Impossible Love
To grasp what an impossible love truly is,
Not everyone can fathom, only those who've lived it.
The strange emotion that is called love,
Is known and felt by those distanced, who've felt it.
In an instant, it comes, taking you by surprise,
You find yourself enchanted by a stranger's eyes,
Unknowingly, your heart takes flight and flies,
To love is something only the heart implies.
The delicacy of a rose's velvet touch,
The beauty of a leaf with a grace that's such,
The blush of your cheeks, a sight to clutch,
When your hands tremble, that feeling, it does clutch.
The glances exchanged, like lightning's sparks,
Eyelashes fluttering, like burdens in the dark,
Your heart flutters wildly, like a mad lark,
This state, only those in love can embark.
When you gaze at their picture, lost in thought,
As the caravan of memories passes, unbought,
And separation's inevitable, as it is sought,
The years of longing, in your heart, are caught.
Elmaya Jabbarova was born in Azerbaijan. She is poet, writer, reciter, translator. Her poems were published in the regional newspapers «Shargin sesi», «Ziya», «Hekari», literary collections «Turan», «Karabakh is Azerbaijan!», «Zafar», «Buta», foreign Anthologies «Silk Road Arabian Nights», «Nano poem for
Africa», «Juntos por las Letras 1;2», «Kafiye.net» in Turkey, in the African's CAJ magazine, Bangladesh's Red Times magazine, «Prodigy Published» magazine. She performed her poems live on Bangladesh Uddan TV, at the II Spain Book Fair 1ra Feria Virtual del Libro Panama, Bolivia, Uruguay, France, Portugal, USA.
there is no silence
in a men’s homeless shelter . . .
late-night cough chorus
—
today marks ninety
days at the homeless shelter . . .
misophonia
—
downtown skyline through
the shelter’s dock door window—
men snore in the night
—
today marks five months
here at the homeless shelter . . .
let’s just sleep all day
—
purple foam earplugs . . .
the shelter at midnight is
almost dead silent
—
bio/graf
J. D. Nelson is the author of ten print chapbooks and e-books of poetry, including *Cinderella City* (The Red Ceilings Press, 2012). His first full-length collection is *in ghostly onehead* (Post-Asemic Press, 2022). Visit his website, MadVerse.com, for more information and links to his published work. Nelson lives in Colorado, USA
October 1
Exactly one year ago
He took London
To the hospital
Because she was having
Another vestibular episode,
That visit being
Their last visit
To the hospital
Never crossed his mind.
Taylor Dibbert is a writer, journalist, and poet in Washington, DC. He’s author of the Peace Corps memoir “Fiesta of Sunset,” and the forthcoming poetry collection “Home Again.”
And I climb the staircase and a well-lit blonde bob smokes a cigarette in affair with no one and with eyes for naught but the night, and yet she still makes the effort to nod as I enter and this fills me with hope for the evening ahead.
And the lights are ambiguous at best as I walk the corridor and consider a former love or lover in a corner with arm encircling the waist of a current beau in sweater vest and boot cut. He is gesturing wildly and all eyes are alight as he swings his tale and I turn and head for the kitchen where I see Jess with teary eyes as she dabs her forehead.
Jess has not been crying, she has simply thrown up and warns me of this possibility as she hands me a pill and places her hand around my neck, draws me in and holds me tight whispering “sweet nothings” with a smile as I swallow.
I head toward the living room and find the couch pushed to the wall and bean bags thrown helter skelter. Sam Cooke sings sweet melody as a young man brushes the inside of my arm and says “Do you want company?” and “That’s a shame, a terrible shame,” as he steps away to offer himself to another.
A shirtless individual entertains a cavalcade and I lean in to hear “You’ll be surprised how many times you need to stab someone to kill the son of a bitch.” Pause, grimace, “A wise man draws quickly across the throat and gets the foul deed done in one quick go.” Pause, final rejoinder, “You must never forget the idea is not to bring death, but to simply withdraw life,” and they clap on conclusion and I realize I have just witnessed a performance piece as he takes a quick bow and then waves a hand across his face in attempt to deflect attention deftly earned. A girl in front of me turns to her side and insists, “This is nothing compared to his cut of Capote, now that is divine.”
And I grab a bean bag and head to a corner and sit and close my eyes and try to recall the melody of ‘God Only Knows’ as that never fails to bring a tear to the eye and tonight is Sam’s night after all. Leaning my head against the wall I stare to the ceiling and spy a spider in a webbed corner and lose myself for a moment as it – as if startled – hurries to one side.
