A FATHER’S LOVE IN SILENCE

One of the most complex emotions in the world is a father’s love for his daughter. This love is rarely expressed loudly, turned into poetry, or spoken through daily repetitions of the words “I love you.” Instead, it often lives in silence, concern, hard work, and sacrifice.

Many fathers love their daughters deeply, yet struggle to express that love through words. The reason is not a lack of affection, but rather the way many of them were raised. They belong to generations that learned to hide their emotions and to demonstrate love through actions rather than speech.

A father who works tirelessly for his daughter’s future, worries about her safety, or waits anxiously when she comes home late is expressing one of the deepest forms of love. However, daughters do not always recognize this affection because they long to hear it spoken aloud.

The relationship between a father and a daughter is one of the most significant bonds in human life. A daughter often learns her earliest lessons about trust, self-worth, and relationships through her father. His support helps shape her confidence and encourages her to grow into a strong and independent individual.

At the same time, many fathers carry a quiet regret within them: they cannot fully express how much they love their daughters. Time passes, daughters grow up, and life takes them in different directions, yet the unspoken words remain. In reality, a simple phrase such as “I am proud of you” or “I love you” can become one of the most valuable gifts a daughter remembers for the rest of her life.

A father’s love does not need to be loud. Sometimes it appears in a brief glance into his daughter’s room before leaving for work, or in the silent pride he feels when witnessing her achievements. This love may be invisible, but it is never absent.

Because fathers love deeply. They simply do not always know how to say it.

Maftuna Rustamova.

10th grade student

Where My School Once Stood

World War 1 was over for over a week now. Peace had been declared after all was gone. We somehow managed to stay strong and hide in the basements below which were dark and hauntingly silent. Darkness everywhere – down there and in everyone’s life. Mightiest of the buildings fell down burnt, hands and heads popping out from rubble. Heaps of dead people were seen – some soldiers, some civilians but everyone a helpless victim. We lost our house, and many dear ones. We were senseless and numb as we grieved our loss.

I went today without telling my wife. I hadn’t spoken a word since days and I didn’t know what to do, what to feel and so I went to my school – the place my heaven before this war began.

I was shaken by a thought – if my school had collapsed, even the slightest hope of happiness would vanish. On the way, I saw the destroyed lanes, and people wailing somewhere now and then. My heart was beating fast – one turn in and there it would be in front of me.

I closed my eyes and stood there in front of it. As I immediately opened them, I slipped into an abyss as the ground swallowed me. The school building was gone – collapsed into powder and stones. I walked over those remains, and now I couldn’t control myself. My lips trembled, and my jaw was completely frozen as I kept my hand on my mouth and wept.

I could hear the school bell ring, and me standing outside the class – late as always. Now there was a test in the second period, and I did my best to copy the topper in front of me without getting caught. I missed those teachers who gave me piles of homework – they were a villain then, and now I want them to torture me again. I missed those social science periods where I used to get my beauty sleep, and those mathematics lectures I struggled to understand. I wanted to dance just like how I did when we were taken to the science lab, but now life has left me with nothing to celebrate.

“Come back my mates – let’s play again and run around, let’s beat each other once again, I want to steal your lunchbox again – your mom makes fabulous sandwiches,” I whispered as my voice broke while crying. All those faces flashed in front of my eyes – so many would have been killed in the war, and I wanted them to come and meet me again.

I bent down as my knees trembled, and took small stones and particles of my destroyed heaven back to the home which I had lost now. What can I say? What is left to say? 

My Son Returned Home 

She has wept a lot,

All tears gone now,

Dried,

Her fate now, her life now. 

Today he will come home, 

Killed,

Behind stood the neighbour, keeping a hand on her shoulder,

Two mothers at the same corner of life. 

They both had come, 

Both of them to sleep forever. 

The neighbour’s son gave his life to his country,

Her son dared touch someone’s daughter. 

Everybody stood there, fake tears in judging eyes, 

They saluted the neighbour,

And looked at her with disgust,

Her stained womb. 

All blamed her,

Raised fingers on her upbringing,

“Poor girl died,

Someone didn’t teach her son morals”. 

Nobody understood her, her life,

The storms she fought to raise him up,

The neighbour’s cry a river of gems,

Her giving birth a crime. 

