Monsoon, a Poem by Eva Petropoulou Lianou

It is a rainy night

The birds do not fly

Nor the cats get out of home

I stare at the window

It was a strike

Then skies opened

A monsoon was created from nothing

As evil came so suddenly

I saw cows and cars up in the sky

They were flying as an eagle

Monsoon approach my window

I saw a shadow...

A black shadow like a puppet

Was moving all around

Hands and foot was moving

A big mouth was shouting

Homes, people, windows smashed

We forget beautiful things

We forget God

A monsoon was attacked my memories

My house

My life

It came and destroy

everything

The next day I was alone

Without clothes

Without smile

Without memories

Without heart...

After monsoon dissappeared....!

© Eva Petropoulou Lianou

Athens, Greece

eviepara@yahoo.fr

O Dream Thief, a Poem by Taghrid Bou Merhi

How my heart fluttered when you called,  
But I did not answer; affection fades in argument.  

How often you doubted, while my soul longs to be near you,  
And my heart finds joy in the beauty of your love.  

My heart wandered toward you, only to reap sorrow,  
And I see you departing from our shared dwelling.  

Did you think, my love, that I am strong enough?  
The fire of passion in my heart is unbearable.  

I did not arrange my feelings in love,  
The heart yields when emotions are reined in.  

O dream thief, I lived them through my emotions,  
So that hope may thrive within me.  

You neglected my longing, the warmth of my yearning,  
And left me hastily to lament your coldness.  

How I long, my dear, to hear the sweetness of words,  
To be intoxicated by love and flirtation.  

My life and my fate are hostages in your hands;  
I love you, and love is a serious matter.  

My hope for a joyous life is in your love,  
I sought your closeness, and I haven't lost hope yet.  

Come to me, I long for your embrace,  
I am a woman, and without you, I am incomplete.  

- TAGHRID BOU MERHI – LEBANON – BRAZIL

Breath, a Poem by Fabio Petrilli

Fabio Petrilli was born in Foggia (Italy) on 9 March 2000. Studies Arts and Cultural Heritage at the University of Molise. Currently lives in San Bartolomeo in Galdo , a town in the province of Benevento. Poet, an established writer in the encyclopedia among contemporary national and international poets - Wikipoesia.
His poems were translated into French by the poet Irène Duboeuf, in Modern Greek by the writer Irene Doura-Kavadia , in Portuguese by the poet Cristina Pizarro, in Spanish, Catalan and English by the international poet Joan Josep Barceló i Bauçà.
With the composition “I miei versi - My verses” he won the International Panorama of the Arts 2023 in the section “ Youth Awards“ organized by the Writers Capital International Foundation.
It is featured in numerous national and international literary journals.  
His first poetic poem in collaboration with the poet Elisa Mascia was published on 26 May 2024. The silloge is entitled “Respiro… con il cuore - Breath... with the heart" and is present in several national and international newspapers.



BREATH


For me you are breath

You are the essence that 

nourishes my soul daily.

I come to you without wearing 

masks, without having to act!

You as a good mother

You embrace me in your loving 

arms and I feel protected

As I learn to love.

For me you are the breath of life 

that is mixed in this deafening 

silence and vibrates

While it emits a charming melody.

Interview of Mohamed Ellaghafi by Hassane Yarti

[Mohamed Ellaghafi]

[Hassane Yarti]

Mohamed Ellaghafi is the founder and current president of the Moroccan Creators University, as well as the founder of the National Poetry Award in Morocco. Over his career, he has published more than fifteen books, including poetry collections and short stories. His work has graced significant national and Arab poetry forums, solidifying his reputation as one of the pioneers of modern poetry in Morocco. His literary journey began in the early 1980s when he founded the "Five Senses" poetry movement, an artistic endeavor that aligned with the trajectory of modernity in Moroccan literature. Ellaghafi’s works have transcended borders, being translated into several languages, including English, French, Persian, German, Albanian, Italian, and Korean.

First of all, how does Mohamed Ellaghafi introduce himself to the reader?

Mohamed Ellaghafi: I am a human being striving to affirm my humanity through writing and serving the universe in a humane way. My journey in cultural struggle has spanned over forty years, and in all this time, my focus has always been on exploring and expressing the depths of human experience. Writing is my way of communicating with the world, and it’s through this medium that I seek to make my humble contribution to the betterment of our collective existence.

