Woman,
You are alive
A mother
A daughter
Women,
We respect each other
We support each other
Our power is strong
When we are together
Woman,
A friend
That we never leave you at your hard time
Woman,
The creativity
The poetry
The art
Woman we must celebrate and be respected everyday
Calliope’s Windfall Cadralor I. Autumn Amity Nonpolar effect hydrophobic leaves aggregate water droplets may hydrogen bonds join us in molecule cages. II. Goslings Noontime disruption thundershowers high above goose and gander honk once we danced in spring rains mimicked nature’s celebrants. III. Hades’ Decan Sizzling zodiac liquid smoke spareribs third March decan caution we share Pisces confidence tap psychic propensities. IV. Worm Moon in Libra Loving being loved full moon eclipse in Libra balanced relationships I recall picnics, plucking fresh flowers, crushing on girls. V. Cathedral Gargoyle waterspouts downpours fill granite gutters cleanse Notre-Dame steps may our ile de la cité stroll recapture memories. Matching Tattoos Vera woke early today but not alone last night she’d hammered her way bar to bar, allowing men & women to ply her with drinks, twerk & grind across low lit dancefloors before taking her leave & exploring other haunts. I should know; she picked me up & we spent the night carousing— a bevy of mixologists alleged We hooked up on midnight’s backside when starshine casts cosmic freckles upon damp pavement & sunrise heralds fill ebon streets with song; I remember lifting her inside a taxi, squinting open bloodshot eyes simultaneously at dawn; confused yet unruffled. Vera showered in her slip, dressed in an Uber sipped java as we drove club to club retracing after hour footsteps to likely saloons, 24-hour cafés & her parked car. We discovered her sedan at the Ink Masters Tats chrome hubcaps stripped, tires intact, radio blaring; she dropped me off out General Electric, my faux employer, listened to graveyard peacocks cry & scold like babies from Oakhill Cemetery across the street as we exchanged phone numbers neither of us intended to dial. Arc de Triomphe Pilgrims High school voyagers, premarital couples, & collage dropouts backpack through Normandy fields, nibble on exotic cheese sample cuisine, contemplating a side trip to the Aquitaine in search of Limousin beef, duck foie gras, rich, red Bordeaux wine & a chance to explore historical landscapes from the French Alps to the Pyrenees always atop Charlemagne’s shoulders each day celebrated like St. Crispin’s feast, Agincourt groupies, rambling towards Paris trekking like bicyclists across the Champs-Élysées. Wistful Entreaties Take me back to cherry tree orchards blossoming throughout Santa Clara Valley in the 1960’s, a time inspired before birthing Silicon Valley replaced fertile fields and fruit bearing groves with glass, steel, cement, tar, high technology, and computer chips. Free me from yesteryear’s idealized social diaspora perceived through a senior citizen’s vantage point; mindful of lessons learned, responsibility accepted, swing wide youthful curiosity, advancement’s doorway, acclaim achievements true, own up to virtue questionable. Help me ignore shadows, recalling bad decisions, regretting dump yard expeditions, adding rubbish to landfill— future housing track foundations—major source of toxins, leachate and greenhouse gases, tolerating Eichler’s radiant heating, San Jose’s mounting smog. Let me recall small budget pleasures frequenting drive-in movie theaters dotting the valley’s agricultural perimeter, where Steven’s Creek Blvd gave rancher’s a thoroughfare and the Winchester Mystery House marked the edge of town. Grant me childhood bliss hiking amid Alum Rock hills, searching for treasure filled caves—Joaquin Murrieta’s haunts— or exploring abandoned shafts inside the condemned New Almaden quicksilver mines, oblivious to dangerous rotting timbers and poisonous cinnabar ore. Permit me quaint mind expansion…just limit my high to Geritol enhancement; shorten day long treks through San Jose to mailbox journeys, and venerate fingertip entertainment as a respectable alternative to clubbing it, theatre premiers, lowriding kicks, or Mount Umunhum trysts in parked cars. “O’zapft is!” (“It is tapped!”) Löwenbräu flows, Oktoberfest beer steins raise, village voices shout, “Proust!” celebrant couples dress in Bavarian garb from Lederhosen to dirndls, flap arms like chickens, and twist ageless bodies to brass bands playing oom-pah-pah music drifting beer tent to beer tent sampling warm pretzels dipped in mustard, savoring smoked brätwurst, sauerkraut, and käsespätzle, sharing gingerbread hearts, inhaling apple strudel, basking in camaraderie, concluding with a horserace recollecting— honoring—Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Theresa of Saxony-Hildburghausen nuptials.