The neighbour though never left her side,

She stood by her in all those pains,

She wept with her,

She wiped her tears, she understood those, she felt them.

“You have indebted me forever,” she said one day,

The neighbour smiled, only she knew a woman’s duty,

“They be fools, which mother teaches wrong,

Bereavement is bereavement.”  

Shlok Pandey is a 17-year-old Indian writer who is a student of a completely different field and practices writing and reading in the very little spare time he can manage from his studies.  He writes literary fiction and poems focused on human relationships, nature, daily life observations, human psychology and everyday emotional experiences. His stories have appeared in the Wise Owl Magazine, Setu Journal, Synchronized Chaos, The Drift and Dribble Miscellany and Wildflower Post and his poems have appeared in/ forthcoming in The Crossroads Review, cloudymoon lit mag, The Utrecht Pigeon Magazine, Poetic Practice and aesterion magazine. Instagram – @iamshlokp.

Excerpt from Fleury’s fiction book: It’s Always Sunrise Somewhere and Other Stories]

Jislene scurries around her apartment determined not to be defeated by the Haitian Time Curse to always be late. She is married to a White man and living—what looks like to most outsiders—the American dream in the suburb of Lakeville, Massachusetts while her only daughter is away at university.

Now, in her red convertible with the top down and the wind in her straight black hair, she is listening to Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” from her debut album just released. She sings along with the lyrics: “You got a fast car; maybe together we can get somewhere. Maybe we make a deal, starting from nothing got nothing to lose…” She smiles to herself as she anticipates seeing the girls since they only meet once a month.

First there is Gilda, a gregarious gal who’s constantly laughing, even at things most people don’t even find funny. Betsy is a yoyo dieter. Her husband often mocks her by making “BooBoom Booboom Booboom” sounds when she walks in public, which Betsy always pretends to laugh off and then cries herself to sleep at night. Wanda, an Arabic woman who always wears a head wrap and covered up in layers of clothes leaving only her face and hands visible to the
public, to appease her Arabic husband. Polish Paula, at 25 with blond hair and blue eyes, is the youngest of the group with a curvaceous hourglass figure that most middle-aged men would mortgage a house for.

Jislene arrives just as the sun is setting over her rural surroundings. She pushes through the door left ajar with an apologetic half smile on her face for always being late. “Bonsoir and sorry ladies, I really tried hard not to be late this time,” she says in her Haitian accent.
“Oh, Jislene. Next time, I’ll have to send a time police to your house to handcuff you and bring you here on time?” Gilda utters laughingly.
“Sweety, you think I would waste my time with you bitches if you sent me a uniformed stallion to play with?” Jislene tilts her head back and laughs.

“Ladies, I take it you all have finished the book? I know I did and it was a fascinating read please, sit,” Betsy declares. “I particularly like the title ‘Mother, Lover, Murderer.’ I also found it to be quite relevant to the plight of modern women to free themselves from male domination, don’t you?” They all sit in Betsy’s living room and commence sipping tea and coffee.

“Oh, yes…I’ve known plenty of women who have been pushed to the edge to…you know, have reason to kill,” says Jislene as she looks nervously around the room, avoiding direct eye contact with the other women while she sips her coffee. “I found the sex scenes to be quite tantalizing indeed….” Wanda chuckles as she looks around at
the women.

“You of all people? Walking around all covered up like a mummy? You almost had me thinking that all you do in bed is pray!”” says Jislene, which invokes laughter from the women. “My favorite part was when Marla murdered her husband. I think it was justified since he practically enslaved her. I mean, who ties someone’s arms and legs to bed posts and then continuously act out mock rape scenes just for kicks and then afterwards expect her to cook his dinner and draw his bath. I would kill the motherfucker too if I was in that situation.” Spitballs are flying out of Jislene’s mouth and the veins in her neck are visibly throbbing as she practically barks out the words. Wanda squirms uncomfortably in her seat as she watches Jislene speak. Gilda laughs, but it almost seems forced. And at that very moment, a hissing sound can be heard coming from the kitchen, and Betsy—welcoming the distraction—stands up and asks, “More tea
anyone?” Everyone said no.

