IDEAL

Ideal? 

Was it what I was looking for.

No it wasn’t. 

Neither it was my plan to be someone’s ideal. 

As I had rejected myself 

A thousand times. 

 I knew my place was thus in a room, and not a house. 

          I misunderstood my unruly soul. 

 I went a step ahead, 

Breaking my small room’s wall into a stranger’s enormous house. 

The stranger let me enter the house and as well welcomed me. 

But I mistook that with an invitation. 

I lived all in peace thinking it was an ideal place for me. 

But very soon the stranger made me realise that I was just a mere guest. 

I could not but leave. 

My heart within was bound by the magical thread of the house. 

It was entangled and bleeded when I tried to detangle it. 

It hurt and I was helpless. 

I had nothing to do. 

I carried the magic of the house with me, 

I welcomed the merciless torment of the house on my heart, 

But it was the heartless house that never welcomed a mere guest like me.

————————————————————————————

bitter cold

and here comes the cold

the kind of weather that kills

the homeless on the streets

the kind of bitter cold

that makes the hair on the

back of your neck stand

up at attention

and here i am

a winter coat and shorts

on

walking down to the

mailbox wondering

which bill is going

unopened today

enough damage has

happened to my legs

over the years that i

really don’t feel

anything on them

anymore

of course

it helps to be

slightly crazy

as well

———————————————————————–

a train out of baltimore

she kissed me and asked

what happened to your

soul

i told her it was stolen

from me on a train out

of baltimore

she chuckled and started

to run her fingers through

my chest hair

all gray now

you sure you aren’t ten

years older than you say

you are

i laugh and start to play

with a gray hair on her

head

she laughed

and we started to kiss

i’m sure she was thinking

of someone younger

and i was thinking about

that train out of baltimore

some crazy woman that

swore she had the blood

of edgar allan poe

a few drinks later

a disheveled poet

finally gets to

go home

———————————————————————–

david lynch

she cried in my arms

when she got the news

that david lynch was

dead

we met watching

blue velvet years

ago

we both knew

this day would

be devastating

i held her tighter

with each sob all

the while wondering

what flavor of gum

was she chewing

and if one thing

leads to another

is she going to

take the gum out

put it in my mouth

or keep chewing it

as she travels down

my body

i started to laugh

she looked at me

funny

i told her just a

little daydream

of my body hair

and a tragic piece

of gum

she smiled, pushed

me away

as if…

————————————————————————

trapped in our machines

and here we are choking

on common sense

blaming instead of doing

anything about anything

lost souls trapped in

our machines

better realities where you

never have to face any

consequences

we never age gracefully

anymore

kicking and screaming

29 until i die

yet another avoidable

tragedy

there is no laughter

anymore

no smiles, no sunshine

everything is going to

kill us

someday

and you know that fucker

in the corner is making

money off of your misery

is it his fault or the system

that created the chance to

begin with

no one likes change

unless it benefits the

one they care about

———————————————————————————-

always a good time

the muse called the other

night drunk, always a

good time

to more or less tell

me goodbye

detailing her escape

and all i could think

about was how the

marriage and kids

she wants

i am ready to give

but that doesn’t

fit her timeline

now

just my luck

two russian bots are

in love with me

i know they can’t be real

how many fucking single

women had their parents

die in a plane crash and

now live with a cousin

and just happened to fall

in love with a poet in ohio

i know my lack of luck

better than anyone alive

i think of it as a gene

from my father

yet another fucking gift

but all things come

to an end

love, friendship, dynasties,

peace and eventually

understanding

J.J. Campbell (1976 – ?) is stuck in suburbia, plotting his escape. He has been recently published at The Beatnik Cowboy, The Dope Fiend Daily, Disturb the Universe Magazine, Horror Sleaze Trash and Yellow Mama. His next book will hopefully be out sometime in 2025. In the meantime, you can find him daily on his mildly entertaining blog, evil delights. (https://evildelights.blogspot.com)

𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 – 𝐏𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

PRISM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

We are thrilled to announce a call for submissions for the poetry anthology Prism of Consciousness. This anthology will accompany the upcoming VI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE CAESURAE COLLECTIVE SOCIETY, jointly organised by the Centre for Indian Arts and Cultural Studies (CIACS), Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University, Department of English, Cooch Behar College (affiliated to the university), and Caesurae Collective Society in collaboration with Sri Vishnu Mohan Foundation, Chennai. The conference will be held from 9–11 April 2025 at Cooch Behar, the erstwhile princely state in West Bengal, India. 

