surgeon in the world, has the surgery performed on Al-Kamilah’s paralyzed spine at UC Davis. 

The hope of saving Al-Kamila was almost zero. 

Then, Angela Alioto spreads a blessed and beneficial ointment on Al-Kamilah’s paws. 

Al-Kamilah begins to move his paws and wins the love and care of all his doctors, and many friends and the “AL-KAMILAH” case explodes on social media. 

The filly improves, but must undergo a second operation to remove the nails and cement that contributed to the strengthening of the spine. 

It’s another delicate operation. 

Angela Alioto’s nervousness was strong, but she spreads the blessed ointment on Al-Kamilah’s paws again. 

Gian-Paolo Veronese, Angela’s youngest son, who has always been close to Al-Kamilah, strongly hopes that everything goes well and so does Fabio Giotta, founder of the best-known cultural and artistic café in the USA: “Il caffè Trieste” in SF.

Then there are hours of trepidation during Al-Kamilah’s second surgery and finally the medical verdict: Al-Kamila is safe! Social media worldwide is exploding with messages of happiness and great honor and commendations to UC Davis!  Messages of congratulations arrive from all over the USA, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

In Italy, the most authoritative official newspaper “Il Corriere della Sera” publishes on its front page the news that Al-Kamilah is safe. Samantha Ferro, a famous Italian-American journalist in SF, is happy about it.

In Egypt, The Times International puts the Al-Kamilah story on the front page.

Of course all this makes Sheikh Hamad Ali Al-Thani happy, under his direction, Al Shaqab Stud became one of the most important and influential breeding programs in the world.

At this point there is another piece of great news: the famous director Christopher A. Salvador directs a docu-film: “Al-Kamilah, the miracle filly” and the super star Joe Mantegna is commenting on the film! Angela Alioto, in the film, expresses her irresistible human energy, imbued with universal love. It’s a film of the highest quality, which certainly deserves one or more Academy Awards in 2025.

The film, which will be shown in private VIP viewing in SF on June 21, at the Vogue Theatre, will participate in the major international festivals and hopefully also in the Al-Gouna International Film Festival, founded by the Sawiris brothers and directed by Marianne Khoury. Khoury is the niece of late great Egyptian director Youssef Chahine. Certainly a film directed so grandly by Christopher A. Salvador, H.R.H. might like it very much.

Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is the chairperson of the Doha Film Institute (DFI), which she founded in 2010. The institute partnered with the Tribeca Film Festival to produce several annual iterations of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. A fabulous sculpture of Al-Kamilah by Mario Chiodo will be unveiled in SF on June 21st and a book by Angela Alioto on Al-Kamilah is being published. 

Thanks again to UC Davis for the courage and skill that saved a life and for the first time in the world performed an operation on the spine of a filly: “Al-Kamilah” who now runs like the wind!

Unexpected Sustenance

Under the summer sun, which had lost its strength, the three friends didn’t even have time to take their hands out of their pockets, and when they were returning from school, their eyes suddenly fell on the folded and dusty money under their feet. They struck themselves with money, and they talked about who found it in the noise. 

«Whose, whose, whose?» - while shouting, not even a human voice could be heard from around. One of the children suggested that it should be divided equally among the three, while the second one wanted it not to be divided at all. And the third child, who was younger, his imagination could be seen flying in the silence
like a free bird. 

With a smile on his face, yesterday the neighbour Umida was heard whispering prayers while gazing on the moon. He was clapping with his hands in joy at the thought that came to his mind: «Let’s do a favour?!» - he said. 

While the children looked at him questioningly, the boy took them by the hand and ran towards the store without saying anything .Forgetting to say «hello», he asked the shop owner to give him something for breaking the fast. 

His friends were surprised and said with a smile: «What, there is nothing at home?» After shopping with all the money, they went straight to Umida’s house. After straightening her headscarf,
Sister Umida with a radiant face turned to them. With a heart full of love, the boy was staring and holding a package full of dates and fruits in his hand saying: «Bless us also in your Iftar prayer.» 

While stroking the boy’s head, Sister Umida prayed, «May what you find be gold.» The two friends standing behind him did not raise their heads from the ground until their faces turned red…

Nosirova Gavhar was born on August 16, 2000 in the city of Shahrisabz, Kashkadarya region of Uzbekistan. Today, she is a third-year student of the Faculty of Philology of the Samarkand State University of Uzbekistan. Being a lover of literature, she is engaged in writing stories and poems. Her creative works have been published in Uzbek and English. In addition, she is a member of «All India Council for Development of Technical Skills», «Juntos por las letras» of Argentina, «2DSA Global Community». Winner of the «Korabl znaniy» and «Talenty Rossii» contests, holder of the international C1 level in the Russian language, Global Education ambassador of Wisdom University and global coordinator of the Iqra Foundation in Uzbekistan. «Magic pen holders» talented young group of Uzbekistan, «Kayva Kishor», «Friendship of people», «Raven Cage», «The Daily Global Nation», Argentina's «Multi Art-6», Kenya’s «Serenity: A compilation of art and literature by women» contains creative works in the magazine and anthology of poets and writers.

Each bridge he links
To the end of each valley
Is the sweet fruits of his tree of life
Each sweet fruit he tastes
Gives him the bitter part of life 

1

bidding goodnight 

and lights off

children giggling 

a bedtime story 

of two siblings 



— Christina Chin/Uchechukwu Onyedikam




2

baby strapped 

to mama's back

the endless path

pot of water

on her head



— Christina Chin/Uchechukwu Onyedikam




3

the fragrance

of night blooming

jasmine

a red-lipped

queen of the district



— Christina Chin/Uchechukwu Onyedikam




4

an old lady

a mite uneasy

of ageing 

a sigh of relief 

after the will



— Uchechukwu Onyedikam/Christina Chin