As both a writer and a human being, do you see any distinction between the two roles?

For me, there is no distinction between being a writer and being a human. Writing is an intrinsic part of my humanity. The opposite of this is the ignorance that some people have toward life and its true essence. To write is to live, to feel, to understand, and to express. It is an extension of being human. Therefore, to separate the two would be to misunderstand the fundamental nature of what it means to be alive.

Can you tell us about your very first text? What sparked the inspiration that has carried you to this day?

My first text was an incomplete love letter. I wrote it with the intent of sending it to a girl who captivated my thoughts, but in the end, I never sent it. I wasn’t satisfied with my style back then, so I kept refining my words. This process of writing and rewriting evolved into personal reflections and later into structured classical texts. It was in 1984 that I founded the "Five Senses Club" for poetic creativity, marking the formal beginning of my literary journey.

Do you consider your audience when you write? What type of reader do you envision following your work?

To be honest, I never think about the reader when I write, and I still don’t concern myself with this notion. My writing is deeply personal; it’s a reflection of my inner world, my daily life, and my psychological states. Interestingly, even though I write for myself, it often resonates with others as if I am expressing their own thoughts and feelings. This connection is unintentional but perhaps inevitable when one writes authentically.

How do you approach language in your poetry? How do you master it to lead it directly toward the poem?

In the early stages of my career, I believed that writing came to me naturally, as if the poet had special rituals and a unique kind of madness. This was during the years of rebellion and ideological writing. However, my perspective has since evolved. Now, I see writing as an integral part of my being. It’s not something that I summon or control; rather, it’s a mutual process where I write and am written by the language. There’s no need for ritual or madness—writing is as natural as any daily instinct.

Has literary criticism been fair to your work?

I believe the first person to write about my work was the great philosopher and poet, Dr. Mohamed Aziz Lahbabi, in the early 1990s. His article appeared in Al-Alam newspaper, and his recognition of my work was deeply meaningful. Since then, many other prominent voices have discussed my literary journey, and I am proud of this recognition. However, I have never sought validation or flattered anyone for praise. The attention my work has received has always come as a surprise, which, in my view, is a form of genuine recognition without any pretense.

How do you assess the current Moroccan literary scene?

I compare the Moroccan literary scene to the broader Arab and Western landscapes. There are creators who work with deep awareness and meticulous study, laying the foundation for a literary project that deserves attention and praise. These individuals are contributing significantly to our cultural heritage. On the other hand, there are those who have been influenced only by what they see on social media. These individuals often write without depth, believing in the superficial validation of random comments and likes. It’s a mixed scene, but there is certainly a core of serious, dedicated writers who are making important contributions.

Can you share any details about your upcoming literary projects?

Yes, we have several projects in the pipeline, which we will announce soon. These include my personal creative works and also some global associative initiatives that I believe will surprise and invigorate the cultural scene. These projects are still under development, but I’m confident that they will make a significant impact when they are unveiled.

Any final words?

I would like to express my gratitude to my friend, the poet and translator Hassane Yarti, who is also the director of Barcelona Literary Magazine. Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences.

[Interview by: Hassane Yarti 

Writer, Poet, Translator and Editor]

AUTHOR ANGELA KOSTA'S IMPRISONED SOUL NOVEL

These days, it was released by the Publishing House "Fast Print" with editor Semi Haxhiu the 2nd edition of the novel: PRISONER SPIRIT by author Angela Kosta.

"In this novel, says the author in question, you will find suffering, pain, but above all you will find many love and friendships that often bind us to each other. I must emphasize that with these sincere feelings, anything can be handled, any obstacle, any difficulty, and this is the point: to help him at every moment, within our means, to every person who needs any of us, of all of you, of me myself. In the browsing of these pages, among many other topics, you will read the simple but important story of a girl who in March 1997 leaves Albania, the homeland, the land where she was born and raised. She is moving forward with her family, who unfortunately, like many Albanians, others lost their lives at the bottom of the sea, in the Otranto Channel, who will remain the only witness who can tell the horror, the bitter reality of that unfortunate night, of those hundreds of people who left in our souls and hearts a great sorrow. All the events you will read in this book are many times part of our lives and for that I feel to tell you, that every time I tried to give something of myself and not only in the creation of this novel, which, although it is a book created on characters and imagined fantasies,  It's based on a true Albanian story that shocked our entire country. 