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Sterling Warner’s Brief Biography
An award-winning author, poet, and former Evergreen Valley College English Professor, Sterling Warner’s works have appeared many literary magazines, journals, and anthologies including Lothlórien Poetry Journal, Ekphrastic Review, Synchronized Chaos, and Sparks of Calliope. Warner’s collections of poetry/fiction include Rags and Feathers, Without Wheels, ShadowCat, Edges, Memento Mori: A Chapbook Redux, Serpent’s Tooth, Flytraps, Cracks of Light: Pandemic Poetry & Fiction 2019-2022, Halcyon Days: Collected Fibonacci, Abraxas: Poems (2024), and Masques: Flash Fiction & Short Stories. Presently, Warner writes, hosts/participates in “virtual” poetry readings, turns wood, and enjoys retirement in Washington.
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Sterling Warner’s Author Website
The Child Cherubim
I am the undersigned hereby, the earthly human child—behold;
Does it serve me right to be the begotten so-called?!
Hearken, the plowshares plucking my seeds,
I wonder, ain’t you mankind aware of my little needs?!
Nothing might heal this world of roaming crows,
Nothing can prospect throughout my eyebrows,
Those perpetual whirls of the war tycoon,
Belligerently inflict a curse of my ephemeral cacophony as soon,
I swear in the name of whom my soul rest:
The child is the father of man—call it a jest!
There is no spacious room for promising buds to sprout,
We have to recline in our celestial abode— cherubim, with no doubt,
Down to those legislations that numb their voices and deafen their ears,
Ain’t we made of stone hearts that know no fears,
We are the offspring of today and the filament bonfire of tomorrow;
Could you believe that hoax? Hard to describe thine sorrow,
Verily, we deserve to populate this planet under the sun,
A rare symbol of giving without asking, we are the one,
Let-alone that kind of limbo we dwell,
Ain’t we are created to be subjugated, I can’t tell!
The Lord granted the globe with our bliss and glee,
Now, we feel doomed as nothing, a flea,
We are those Psalms, muses and angelic chants,
We cannot withhold that human fettering rants,
We are mongers of peace, love, playhood and serenity,
Inside environs of snobbery and obscenity,
Our plea for a world free from darkness loom,
Will there be a day when aromatic roses bloom?!
Our candles got dimmed with a helpless wick,
Is it high time for humanity to save before the louder tick?!!!
Anna Keiko’s Painting in the Map of Contemporary Art
By: Rizal Tanjung
In the realm of contemporary visual art, Anna Keiko may not yet be a household name among the giants of the global art scene, but her work holds a narrative potential and visual expression that should not be underestimated. One of her notable pieces is a 50×60 cm painting that, at first glance, suggests gestural freedom and the power of color. Yet, behind that freedom lies structure, silent narrative, and deep cultural resonance.
The painting presents three compositional clusters—two vertical figures and one group in the lower right—composed of rough brushstrokes, contrasting colors, and strong textures. Dominated by black, red, yellow, and green, these form ambiguous figurative shadows: are they humans, masks, or cultural silhouettes?
This essay aims to unpack the work from various perspectives: the history of painting, relevant art movements, aesthetic theory, symbolic approaches, and the broader global context in which it resides.
—
1. Gestural Aesthetics and the Legacy of Abstract Expressionism
If we trace the history, Keiko’s spontaneous, dynamic, and emotionally charged brushstrokes have strong roots in Abstract Expressionism. This movement emerged in post-WWII America, led by figures such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning. They rejected representational forms in favor of gesture and abstraction as a means to express the soul and existential condition.