“Well, I definitely think that the son of a bitch got what he deserved,” offers Paula. “Now you can understand why I use my looks to manipulate the hell out of those assholes and clean out their bank accounts by the time I am done with them. Sex appeal is my ultimate weapon against those pigs and he better be packing no less than eight and a half inches if he wants to slip his key into my lock.” Paulo tilts her head in a brief forward and backward motion to accentuate her point. And all the women drop their jaws and raise their eyebrows in Paula’s direction.

“Well, my Charlie has his asshole moments, especially when he pokes fun of my weight, but for the most part he is good to me. As long as I do what he wants and try not to piss him off with back talk, we’re good. So what if he wants me to cook and clean in full make-up and high heels when he is around. I like to surrender to his 1950’s housewife fantasies,” Betsy says in a low resigned voice. As the ladies take turns talking, the moon can be seen hovering behind a cloud outside the living room window and the sizzling summer night air, which has seeped into the house—feels stifling and Betsy responds by turning on the ceiling fan.

“My husband is fucking my brother!” Wanda exclaims and all eyes turn to her in shock and disbelief. “As you know my brother has been staying with me since his divorce. Now I know why the marriage didn’t work!” The ladies are all silent and shocked. Paula speaks first, “Your macho male chauvinist husband? What makes you think…I mean…do you have any proof?”

“Well, one day I came home and my brother came out of our bedroom bare-chested, sweaty and buttoning up his pants, and I could hear Slav scurrying around our bedroom and when I quickly
poke my head in, he too was half naked trying to get his pants on. They both said half in unison that they were just wrestling with each other. Which I thought was a crack of shit!” Wanda leans forward with her right hand on her right thigh and cupped under her chin as she looks down at the floor. Outside, the moon is still slowly trying to evade the dense cloud that obliterates it and the windows are illuminated slightly by its fluorescent glow and rattling a bit from the growing wind. All the women are silent for a brief moment and the sound of crickets can be heard coming from the nearby woods. “What are you gonna do now Wanda?” Gilda asks.

“I don’t know. The women in my family never even consider divorce” Wanda says as she looks off in the distance. And then suddenly, like she just became infused with a sudden boost of manic energy, declares “But you know what, I think I’m gonna be the first. I’m going to divorce his faggot ass!” Then she stands up, yanks the head wrap from her head, takes off the long robe to expose a tight strapless red dress she wore underneath and all the women gasps in utter bewilderment and then suddenly begin clapping while Wanda takes a number of bows as if she’d just given the performance of a lifetime. “This is the kind of clothes I am going to wear from now on,” she says in a triumphant fashion. And with that, they adjourned the meeting.

As Jislene drives home, she is content to think that the ladies don’t really know her or what she has done. They don’t know that she is a serial black widow and that she has killed every man she’d ever married because they all reminded her of her father. She had been raped and sexually abused by her dad—while her mother looked the other way—since she was just five years old to the age of sixteen when she finally mustered the courage to run away from home. They don’t know that as she is driving home, she plans to stop by the store to buy more arsenic to prepare her current husband’s dinner. They don’t know that she has been physically and mentally abused by every man she’d ever married since running away from home, including her current one.

Would they judge her to be a bad person if they knew about the killings? After all, isn’t she the real victim here? They don’t know that the book they are reading was written by Jislene herself under a pen name. “It just goes to show,” She thinks to herself, “’our secrets are what constitute who we really are.”

As she shifts the gears of her stick shift, the moon finally peaks from under the heavy-handed mass of clouds to illuminate the dark highway on which she had driven many times on her way home from her book club.

Jacques Fleury is a Boston Globe featured and internationally published Haitian American poet, theater reviewer, educator, author of numerous books of essays, reviews, fiction, poetry and literary arts student through Harvard University. He was chosen among over 4, 000 competitors from 83 countries as the Recipient of the International Naji Naaman Literary Prize for Creativity (2026) and a Certificate of Participation for his “…esteemed contribution of poetry to the anthology Water: The Source of Life (Volume IV) presented by La Fenetre De Paris. 