A brunette drops a bean bag next to mine and leaves only to return with a drink and lit cigarette. “Charlie,” she says by way of introduction and it strikes me she is the kind of girl that will not age well. Cliché perhaps but her eyes are a blue most piercing, with a southern lilt that is oh so disarming and hints at inner strength most resolute.
She tells me she achieved her first multiple orgasm when a boy went down on her as she listened to ‘Smile’ on heavy headphones with eyes closed and only the odd lift of the hips to guide the way, she slept with her lit professor on a dare and was disappointed that a published author could be so unimaginative in bed, she owned two iguanas and had just finished the short stories of Hemingway.
I nod at each revelation and tell her I admire her sense of adventure, I own zero iguanas and I am considering hiring a cleaner before my apartment inspection a week from Tuesday.
Charlie takes a drink and a drag and points out the spider overhead, a cat brushes itself on Charlie’s leg and then on mine and Love begins once more.
Michael Tyler has been published by Takahe, Bravado, Adelaide Literary, PIF, Daily Love, Danse Macabre, Apocrypha and Abstractions, Dash, The Fictional Café, Potato Soup Journal, Fleas On The Dog, Cardinal Sins, Mystery Tribune, Other Terrain, and Suddenly And Without Warning.
Michael writes from a shack overlooking the ocean just south of the edge of the world. He has been published in several literary magazines and plans a short story collection sometime before the Andromeda Galaxy collides with ours and …
Benediction
From mankind's cruelty and abomination
Beasts blatantly defying the laws of creation
In the midst of society's tragic situation
Exists two souls with pure, true adoration
Whence strength of one in consideration
So shall be for weakness in sublimation
One cannot claim no need of cooperation
Strong and weak are equal in protection
From each other rests their own salvation
No one claims about slavery or domination
No ego, no lies, no arrogant reputation
Their love for each other is their benediction.
Still Dare
When no one seems to care
No one for emotion to share
No wick for a heart to flare
Will you still dare?
When life seems so unfair
Feet are on a strand of hair
No space found in one's lair
Will you still dare
When there's no star to stare
Vulnerable for soul to bare
They have stolen your chair
Blocked the heavenly stair
Will you still dare?
Yes! Dare though no one care
Share even a wickless flare
Stand firm if there's no chair
With true courage, still dare!
Spared the Rod
Taught power to love and not to hate
You have relied not merely on fate
You have faith and trusted on God
Though I have spared you the rod
Soon I shall be leaving and be gone
You have always been my loving son.
Lilian Dipasupil Kunimasa was born January 14,1965, in Manila, Philippines. She has worked as a retired Language Instructor, interpreter, caregiver, secretary, product promotion employee, and private therapeutic masseur. Her works have been published as poems and short story anthologies in several language translations for e-magazines, monthly magazines, and books; poems for cause anthologies in a Zimbabwean newspaper; a feature article in a Philippine newspaper; and had her works posted on different poetry web and blog sites. She has been writing poems since childhood but started on Facebook only in 2014. For her, Poetry is life and life is poetry.
Lilian Kunimasa considers herself a student/teacher with the duty to learn, inspire, guide, and motivate others to contribute to changing what is seen as normal into a better world than when she steps into it. She has always considered life as an endless journey, searching for new goals, and challenges and how she can in small ways make a difference in every path she takes. She sees humanity as one family where each one must support the other and considers poets as a voice for truth in pursuit of equality and proper stewardship of nature despite the hindrances of distorted information and traditions.
The List
You get to hear about
Bucket lists
All the time
Around here
And they say it like
They invented the term.
So they tour like desperate
Folks. Old folks trying
To get it full
A bucket full of foreign cities.
Walking on canes,
Wheelchairs, walkers
Hobbling along
Seeing this and that
Filling their buckets
As if their life will fill
With this:
Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallin
Riga and Berlin
Copenhagen and Amsterdam.
They fill their buckets
Like Egyptian Pharaohs filling
Their tombs for their time
In the next life.
Sea Story
The North Sea, just its name reads
like a caption in a history book:
a seascape of crashing waves, one
of those wooden ships, full sails
sailing into a troublesome future.
The North Sea, sounds like an entry
in an immigrant’s journal, the feel
of loneliness and an unknowable
future. The North Sea, even today
seems like a summary of a climate
we all have to face along the way.
The North Sea all around us and
ahead of us, greeting us like it
greeted so many before us, a sea
untamable that we all will face.
Tour Guide
How do you explain a place
You know so well to people
Who know little or nothing about
You or the place you need to
Explain. It’s a job, it’s your job
So you begin. There’s history
And all the details that set it
Up, the forces, the personalities
This war, that occupation, but
You notice the group start to
Doze off. These aren’t students
These are tourists, who yawn
At things they don’t know. You
Can pick out important sites or
Start off on the nature and how
It fits this place and people. You
Can talk about the economy or
The social systems that you know
They know little about, education
Media, the military if you must
And the various religions that vie
For prominence in a country not
Known for its religious traditions.