Anna Keiko, though living in a different era and cultural context, seems to inherit this spirit. Her use of impasto (thick paint application) invites a sensory perception of texture and depth, making the painting seem alive and in motion. In her hands, paint becomes more than a medium—it becomes a “body language” that speaks directly to the viewer’s senses and emotions.
—
2. Figurative Ambiguity: Between Representation and Imagination
Unlike pure Abstract Expressionism, which often forgoes representation altogether, Keiko’s work offers shadowy but distinct silhouettes. We see “figures”—perhaps human, divine, or cultural icons—yet without clear detail. This situates her work within the spectrum of Neo-Expressionism, a movement that re-emerged in the 1980s as a critique of minimal and conceptual art.
Neo-Expressionism revived the human form in raw, expressive, and sometimes brutal ways. Keiko reflects this through a subtler, more contemplative approach. She doesn’t simply paint humans; rather, she suggests their presence through shadows and fragmented forms. As if inviting us to see humanity not through physical form, but through its traces and lingering energy.
—
3. Color Symbolism and Visual Tension
The color palette Keiko employs is far from arbitrary. Black dominates as background and contour, red evokes emotional intensity, yellow brings light and vitality, while green resonates with nature. These hues are not smoothly blended but rather “clashed,” creating strong visual tension.
In expressionist color theory, each color carries an emotional and symbolic charge. Kandinsky, a pioneer of abstraction, once wrote that color is a “psychic instrument.” In this context, Keiko’s colors are not decorative, but symbolic—conveying an unspoken narrative beyond words.
—
4. Eastern Touch: Zen, Emptiness, and the Meaning Within Silence
The name “Keiko” carries a Japanese nuance, and the minimalist tendencies in her composition suggest the influence of Eastern aesthetics. Traditional Chinese and Japanese ink painting, such as sumi-e, emphasizes the importance of emptiness, space, and brush movement as core aesthetic elements.
In Zen philosophy, perfection is found within imperfection. Keiko’s painting, with its rough, unfinished forms that seem to “pause mid-thought,” invites contemplation. It speaks through silence—eschewing literal narrative in favor of a personal, introspective experience. In this way, Keiko unites the duality of East and West: the expressive freedom of the West with the meditative depth of Zen visual tradition.
—
5. Art as a Cross-Cultural Space
In an increasingly fluid global art landscape, works like Anna Keiko’s serve as vital cultural bridges. Her work does not align itself with a single tradition—not strictly Western, nor purely Eastern. Instead, it embodies the global artist of today—working across geographic, historical, and artistic boundaries.
Her painting demonstrates that art need not choose between abstraction and figuration, between the personal and the universal, or between emotion and concept. All can coexist within the same canvas, just as our world moves in ever-growing complexity.
—
6. Positioning the Work within the Contemporary Art Map
In the midst of conceptual, digital, and interactive installation art, gestural painting like Keiko’s remains relevant. Arguably, it is becoming even more vital as a form of resistance to the sterile nature of digitization. The human touch, the brush’s trace, and visual irregularity become the “honesty” sought in an era of visual simulation.
Keiko’s painting stands as proof that “painting” is far from obsolete. It is not merely a traditional medium, but a transformative one—capable of fostering contemplation, self-expression, and cross-cultural reflection.
What may appear to be a modest-sized painting holds layers of thought and complex visual intensity. It stands as evidence that abstract art is not an escape from reality, but rather a quest for meaning beyond surface representation.
Within a single canvas, Anna Keiko invites us to explore art history, dive into inner depth, reflect on color symbolism, and ultimately—meet ourselves. She is not merely an artist who paints forms, but one who transforms visual experience into spiritual and cultural resonance.
West Sumatra, April 7, 2025
In a world haunted by the echoes of what was lost, presence lingers in absence and memory is etched into every stillness. Shadows speak louder than voices, and silence becomes a vessel for all the questions too heavy to ask. Time stutters through forgotten wars and empty rooms, while fragile gestures—watering a barren plant, floating a paper name—reveal the quiet ache of endurance. Nothing shatters outright; instead, things unravel—light, language, even the self—until what remains is the soft breath before a storm, the quiet no one names, but everyone carries.