It’s Always Sunrise Somewhere and Other Stories among other titles are available at all Massachusetts public libraries, the University of Massachusetts Healey Library, Wyoming University, Askews and Holts Library Services, the leading library supply specialist in the United Kingdom, The MIT Press Bookstore, The Harvard Bookstore and the oldest poetry bookstore in America: The Grolier Poetry Book Shop (est. 1927) has hosted great American poets E. E. Cummings and Alan Ginsberg and online bookstores worldwide such as Bookshop dot com, Amazon etc…

Station

People stand with tickets 

like small permissions to leave.

Some read the time again and again, 

as if it might change its decision.

No one is fully present here

one foot already in departure, 

the other still negotiating with what they call home.

Trains arrive without apology, 

and leave without regret.

Names are called like warnings, not invitations.

And love, if it exists here, 

is always in a hurry it cannot explain.

What hurts is not leaving,

it is how ordinary it looks while it happens

as if separation were just another way of arriving somewhere else.

She is a Pakistan-based published writer whose literary work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites, and digests. She is also the author of the book, Eternal Melodies.

Scientific Foundations of a Healthy Lifestyle: A Systems Biology Approach to Human Longevity

A healthy lifestyle is not merely a modern wellness trend; it is a comprehensive, biologically substantiated approach to optimizing human physiology, preventing chronic diseases, and extending healthspan—the period of life spent in good health. According to modern biomedical and biophysical research, human health is a dynamic equilibrium governed by the interplay between genetic predisposition and epigenetic factors, the most prominent of which is lifestyle. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 50% of individual health outcomes are directly determined by daily behavioral choices.

From a systems biology perspective, the human body functions as an interconnected network of biochemical and physiological pathways. When these pathways are disrupted by poor habits, the body shifts from homeostasis (stable balance) to pathogenesis (disease development). This article explores the fundamental scientific pillars of a healthy lifestyle and their mechanisms at the cellular, molecular, and systemic levels.

—

## 1. Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolic Homeostasis

Nutritional science has evolved beyond the simple concept of satisfying hunger or counting calories. Today, it is understood as the cellular delivery of macronutrients (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) essential for driving metabolic reactions.

### The Energetic Balance and Mitochondrial Function

Every cell requires Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy currency of the body, generated by the mitochondria. To maintain metabolic homeostasis, energy intake must match energy expenditure. Chronic caloric surplus leads to the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue (fat around internal organs). This tissue is not inert; it acts as an endocrine organ, secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines such as Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-$\alpha$) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), which drive systemic, low-grade chronic inflammation.

### Glycemic Index and Insulin Resistance

The consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates (refined sugars, processed grains) causes rapid spikes in blood glucose. In response, the pancreas secretes large amounts of insulin to facilitate glucose uptake by cells. Over time, constant hyperinsulinemia desensitizes cellular receptors, leading to *insulin resistance*. This state is the pathophysiological hallmark of Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, and accelerated cellular aging.

### Lipid Profiles and Cellular Membrane Integrity

Lipids are essential components of cellular membranes, maintaining their fluidity and signaling capabilities. Replacing saturated fats and artificial trans-fats with polyunsaturated fatty acids (specifically Omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA found in fish and flaxseeds) alters the composition of cell membranes. This optimization improves endothelial function (the lining of blood vessels), lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, and significantly reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.

—

## 2. Kinesiology and Cardiorespiratory Physiology

The human musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems are highly adaptive architectures designed for movement. Physical inactivity, known as hypokinesia, initiates a cascade of degenerative structural and functional changes across multiple organ systems.

“`

[Physical Inactivity] ──> [Endothelial Dysfunction] ──> [Nitric Oxide ↓] ──> [Arterial Stiffness & Hypertension]

“`

### Aerobic Capacity and Endothelial Health

Engaging in regular aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling) increases the stroke volume of the heart and expands the vital capacity of the lungs, optimizing systemic oxygenation. On a molecular level, the mechanical shear stress of blood flowing through vessels during exercise stimulates the endothelium to produce *nitric oxide (NO)*. Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator that relaxes blood vessels, reduces arterial stiffness, and regulates systemic blood pressure.

### Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Muscle Plasticity

Musculoskeletal adaptation to physical load involves a process called *mitochondrial biogenesis*—the creation of new mitochondria within muscle cells. Driven by the activation of the master regulator PGC-1$\alpha$, an increased density of mitochondria allows cells to burn fats and sugars more efficiently, increasing physical endurance and protecting against metabolic decline. Furthermore, resistance training prevents sarcopenia (age-related muscle wasting), which is vital for preserving metabolic rate and skeletal integrity.