The anthology seeks to weave a fabric of poetic expressions that resonate with the theme of consciousness—exploring the mind, the self, and the infinite cosmos—weaving together poetic voices that reflect on what it means to be aware, alive, and interconnected. 

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE CAESURAE COLLECTIVE SOCIETY

Date     : 9, 10, & 11 April 2025

Venue  : Cooch Behar College

Place    : Cooch Behar, the erstwhile princely state in West Bengal, India

THEME

Prism of consciousness—a profound interaction of thought, emotion, and awareness that shapes our experience of reality. We invite poets to explore this theme in all its dimensions:

A THOUGHT TO EXPLORE

   Mind and Self: Reflections on identity, awareness, and the inner workings of thought.

   Interconnectedness: The interplay between individual consciousness and the external world, including nature, society, and the cosmos.

   Altered States: Dreams, meditations, mystical experiences, and other states of awareness.

   Cultural Perspectives: Diverse interpretations of consciousness across traditions, philosophies, and spiritual practices.

   The Future of Consciousness: Technological influences, artificial intelligence, and the evolution of awareness.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. Eligibility: Open to poets worldwide. Submissions in English are preferred. 

2. Submission Limit: Up to three poems per person; one poem will be selected.

3. Format: Submissions must be in a single Word document, with each poem on a separate page. A high-resolution headshot photograph (JPEG format) is required.

4. Length: Individual poems should not exceed 37 lines. The bio should be a succinct biographical narrative of up to 111 words, written in the third person. 

5. Originality: Submissions must be original and unpublished works. We kindly request that you refrain from simultaneous submissions and choose to share your work exclusively with our anthology.

6. Declaration: Include a cover letter affirming that your submitted work is entirely your own and has not been published elsewhere.

7. Personal Information – Provide the following details in the body of your email: full name, postal address with landmark, email address, and mobile number.

SUBMISSION CONTENT

Your submission must include the following:

1. Poem(s)   

2. Bio

3. Photo 

4. Declaration

5. Personal Information

IMPORTANT 

1. Submissions will only be considered for selection once all five required items are provided as per the guidelines. 

2. The decisions of our selection process are final and irrevocable. 

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Deadline: 10th February 2025

Email: Orbindo.ganga@gmail.com

Subject Line: “Submission: Prism of Consciousness Anthology”

AVAILABILITY OF COPIES

1. For Co-authors: 

    Co-author may purchase copies at a discounted rate before publication. 

2. Paperback Price: 

    Market Price: Rs 600/- (for international authors: $60/-) plus delivery charges after publication.

Discounted Rate for Co-authors: Rs 480/- (for international authors: $45/-), including delivery charges before publication.

BOOK LAUNCH, POETRY READING, AND DISCUSSIONS

The book will be launched during the conference in Cooch Behar (West Bengal), with featured poets invited to participate in a special poetry reading session and discussions. 

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒 @ 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐜𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐫

   Please note that the poetry reading session and discussion will include participants whose work has been selected for the anthology Prism of Consciousness.

  If your poem has been selected and you wish to participate in the conference at Cooch Behar, kindly email us. We will send you the registration form.

FOR REGISTRATION

Same as the conference email.

REGISTRATION FEE

Same as the conference registration fee.

Registration will close on 22nd February 2025. 

Join us in creating a poetic philharmonic that resonates across minds, hearts, and worlds.

For poetry anthology inquiries-

CONTACT

Email: orbindo.ganga@gmail.com

Whatsapp: + 91 9895290371

******************************************************************************************

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The conference is an interdisciplinary gathering of thinkers, researchers, philosophers, and artists, united in the pursuit of unraveling the mysteries of consciousness. It will feature academic sessions, poetry readings and discussions, book launches, music workshops, an exhibition based on the theme, lecture demonstrations, and cultural events. By linking this anthology to the conference, we aim to celebrate the poetic voice as an essential element in exploring human awareness.