"Although many years have passed, I would like to express my deep regret that I have felt and still feel for those people who lost their lives in the Otranto Canal in Italy." 

Several pages have been devoted to repression, censorship from the savage dictatorship and the advent of democracy during the years '91-'97, which led to the total destruction of Albania.

During the 50th year of dictatorship, discontent with poverty, was to be presented in the smiling faces of the people, of a country in which the word "misery" had no place. Joy appeared hypocritically and selfishly, with a mask so beautifully put on that even if one had the opportunity and desire to tear it off and throw it away, it could not. The dictatorship had weaved such a network, not just with threads that could easily be cut, not at all! She had knitted this network with wild chains from which no one could get out alive if she tried to free her. Woe to those who tried to do this! But here is the courage of one, and he no longer obeyed that law. Breaking the chains of the teaching, everyone felt free, and even learned and began to hope for the word "democracy." 1 Breaking the chains of the teaching, everyone felt free, even learning and began to hope in the word "democracy" always hoping for the word "democracy" and always hoping for the future, something new, unknown to them, to a better change for the future. 

Instead of dictatorship, freedom was already appearing with a different view. There were things unheard of at times. To overcome the misery, people began to kill anyone who wanted to take away what belonged to them, which was no longer the state, but only their own. To ensure that she remained so, they washed her with the blood of their relatives. Do you think this was the democracy they had suppressed within four walls of the house during the dictatorship for more than four decades? People were even more surprised when in parliament there were MPs who were not seen with good eyes by the very society they were part of. Morning changed from night. Day to day unemployment prevailed everywhere. Everything was destroyed, leaving no sign that could have recalled the years of savage teaching. The people had expected and thought, that democracy would rebuild everything from it did not take long to realize that misery had left the place for misery. People were jobless everywhere. They wandered the cafes, enjoying the sight of luxury cars that left behind the dust of poverty. Promises, promises and promises only. It seemed like the devil had laid a hand to overturn that place. They were armed to the teeth, to take revenge against those who could threaten them even with a glance. The world began to wonder, how was it possible that albanians were so fierce and brave? Everywhere on the street, armed children were seen. Was World War III approaching? We were used to defending ourselves, with our own forces. Didactura had raised us with this ideal, and democracy was reinforcing it even more. This was shown by the fact that, until yesterday, people who were forced to train in snows with fake cartridges, today we had the opportunity to use them for real, whether to entertain or to joke.

The people stopped and asked, "What was the enemy?" "Who were they carrying out the cartridges and weapons they had worked for for a lifetime?" Then some of them stopped at this point: Why should we limit ourselves to the pleasure they felt when they killed a friend or someone else? After all, except for that moment that lasted a few seconds, they were causing nothing but mourning. Many mothers and women dressed in black, even some of the young ones, were dressed in raven clothes. For this, that pleasure of seconds, seeing everywhere disaster, began to disappear. They had to squeeze out at least a quarter of the sweat of their parents, who had worked while remaining in poverty, for the production of those weapons, so began their trade. It was enough to give two hand bombs or an automatic to the market and be given the opportunity to take home two loaves and anything else needed. Dealers started raising prices, so people were realizing that guns were no longer worthwhile following the government's orders, they began to surrender them. After all, they had taken out the duff, so those weapons were no longer used. Suddenly, immediately nationwide, telebing lottery began. Then people's attention focused on countless "scratch and win" tickets. Everywhere they began to sell at a perverse speed, but even for that, it did not take long for people to convince themselves, that fate only laughed at those to whom it had always smiled. They don't say that money goes to money. For this, they were surprised to find out that the money could be given for free: it was enough to write in a long list of people's names, your name, to leave in the hands of those who organized these lists a few lek, and within a few months, the heart would be filled with joy, as their sum was not less but three times what you had left. Then people didn't get that money at all, they wrote their name again thinking the three months would soon pass and become rich. There were also some who started selling the house, thanking God that in a few months, they would have the opportunity to build a villa where the roof would no longer leak or moisture in winter. Everyone was happy, but also confused. Never seen or heard of, to give a quantity of money and win three and yet, they kept on not taking the money, they would write down names, only names. That money was being added, just getting added; But this time, people are still very sad. Not from wealth again to poverty. The charity organizations of the money giving, (pyramid firms) disappeared without leaving any traces. People realized how unlucky and irregible they had been. They should have enjoyed as much as fate had offered them. They were in despair and angry, they went to their homes disoriented, beating their heads with their fists, at least they had a shelter to put their heads in, but there were some poor others who didn't know where to go and crash. Instead of the warm cottage they had dreamed of for many months, they found a sreh in the cold bunkers. They praised the Lord and him whom He had built for them, and there was none other than the didactor who had made them suffer so much. Thinking about it, then people screamed and cursed the dictatorship, but at the same time also what had brought democracy, because they had already realized that this was not real democracy. At the same time, they cursed the mother land, their homeland, where they had seen only eternal poverty, so to escape it, they thought that the only way of salvation was to cross the coast beyond the border of their country, and so they did: they set off to the sea, thinking that this time fate was the end of the day they did not think that they would be a fool, but they did not think that what would destroy them would happen and take away their most precious thing: LIFE!