### Myokines and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)

Skeletal muscles act as endocrine organs during contraction, releasing signaling peptides called *myokines*. One prominent myokine is irisin, which crosses the blood-brain barrier and stimulates the expression of *Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)* in the hippocampus. BDNF promotes neurogenesis (the birth of new neurons), enhances synaptic plasticity, and serves as a powerful natural defense against neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and depression.

—

## 3. Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms

Biological systems operate on an internal, evolutionary timekeeping mechanism known as the *circadian rhythm*. Governed by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus, this 24-hour cycle regulates hormone secretion, body temperature, and cellular repair.

### The Glymphatic System: Brain Detoxification

One of the most vital scientific discoveries in sleep medicine is the *glymphatic system*. During slow-wave (deep) sleep, the extracellular space in the brain increases by up to 60%, allowing cerebrospinal fluid to rapidly flush through the tissue. This process effectively cleanses the brain of metabolic waste accumulated during waking hours, including neurotoxic proteins like beta-amyloid and tau proteins, which are directly implicated in cognitive decline.

| Sleep Phase | Dominant Physiological Process | Health Benefit |

| — | — | — |

| **Deep Sleep (N3)** | Glymphatic clearance, Growth Hormone secretion | Brain detoxification, tissue repair, and immune strengthening |

| **REM Sleep** | Neural pathway reorganization, emotional processing | Memory consolidation and psychological resilience |

### Endocrinology of the Dark Cycle: Melatonin and Cortisol

As environmental light decreases, the pineal gland synthesizes *melatonin*. Beyond inducing sleep, melatonin is one of the body’s most potent endogenous anti-oxidants and radical scavengers, protecting cellular DNA from oxidative damage. Artificial blue light from screens suppresses melatonin synthesis, delaying the sleep cycle and artificially elevating morning cortisol (stress hormone) levels at night, which disrupts the natural hormonal balance and impairs immune function. Clinical data indicates that adults require 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep nightly to preserve these homeostatic functions.

—

## 4. Pathophysiology of Chronic Stress and Psychohygiene

While acute stress is an evolutionary survival mechanism (“fight or flight”), modern chronic stress acts as a persistent, low-level physiological toxin that slowly degrades the body’s defenses.

### The HPA Axis and Systemic Wear

Perceived chronic stress triggers the continuous activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to sustained high levels of glucocorticoids, primarily *cortisol*. Prolonged hypercortisolemia exerts a destructive effect on the immune system by inducing the apoptosis (programmed death) of T-lymphocytes and suppressing natural killer (NK) cell activity. This leaves the body highly susceptible to viral infections and compromises its internal surveillance system against mutated cancer cells.

“`

[Chronic Stress] ──> [HPA Axis Activation] ──> [Persistent Cortisol Rise] ──> [T-Cell Suppression] ──> [Immune Deficit]

“`

### Neuroplasticity and Mindfulness Interventions

To counteract HPA axis dysfunction, practicing psychohygiene—such as mindfulness, breathwork, and cognitive behavioral adjustments—is essential. These practices shift the autonomic nervous system from a sympathetic (“fight or flight”) state to a parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) state via the vagus nerve. Over time, these interventions promote positive *neuroplasticity*, increasing gray matter density in regions of the brain responsible for emotional regulation (the prefrontal cortex) while shrinking the overactive fear center (the amygdala).

—

## 5. Toxicology: Cellular Impact of Xenobiotics

A critical aspect of a healthy lifestyle is protecting the body from harmful external substances (xenobiotics), specifically nicotine and ethanol, which cause significant damage to vital organs.

### Nicotine, Carbon Monoxide, and Cellular Hypoxia

Cigarette smoke introduces thousands of toxic compounds into the respiratory tract. Among them, *carbon monoxide (CO)* has an affinity for hemoglobin that is roughly 200 times higher than that of oxygen. When inhaled, it binds to hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin, severely reducing the blood’s capacity to transport oxygen. This induces systemic *cellular hypoxia* (oxygen starvation), forcing the heart to work harder and damaging the delicate endothelial lining of arteries, which accelerates cardiovascular disease.