It’s an avalanche of material with
Little appeal. It’s an audience that
Pays a lot but wants very little. It’s
A job and you do and pretend that
Somehow it makes a difference.
.
Robopathology in Supervisory Relationships: Embracing Osho’s Wisdom
Osho’s philosophical concept of “Robopathology” is a term coined to describe a phenomenon in which individuals, in their desire of conformity and obedience, become like robots in their conduct and thinking. It emphasizes the negative effects of blind compliance and the repression of distinctive qualities within society or organizations.
Osho’s Robopathology theory highlights the need for people to maintain their real selves and critical thinking abilities even in situations that require conformity, since the loss of personal autonomy can lead to a dehumanizing and robotic existence. In the world of supervision, whether in the workplace or higher education, the concept of “Robopathology,” as coined by Osho, can gently infiltrate these relationships, impacting both supervisors and supervisees. Osho’s profound insights provide a way out of these mechanical tendencies, enabling a more conscious and meaningful supervisory experience.
Robopathology in supervisory relationships is frequently recognized as a preference for rigorous standards and protocols above genuinely meaningful interaction and discourse. In the workplace, supervisors may favor strict adhering to protocols above open and constructive interactions with their team members. This approach can make employees feel like cogs in a machine, restricting innovation and personal growth.
In academic settings, the mechanical mind can infect supervisory interactions between faculty advisers and graduate students. The pressure to publish and adhere to a strict research plan can inhibit creativity and thoughtful exploration. Such an approach frequently leads to students feeling as if they are only judged by their research output, ignoring their entire well-being.
Osho’s teachings can be realistically applied in these relationships by encouraging open communication, empathy, and flexibility. Conducting regular one-on-one meetings that focus on both work-related issues and personal growth are practical approaches. In a corporate setting, this might result in administration supporting flexible work hours or remote work, enabling employees to balance work and life while retaining productivity.
In academia, faculty advisers can serve as mentors, assisting graduate students not only intellectually but also personally and professionally. This method supports a more dynamic, innovative, and holistic approach to study. Professors can provide assistance not only on research but also on personal and career development, assisting students in finding balance and purpose in their academic journey.
Organizations whose supervisors participate in active listening, provide regular constructive criticism, and are receptive to the particular needs and goals of their supervisees are examples of real-world implementations of Osho’s wisdom. In a tech company operations, this could imply holding regular “check-in” sessions where staff discuss not only project progress but also personal and career ambitions. This promotes open discussion and makes employees feel noticed and valued beyond their contributions to the organization.
Academic advisers that use a mentorship approach rather than a strict direction approach generate more well-rounded, innovative, and satisfied graduate students. The emphasis is on developing well-rounded academics rather than merely research output. These strategies foster open communication, inventiveness, empathy, and personal growth in both supervisory and educational environments by embracing Osho’s teachings.
Misunderstandings between PhD students and supervisors can often be caused by differences in communication styles, expectations, expertise, and priorities. To address these issues, regular communication, clearly defined responsibilities, requesting clarification, documenting decisions, and, if necessary, mediation can be beneficial. These concepts well align with Osho’s concept of “Robopathology,” which emphasizes the significance of genuine, sympathetic communication and understanding in human interactions in order to avoid robotic or mechanical behavior patterns.
Moreover, misunderstandings and miscommunications between a supervisor and a supervisee can often be a result of cultural differences and diverse backgrounds. These gaps include not only language barriers, but also differences in communication styles, hierarchical expectations, and cultural norms. For example, a supervisor from a hierarchical culture may appear authoritative and intimidating to a supervisee from a more egalitarian background.
Similarly, language nuances, such as idiomatic expressions or nonverbal clues, can also be easily misinterpreted and misunderstood. These differences can cause unintentional miscommunications, undermine trust and cooperation, and prevent successful collaboration. To overcome these challenges, both the supervisor and the supervisee must build cultural sensitivity, participate in open discussion, and create an environment that promotes cross-cultural understanding and flexibility.
In the supervisory world, whether in higher education or workplace, Osho’s thoughts on escaping the mechanical mind are more relevant and indispensable than ever. We can break free from the restrictions of robopathological habits by applying his wisdom to these circumstances with practical applications. This approach provides a more conscious, dynamic, and gratifying supervising experience, encouraging open communication, creativity, empathy, and personal growth for both supervisors and supervisees.