WHAT THE SILENCE HOLDS
<Vo Thi Nhu Mai>
1/
A bird circles above the ruins
as if sketching a name, it once knew
but cannot pronounce.
The wind holds the walls upright
only long enough
for a child to pass through.
The silence is not absence
It is the weight of unasked questions
left at the door of every house.
Someone or no one
has taken the weapons
and buried them in a field
where no one remembers to search.
Before the first word
a shadow knelt.
It did not pray
It did not ask to stay
It simply pressed
its whole being
into the space
between heartbeats.
2/
The window was not broken
It just forgot
how to hold the light.
You asked me a question
with your back turned
something about staying
Or maybe abandon.
The clock kept time for a war
no one remembered starting.
And still you kept watering
a plant that never grew.
I folded my name into a paper shape
and set it afloat on the floorboards.
Somewhere under the house
a slow leak was learning
how to become a river.
There were footsteps upstairs
No one was home
Only the dust, and a song
that wouldn’t stop
forgetting its own melody.
If a silence opens its mouth, who listens?
If you survive, but your shadow doesn’t
what walks beside you?
There is no anthem for the unbroken
Only this: the hush before thunder
that no one calls a promise.
VO THI NHU MAI
http/vietnampoetry.wordpress.com
– Date of Birth: March 18, 1976
– Hometown: Quảng Trị, Vietnam
– Current Residence: Dianella, Western Australia, Australia
– Occupation: Primary school teacher in the public education system of Western Australia
– Education: Master’s in Education, Master Degree in Literature
– Roles: Poet, translator
– Work History:
– 1998-2003: English teacher at Ngô Quyền High School, Châu Đức, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu
– 2003-2010: postgraduate studies at Edith Cowan University (ECU), WA
– 2006-2016: Taught at Dryandra Primary School, WA
– 2016-present: Teaching at Maylands Primary School, WA
– 2015-2022: Volunteered at Hùng Vương Vietnamese School on weekends and successfully secured government funding for school activities twice.
teacher, poet, translator
As a primary school teacher with over twenty years of full-time teaching experience in Western Australia, following five years of teaching at a high school in Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu.
In addition to being a poet with numerous published works, my poetry was selected for inclusion in a book as part of a 2023 English poetry competition in Western Australia, organized and curated by WAPOET.
Several of my poems have been set to music and performed across various districts within the country.
I am also an advocate for promoting the works of fellow artists, often designing, presenting, and writing prefaces for their literary collections.
I frequently present bilingual poetry readings at cultural festivals organized by the Vietnamese Women’s Association in Western Australia.
Poetry Collections:
Vietnamese-English Translated Works Published in Recent Years:
I miss the hug
A hug that they give you and you forget the weaknesses of your existence.
I miss a kiss
The kiss that someone give you and your stomach make those noise like is full of butterflies
I miss the smile
That childish smile that you have
U are smiling and all nature become
Pink
I miss the walk to the beach
The waves
The perfume of the salt
I miss the sunshine and the sunset
All the simple things that I had
I miss the generosity of people
I miss the kindness of grandparents
I miss the relaxing moments of drinking a coffee
Now, they all want your friend, your position, your talent, your contact, your potential, your life almost but no one…
Nobody want to get in your shoes
They are too tight.!!!!
©®Eva Petropoulou Eva Lianou Petropoulou
………..
আমি আলিঙ্গন মিস করছি
একটি আলিঙ্গন যা তারা আমাকে দেয় এবং আমি আমার অস্তিত্বের দুর্বলতাগুলি ভুলে যাই।
আমি একটি চুম্বন মিস করি, কেউ আমাকে এবং আমার পেটে যে চুম্বন দেয় তা প্রজাপতিতে ভরা আওয়াজ করে!
আমি হাসি মিস করি
তোমার সেই শিশুসুলভ হাসি তুমি হাসছো এবং সমস্ত প্রকৃতি হয়ে উঠছে
গোলাপী!