### Ethanol Metabolism and DNA Adducts

When alcohol (ethanol) is consumed, the liver prioritizes its clearance using the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase to convert it into *acetaldehyde*. Acetaldehyde is a highly reactive, toxic compound and a known carcinogen. It interferes with DNA replication and repair by forming destructive DNA adducts (bonds), which can cause permanent genetic mutations. Furthermore, its metabolism generates massive amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to oxidative stress that destroys liver cells (hepatocytes) and can progress to cirrhosis.

—

## Conclusion: The Epigenetic Power of Choice

In summary, a healthy lifestyle is a deliberate, scientifically backed system of daily habits that work together to optimize human biology. By understanding and applying the principles of nutritional balance, physical movement, circadian alignment, stress management, and toxicological avoidance, individuals can actively influence their genetic expression.

While we cannot alter our inherited DNA sequence, we hold substantial control over its *epigenetic expression*—turning on health-protective genes and silencing disease-promoting ones. Ultimately, cultivating a healthy lifestyle is far more than a preventative measure; it is the most effective, biologically proven strategy to achieve long-term vital energy and biological longevity.

Immortal Oracles

Poem By Lan Xin (Lanxin Samei)

Humankind wanders through wild woods of spiritual mist

Countless souls sink into primordial chaos

Lost and fallen in the ignorance of greed, anger and delusion

Clouded inner eyes fail to behold the true nature of the heavens and earth

Beloved humankind

Do not linger in the net alone

The golden lotus has grown in the depths of the soul

Petal tips gather light from higher dimensions

Resolutely piercing layers of confusion

Awakening slowly in the midst of chaos

The Dongba priest blows the white conch

Its call pierces layers of cloud and mist

Rushing straight to the gates of the thirteenth heavens

Carrying ancient signals

knocking at the roots of the universe

Awakening the soul of civilization sleeping in the cave of signatures

The golden phoenix soars across the sky

Its clear cry scatters the dark haze of the sky

Feathers shake off sparks of starlight

Prometheus’ fire

Gently plucked by the clear wind of the sacred mountain

Falling on the snow line of Mount Kailash

Scattered across the vast Martian soil

Above the Möbius strip

Time breaks free from the closed loop of bondage

The shadow of the Himalayas steps through a thousand years of solitude

Cradling the lingering echo of snowland chants

Passing them to the Pleiades stars

The wisdom of Sirius, following the strings of the cosmic lyre

Flows into the hidden realms of Nubia

Medusa’s gaze

No longer a curse of stone

But a clear mirror that sees through all illusion

The all-seeing eye

Looking down on the mortal world from the high-dimensional sky

Witnessing the sleeping mind slowly waking to new life

This is not the final chapter of the decay of oracles

But the opening stanza of the soul’s awakening

When all high-dimensional imprints resonate in harmony

When the sparks of world civilizations merge once more

The long-slumbering mind

Will finally hear

— The oracles that once fell

Engraved by the universe for the Earth

— An echo of light.

Alan Ogan Tren is a Ship that Cannot be Repaired 

At the edge of the Venetian Arsenal 

lay a once-proud ship

its weathered hull scarred 

by years of storms and decay

Thick tar coated its sides in an attempt 

to seal the cracks and preserve the timber

but the damage ran too deep

Beneath the dark surface

the wood had rotted through

and the vessel’s frame 

had become warped and brittle

No amount of tar could restore its strength 

or make it seaworthy again.

Note: Dante compares the pitch in which the corrupt sinners are submerged to the tar used in the Venetian Arsenal. Also, the fictional character Alan Ogan Tren works at an emissions testing center in Fogtown.

Fhen M. has received multiple recognitions, including second place in the 1st Chito Roño Literary Awards in the Waray poetry (siday) category and several daily wins in the DYVL Siday Contest, a radio-based poetry competition. His published works include “Bamboo House” and “Homing” in Horseshoe Spring 2024 and Fall 2025, respectively. His poem “Shadow Puppet” has been accepted by Straylight Literary Magazine, and “Bookcase in the House of My Ancestors” and “Spending the Night on Planet Mars” appear in Well Read Magazine: Best of 2024, Vol. 1.