Poetry from Murodillayeva Mohinur

Central Asian teen girl with dark hair in braids and brown eyes and a white frilly blouse.

Mother…

My treacherous friends set a trap,

I did not expect loyalty from anyone.

I have been looking for you for a long time, my faithful man,

I am amazed at your patience today.

I’m a fool who painted whites on your hair,

Tell me if I’m worth it, mother.

I cry that the world is a lie

I’m sorry, I can’t look you in the eyes.

Ranjima from Mohinur,

Now I know how much you appreciate me.

Mom, I’m amazed at your patience today.

I see the world again

Murodillayeva Mohinur, a 10th-grade student of the 44th general secondary school of Guzor district, Kashkadarya region.

Poetry from Mesfakus Salahin

South Asian man with reading glasses and red shoulder length hair. He's got a red collared shirt on.
Mesfakus Salahin

You Can’t Love Me

Who can judge me?

Who can measure me?

Nobody either judge and measure me

Or even judge a stone of a fountain

You are limited

But the word ‘I’ is unconditional and unlimited

‘I’ does not mean myself

It is more than myself

A stone is not only a stone

It is more than what you mean

It can speak

But you can’t speak with it

It bears the history and mystery of dream 

It is a observer of time

It can read us

But the new generation won’t read it

The reflection of my face on the mirror is not complete

The mirror can’t reflect wholeness 

It can’t reflect the the inner ‘l’ of ‘l’

Very often I fail to hold me

My body is a holder

It holds something

But what is something is unknown to me and you

You can’t judge me

You can’t measure me

You can’t hold me

You can’t love me.

You love a man who is perfect and pure

I am not perfect and pure

Everyday l walk on the street of mistakes

l embrace with them

I am not the truest flower in the garden

My face doesn’t express everything

I am not large, vast and self-sufficient 

My heart is not more open and free 

It does not bear authentic taste 

It is not more connected and purposeful 

I am smaller than tiny

I am not enough to love you.

Poetry from Eva Petropoulou

Light skinned European woman with green eyes and brown hair leaning to the right. She's outside at night near some ferns.

Peace

I like the colour of the nature

Is pink and green and blue

I like the dreams that comes to my sleep

Smiles at children’s faces

I like the creativity that brings me so much happiness

Poems and stories travel like birds

Feel like a child

Feel free

I like the colours of the rainbow

I like the rain

I like the sea

This is the peace for me

People from so many different countries

That became my brother and sister…

…..

A book

A book open his pages

A boy start to read

And heroes come out of the chapter

Weapons start to make a noise

Bombs Was coming down to buildings

School were vanished

The boy start to cry….

Nobody could hear it

They were all occupied to count their small green and blue papers. .

So much paper

So many bombs

So many people occupied from the nothing …

That comes and destroy

Everything…

The boy closed the book…

He took another one

And he starts looking the beautiful illustrations

So Many flowers

And strange fruits

And a lot of animals that were sitting

 just around a big lake.

There was a forest also with big trees

And a big mountain

The chapter had a title:

_The peaceful world of

Olivia_

The boy continued to read

and that afternoon was the most amazing time in the world.. 

Eva Lianou Petropoulou is an awarded author and poet from Greece with more than 25 years in the literary field. She has published more than 10 books.

Her poems are translated into more than 25 languages. She is an official candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Eva Lianou Petropoulou is President of Creativity and Art for Mil Mentes Por Mexico Association representing Greece. She is also a member of international associations of authors and artists in Greece, a member of the Association of Korinthian Authors, a member of the Pirea Association of Authors and Artists, and an ambassador of Namaste Magazine in India.

Her work The Adventures of Samurai Nogasika San has been translated into English, Spanish, and Mandarin.

Poetry from Jacques Fleury

Young adult Black man with short shaved hair, a big smile, and a suit and purple tie.
Jacques Fleury


Fear!

For “the others” of the world

Young white guy with his hands over his face. Black and white image where he's standing in a field of tall grass and reeds.
Image c/o Victoria Borodinova

Fear is sharp thick hate
Often blooms in silence
Hate smells  fear!
Fear smells  hate!
Like a tappet
It’s verbiage 

                   lures and ensnares!
Brothers sisters
Offspring of fear          beware!
I know your hurt
Your past projected onto
My posterity
Future generations twirl
Uncomfortably in our debris
Heal your wound through me
We can be one       wisdom
Hate and  fear abide in symbiosis
Longing for aerialist       freedom
When hate chains me
Then happiness      overflows
From my core  viscera
I am a prophecy of peace
Or am I?
A brother to       “the others”
On the                                  waysides
The speck of   light
In the winter          night
Fear is sharp thick hate
A sorrowful    cacophony
Longing for aerialist    freedom
When it chains me…

Silhouetted figure leaping off into the unknown with hand and leg raised. Bushes and tree in the foreground, mountains ahead. Book is green and yellow with black text and title.
Jacques Fleury’s book You Are Enough: The Journey Towards Understanding Your Authentic Self

Jacques Fleury is a Boston Globe featured Haitian-American Poet, Educator, Author of four books and literary arts student at Harvard University online. His latest publication “You Are Enough: The Journey to Accepting Your Authentic Self”  & other titles are available at all Boston Public Libraries, the University of Massachusetts Healey Library, University of  Wyoming, Askews and Holts Library Services in the United Kingdom, The Harvard Book Store, The Grolier Poetry Bookshop, Amazon etc…  He has been published in prestigious publications such as Muddy River Poetry Review, the Cornell University Press anthology Class Lives: Stories from Our Economic Divide, Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene among others…Visit him at:  http://www.authorsden.com/jacquesfleury.