আমি সৈকতে হাঁটা মিস করি, তরঙ্গ লবণের সুগন্ধি!
আমি সূর্যোদয় এবং সূর্যাস্ত মিস করি
আমি যে সব সহজ জিনিস ছিল, তা এবং
মানুষের উদারতা মিস করি!
আমি দাদা-দাদির আজর মিস করি, আমি কফি পান করার স্বস্তিদায়ক মুহূর্তগুলি মিস করি
এখন, তারা সবাই আমার বন্ধু, আমার অবস্থান, আমার প্রতিভা, আমার পরিচিতি, আমার সম্ভাবনা, আমার জীবন প্রায় চায় কিন্তু কেউই চায় না…!
কেউ আমার জুতা পেতে চায়না, তারা খুব জোয়ার.!!!!
Author: ©®Eva Petropoulou Eva Lianou Petropoulou.
An Greek Poet.
Bangla Translated by:
Md. Sadiqur Rahman Rumen.
An Bangladeshi Poet.
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: The UN’s Role in Preventing Mass Atrocities
The humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza is one of the most harrowing tragedies of our time. Since October 2023, relentless bombardments, blockades, and mass displacements have turned Gaza into an open-air graveyard. Thousands of innocent Palestinians—many of them women and children—have been killed, while millions face starvation, disease, and psychological trauma. The systematic targeting of civilians, infrastructure, and medical facilities raises serious allegations of genocide under international law.
Yet, amid this devastation, the United Nations (UN)—an institution founded to prevent such atrocities—has largely remained a spectator, issuing resolutions that lack enforcement power. The situation in Gaza not only exposes the failures of global diplomacy but also questions the credibility of international institutions meant to safeguard human rights.
Genocide, as defined by the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948), includes acts intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza—marked by indiscriminate bombings, mass killings, targeted starvation, and forced displacement—fits this definition.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has acknowledged that South Africa’s genocide case against Israel has merit, leading to a provisional ruling demanding Israel take steps to prevent genocidal acts. However, the killings have not stopped. Instead, the assault on Gaza has intensified, with humanitarian aid being blocked and civilian infrastructure being destroyed.
The UN was founded in the aftermath of World War-II to ensure that such atrocities never happen again. However, when it comes to Gaza, the UN has been unable to enforce its own mandates. Notwithstanding, history shows that the UN has, in certain cases, played a crucial role in stopping genocides and war crimes. From Bosnia to Rwanda, the UN has intervened—sometimes successfully, sometimes too late. The question today is: can the UN still fulfill its mandate and eventually stop the genocide in Gaza?
While the UN has often been criticized for inaction, there have been instances where it successfully played a role in halting genocidal violence. These examples provide lessons for Gaza.
Bosnia (1995): UN Peacekeeping and International Justice
During the Bosnian War, the UN initially failed to prevent the massacre of over 8,000 Bosniak people in Srebrenica. However, after global pressure, NATO—under a UN mandate—intervened with airstrikes, leading to the end of the war. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) later prosecuted those responsible, holding key figures accountable for war crimes and genocide.
Lesson for Gaza: The UN, despite its slow response, was able to rally international action against genocide. A similar decisive approach, including sanctions and military deterrence, could force Israel to halt its actions.
Rwanda (1994): A Late but Important Intervention
The Rwandan Genocide, where over 800,000 Tutsis were slaughtered, remains one of the UN’s worst failures. However, after the genocide, the UN established the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which successfully tried and convicted genocide perpetrators. The UN also played a role in rebuilding Rwanda, ensuring long-term stability.
Lesson for Gaza: Justice delayed is not justice denied. The UN must start preparing for accountability measures now, ensuring that those responsible for war crimes in Gaza face prosecution.
East Timor (1999): UN-Led Independence and Peacekeeping
When Indonesia’s military-backed militias unleashed violence in East Timor after its independence vote, the UN intervened with peacekeeping forces (INTERFET). The mission successfully stabilized the region, ending the violence and paving the way for East Timor’s full independence.