The conference Paradigms of Consciousness and Its Cultural and Aesthetic Expressions seeks to investigate the diverse ways in which consciousness and spirituality are understood, experienced, and articulated across disciplines and cultures. Consciousness, as a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, transcends disciplinary boundaries, integrating philosophical, artistic, scientific, cultural and psychological perspectives. This conference offers a platform to explore these intersections, delving into the deep connections between the mind, self, and the world, as expressed through various cultural and aesthetic forms.

Selected papers will be published in a volume by an international publisher and in our ejournal: Caesurae: Poetics of Cultural Translation (ISSN 2454-9495)

  Please send your Abstracts in about 500 words to conferencecaesurae2025@gmail.com.

  Deadline: 20 February 2025

  Acceptance of Abstracts by 26 February 2025

  Registration process should be completed within 7 days of acceptance of Abstracts

  Registration Fees – Rs 2000 for participants in India and 25 $ for overseas participants + Caesurae Membership Fee – Annual (Rs 500 / $6 for overseas participants) / Life (Rs 5000/ $ 60 for overseas participants).

  Accommodation (On request) for twin sharing rooms: Rs 3500

(Registration fees will cover access to the plenaries and panels of the Conference, including the musical, literary and Zoom sessions of the international speakers, as well as a Participation Certificate. A working lunch will be provided and a conference kit.)

** It is mandatory to take Caesurae membership for participating in our conferences. If you are a Life Member you must only pay the Registration Fee. If you are an Annual Member and have not renewed your membership you either you become a Life Member or take an Annual Membership. 

  How to pay Registration fee and Membership fee?

Once we accept your abstract, we will send you our Bank details and a Google Form link. 

✓  For Registration and Caesurae Annual Membership: Rs 2500/-

✓  For Registration and Caesurae Life Membership: Rs 7000/-

✓  For Registration + Annual Membership + Accommodation: Rs 6000/-

✓  For Registration + Life Membership + Accommodation: Rs 10,500/-

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEE

Indian participants      –  ₹ 2500

Overseas participants  – $ 31 

CONTACT:

Email: conferencecaesurae2025@gmail.com

Whatsapp: + 91 8017147503

******************************************************************************************

Kind regards,

Orbindu Ganga 

Chief Editor 

PRISM OF CONSCIOUSNESS 

&

Member, Editorial Board

Caesurae Journal

Yahoo Mail: Αναζητήστε, οργανωθείτε, πετύχετε

Eva Petropolou’s review of the poem “Looking For You” by Yatti Sadeli

Looking for you..

Looking for you behind every unhappy moment

Looking

For  Why

In every world that just started

Looking for

Excuses

For every woman murder

Is our world

Only for riches and technocrats

Are They going to survive with their robots

That will sing songs to make their faces smile??

Looking for you

This excellent mind

And

Unique thought

Looking for you

In this empty world

With the empty minds

Is this world

Creating illusions

To keep the world silent and sleepy

While the beast are eating flesh

During the Holy night

Looking for you

In this big planet

Full of plastic

Just i wonder

Why the half of world

Want to destroy the other half??

Looking for you

In this madness

Genocide

Of children

And

Disappear of

Women

How the babies

Will come

If the man that plays

God

Destroy the feminine 

???

 

By Eva Petropolou Lianou

This poem touches my heart because you wrote it in a serious poetic style. The diction and phrases you use are not trite. You have done an excellent job opposing genocide. Yes, currently peace is just an illusion. But through this poem, you have tried to strengthen hope because otherwise there would be nothing left. Thank You. We hope that your written work will inspire change in the feelings of anyone who agrees with genocide in Palestine.

Combating Corruption and Financial Transparency

Today, corruption poses a significant barrier to economic and social development, affecting not only nations but also the private sector and the global financial system. Corruption leads to the misallocation of resources, increased poverty, and loss of public trust in government. In this article, we will explore the impact of corruption on the financial system, the importance of financial transparency, and strategies for combating corruption, including global best practices.