Poetry from Michael Robinson

Middle aged Black man with short hair and brown eyes. He's got a hand on his chin and is facing the camera.
Poet Michael Robinson

GOD’S TREE OF THE SPIRIT


Scripture: Psalm 52:8 (NIV)- “But I am like an olive tree, flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever.”


Message: God’s promise to me has allowed me to flourish over the decades. His love keeps me on the path of righteousness. Like the olive tree, there is nourishment in my spirit daily. Moment by moment the Holy Spirit surrounds me, directing my path to eternal life.
It is faith given to me to love God without reservation. Trust was absolute in my life. God’s grace has allowed me to be taught the greatness of His love. This gift of His grace was freely given to me.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 states; Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.” Jesus Christ, God’s holy Son, teaches me to love the Father. My soul receives nourishment and is refreshed in the seasons of rain. God’s love has brought everlasting joy through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross leading to salvation and redemption for all. Once my soul was renewed, the world faded into darkness, which allowed the Lord’s light to transform my service to Him. Now the freedom of life here on earth preparing me for my eternal life with the Father. I am now resting in the full confidence of having been accepted in the Kingdom of Heaven.


Prayer: My soul has returned to you for you are merciful. The world is full of darkness, decay, and turmoil. Give us peace and guide us to your Kingdom. We know you are loving, merciful and full of grace. We ask that you do not forsake us, for your Son Jesus Christ has prepared a table for all who honor and praise you and give you glory.
Amen.

Poetry from Fhen M.

Nondescript white man in a suit and red tie and black hat with a green apple with some leaves in front of his face.
Rene Magritte’s The Son of Man

René Magritte’s The Son of Man

a man in an overcoat & bowler hat

standing in front of a low seawall

beyond which are the ocean & thick clouds

he could be the young Pilo

a graduation photo

he wore a business suit

a hankie in a breast pocket

what’s missing was a hovering apple

raining men

raining apples

in a surrealistic realm

the falling green apple

that obscured the face of the Son of Man

could be Newton’s apple

a discovery of the invisible

what is essential is what is invisible

𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨,

𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦

𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦

insert picture in a picture

insert a green apple in a souvenir picture

𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯

Magritte’s art is attributed to mysticism

my grandpa’s life is a mystery

the man’s eyes can be seen

peeking over the edge of the apple.

Fhen M. studied the academic subjects Writing in the Discipline, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴, and The Literature of the World at Eastern Visayas State University. The Waray poem “Uyasan” (“Toy” in English”) written by Fhen M. was published in a collection of literary works entitled 𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘭𝘪: 15 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘸. His English verses “Lighthouse,” “Seaport,” “Barbeque Stalls along Boulevard,” and “Tetrapod” appeared in 𝘗𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢 anthology series published by Clarendon House. In 2024, Red Penguin Books’ 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦: 𝘈 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨-𝘰𝘧-𝘈𝘨𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 will publish his piece “Outside the Block Universe”. One of his poems will also be included in 𝘍𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢/𝘍𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘢 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 by Open Shutter Press. Fhen M. submitted verses in Waray for the 5th Lamiraw Creative Writing Workshop, including the 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 “Duha nga mga pagtug-an” (translated in English as “Two confessions”). David Genotiva, Merlie Alunan, and Victor Sugbo were some of the distinguished panelists of this writing workshop held from the 5th to the 7th of November 2008. 

Poems from Duane Vorhees

CONFESSIONS

Everyone’s a politician

and everyone’s a journalist

and none of us has inhibitions.

But we all have our tales to twist.

I went to see my physician

in her office inside my tomb.

For practice, she writes out prescriptions

just to kill the kids in their wombs.

My preacher makes his confession

to the girls who are blonde and young.

He lays on his hands, as his mission,

and exhibits the gifts of his tongues.

Professors write dissertations

in order to hide all the facts.

And if you want real information,

–well, you needn’t even ask.

The lawyers brand themselves hired guns.

They court the richest criminals,

who transfer to them ill-gotten funds

to lie as far as laws allow.

I said I’d fill that thin co-ed

who said she hungered for new verse,  

though she still starves though I’m her poet

and she’s swallowed my Complete Works.

Was Jesus tacked to an easel

so Romans could paint him later?

They staged all the acts of the apostles

just to build wings for their theaters.

And everyone had truth to twist

till they convinced me I was cured.

But when I asked, my psychiatrist

sneered. “Why no, I’m not even bored!”

 METAMORPHOSIS

Brave audience caterpillar

agrees to enter

the stage magician’s magic box–

LOVE’S MEASURE

Although I know marble outlasts wax, longevity isn’t love’s measure,

and I know how to read with pleasure the artists, the crafters, and the hacks.

ZOMBIE VAMPIRE MUMMY….

One of us was born to die living,

one of us to live dying.

The one and the one

are one and the same.

And there’s one other other,

one for whom

living is dying is living–

each one is one and the same.

As we alternate these ones

we cling, otters, to each other,

to these disparate slices

of our pied kaleidoscopic whole.

LILLIAN THE OCEAN AND THE ISLE OF PALMS

Together in memory are soldered 
Lillian, the ocean, and the Isle of Palms, 
fused cubistically like frozen sculpture 
of motionless craft forever becalmed

            a picture of beach-clinging waters

hanging between the frames by their thumbs.

And Lillian the old skygod’s daughter

parades ashore on the Isle of Palms

followed by fleecy waves that slaughter

themselves as sacrifice for her balm,

            crashing on the beach at her immortal

feet like jap endless squadrons of bombs.

Sun-sand-sky welded to ageless water,

seagulls shackled to the gulf like charms,

ocean as static as a krater,

and sands as eternal as the psalms:

            my marble memories unaltered.

Lillian, the ocean, and the Isle of Palms.