Lesson for Gaza: A UN-led peacekeeping mission, with support from the international community, could ensure the long-term protection of Palestinians and prevent future genocidal acts.
Why has the UN failed in Gaza so far? Despite these past successes, the UN has not been able to stop Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Several factors are responsible to this failure:
Security Council Paralysis: The UN Security Council (UNSC) is responsible for maintaining international peace and security. However, due to the veto power of permanent members, particularly the United States, resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza have been repeatedly blocked. The US, a staunch ally of Israel, has used its veto multiple times to shield Israel from international accountability. This has paralyzed the UN from taking decisive action, allowing the genocide to continue unchecked.
General Assembly’s Limited Power: Unlike the UNSC (United Nations Security Council), the UN General Assembly (UNGA) cannot enforce its resolutions. It has passed multiple resolutions condemning Israel’s actions and calling for a ceasefire, but these have had no impact on the ground. The lack of enforcement mechanisms renders the UNGA largely symbolic in this crisis.
Failure to Implement ICJ Rulings: The ICJ’s ruling on genocide prevention should have led to immediate global intervention. However, Israel has ignored the ruling, and its allies continue to supply it with weapons. The UN lacks the ability to ensure compliance with its own judicial system, further eroding its authority.
The Ineffectiveness of UN Agencies: UN agencies like UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) have been crucial in providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians. However, Israel and its allies have systematically undermined these efforts, with many countries suspending funding to UNRWA based on unverified allegations. This has worsened the humanitariancrisis, leaving millions of Gazans without food, water, and medical care.
The Gaza genocide exposes the double standards in global governance. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the international community responded with sanctions, military aid to Ukraine, and a strong diplomatic stance. In contrast, Israel’s actions in Gaza are met with muted criticism and continued military support from Western nations. This hypocrisy has further discredited the UN and weakened trust in international institutions. If genocide can occur in Gaza with impunity, what message does this send to other aggressors worldwide?
While the UN’s failures are glaring, the crisis in Gaza has mobilized global civil society, human rights organizations, and progressive governments. Here’s what must be done to end the genocide and restore the credibility of international institutions:
Reforming the UN Security Council: The UNSC’s structure, where five permanent members hold veto power, is outdated and undemocratic. Reforming this system is essential to ensure that no single nation can block humanitarianinterventions. Countries from the Global South, including Bangladesh, must push for a more balanced and representative international order.
Enforcing ICJ Rulings: If the ICJ has ruled that Israel must prevent genocide, there should be international mechanisms to enforce this decision. Sanctions, arms embargoes, and diplomatic isolation should be imposed on Israel until it complies with international law.
Strengthening the Role of the Global South: Western nations have failed to hold Israel accountable, but the Global South has shown increasing resistance to these double standards. Organizations like BRICS, the African Union, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) must take the lead in pressuring the UN for decisive action. Bangladesh, as a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, should strengthen its diplomatic efforts in this regard.
Holding War Criminals Accountable: Israeli leaders responsible for war crimes should be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC). If justice is selective, international law loses its legitimacy. Civil society groups must continue documenting war crimes to ensure accountability in the future.
The genocide in Gaza is not just a humanitariancrisis—it is a test of humanity’s moral compass. If the UN fails to act, it risks losing its credibility as a guardian of peace and human rights. Past interventions in Bosnia, Rwanda, and East Timor show that the UN can stop genocide when there is political will.
Now, the world must demand that the UN does the same for Gaza. Sanctions, accountability measures, and a UN peacekeeping mission could help end the atrocities. If the UN remains silent, it will not only fail the people of Palestine but also set a dangerous precedent for future genocides worldwide.
Moreover, governments, civil society, and individuals must work together to demand an end to genocide, ensure accountability, and rebuild a world where international law is respected—not selectively enforced.
Gaza’s innocent children deserve to live. The people of Palestine deserve freedom. And the world deserves a United Nations that stands for justice—not power politics. The time for action is now. The UN must choose: uphold its founding principles or become an institution of empty words.
Emran Emon is an eminent South Asian writer, journalist and columnist. He can be reached at emoncolumnist@gmail.com