Forms of Corruption in the Financial System

1. Corruption in Government Finances:

In 2015, Brazil’s “Petrobras Scandal” became one of the most well-known examples of corruption within state-run companies. Billions of dollars were misappropriated from the state-owned oil company, which resulted in an economic crisis and political instability.

2. Corruption in the Private Sector:

The 2008 global financial crisis was partly caused by fraudulent financial practices and corruption in the banking system. For instance, Lehman Brothers was involved in illegal financial manipulations, which had a devastating impact on the global economy.

3. Global Impact of Corruption:

The Panama Papers (2016) revealed the scale of global corruption and money laundering operations. Many politicians and business leaders were found to have moved financial assets into offshore accounts illegally, which undermined the global financial system.

Importance of Financial Transparency

Ensuring Economic Stability:

Georgia’s commitment to anti-corruption measures and its efforts to improve financial transparency have stabilized its economy. The introduction of e-Government systems, for example, significantly reduced corruption and attracted foreign investment.

Increasing Public Trust in Government:

Sweden and Denmark are among thee countries with the lowest levels of corruption globally. Their transparent financial systems ensure that the public is informed about how government funds are used, fostering greater trust in the political process.

Methods of Combating Corruption

1. Utilizing Technology:

India’s Aadhaar system has enabled the government to directly deliver financial assistance to citizens, reducing the opportunity for corruption and ensuring funds reach their intended recipients.

2. Strengthening Legislation:

In South Korea, former president Park Geun-hye was convicted of corruption, which led to stronger anti-corruption laws and improvements in government accountability.

3. International Cooperation:

The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) has implemented anti-corruption conventions that help improve global financial transparency. For example, the convention has enforced strict measures to prevent bribery in international business transactions.

4. Public Oversight:

Transparency International plays a crucial role in detecting and exposing corruption. Its annual reports are used to assess and highlight corruption levels across countries, pushing governments to take action.

Combating corruption and promoting financial transparency are essential for the sustainable development of both countries and societies. The implementation of technology, stronger legislation, and international cooperation all contribute to reducing corruption. The success stories of countries like Georgia, Denmark, and India demonstrate that transparency fosters trust, economic stability, and social progress. By improving financial literacy and shaping an anti-corruption culture, we can ensure a stable future for all.

NARZULLOYEVA MUNISA BAKHROMOVNA was born on August 13th, 2006, in Surxandarya region, Sariasia district of the Republic of Uzbekistan. She is currently studying in her first year at the Faculty of Journalism. She has accomplished a lot of achievements. For instance: her articles were published in Germany’s “Raven Cage” and Kenya’s “Mt. Kenya Times” international magazines. Additionally, her articles were published twice on the official website of “Synchronized Chaos” and have been indexed on Google. Also, she is a member of the “All India Council of Technical Skill Development” and a member of “Global Education Ambassador”.

The Awesome Himalaya

An awesome great height,

and a multiplex geologic frame

with breathtaking designs.

Snow capped summits and peaks,

large valleys with heaps of

solid water and freezing salt.

Extensive water gorges with

rich flora and fauna;

like the delicate growing viola,

the ever creeping frageria,

the tuft potent ilia,

lesser pandas,

the very elusive polar leopard,

and the dreadful luciferian black bear.

All these speak loudly and visibly to you

about me – The Himalaya.

I have promoted and elevated a few to

the heroic peaks of intrepid success.

The chief of them being Hillary.

Still any who dares to maintain the upward

trajectory will undoubtedly be indelibly rewarded.

I am a rare sight to behold, and the melting pot of the red dragon, the golden sparrow, the thunderbolt, the incredible land of the gods, and Ali Jinnah’s carved out jewel.

Rain

The sun is hidden behind the clouds

The clouds turned into a black storm

Covered the sky together with the sky

Suddenly the sky rumbled

Lightning flashed in the sky

Little by little

It started to rain

It was pouring rain

Knocking on the window

The smell of rain spread

It caught the whole world

Enjoy the plants

Sevinardi in the rain

It is slowly shining from the rain

Thank you plants

Asta bowed his head