BIOGRAPHY : THE AUTHOR 

Angela Kosta was born in Elbasan (Albania) and has lived in Italy since 1995. She is a translator, essayist, journalist, literary critic, publisher and promoter. She has published 16 books: novels, poems and fairy tales in Albanian, Italian and English. 

Her publications and translations have been published in various literary magazines and newspapers in several continental and intercontinental countries.

Angela Kosta translates and writes articles and interviews for the newspaper "Calabria Live", Saturno magazine, Alessandria Today Magazine, the international magazine "Orfeu:", the newspaper "Nacional", Gazeta Destinacioni, Perqasje Italo - Shqiptare, the magazine "Mirdita, "Atunis", she collaborates with the magazines: "International Literature Language Journal (Michigan), Wordsmith International Editorial (Florida), Raven Cage (Germany), Kavyar Kishor International (Australia - & Bangladesh), Sindh Courier (Pakistan), Güncel Sanat (Turkey), Literary Barcellona (Spain), Friendship Of People (Tagikistan), etc...

She is co-host in several anthologies in various states.

Angela Kosta has translated 160 authors into bilingual: Italian - Albanian and vice versa and has promoted over 580 poets in various national and international literary magazines as well as translating the books of poems by 3 Albanian and Kosovar authors. She has also translated the poems of important italian classics, nobelists and many other famous authors. 

Angela Kosta is Vice President of the South Korea Writers' Association, Vice President of the Tamikio Dooley Humanist Of The World Organization, Ambassador for Culture and Peace in the Organization no profit in: Bangladesh, Poland, Morocco, Canada, Algeria, Egypt, Mexico, Romania, India, etc.

She is also a member of the Writers' League (LSHASH) and BSHBSH - Italy, AAA (America), Greece, Poland, Hungary, Mexico, Romania, Croatia, India.

In Italy many important newspapers and magazines have written various articles about Angela Kosta. She has been translated and published in 33 foreign languages and foreign countries. In 2024 alone, it has been published in 98 national and international newspapers and magazines, with: poems, articles, interviews, books, reviews, etc. She has received numerous awards from various magazines and newspapers. In 2023, the magazine OBELISK directed by Roland Lushi declared her, among others, the best translator with translations of the Nobelist poet Giosuè Alessandro Giuseppe Carducci, as well as the Moroccan newspaper Akhbar7 proclaimed her the Celbrity Woman for 2023, and journal Kavyar Kishor International by Director Michael Hislop.

Angela Kosta has received the Certification of Doctor Honoris Causa from various universities including: Colombia, Moldova, Yemen, Algeria, Romania, Mexico, India and recently also from the University of Language and Literature in Morocco by Dean Muhammad Blik.

Three Poems by Rajashree Mohapatra

Hanging clouds

Stubborn clouds
Hanging from the sky above
Against the walls of memories, 
automate hours together 
through a mundane scale. 

The muddy night becomes speechless
While a lonely heart undergoes an inharmonious beating
And dries like a leaf of autumn
The promises of childhood of picking pebbles 
at the foothills vanishes. 

Promises are like droplets of water
Keep on changing forms
Wild wind and a bemired night understand it better.
□

Sleeping Night

When the night 
Slips into deep sleeps in seclusion
And dreams 
It strives to add more feels to the poems
Of a  lonely poet
and  those appear impressive 
And enchanted.

When the dawn wakes 
And the world is enlightened 
The poet completes the poem with his last note 
And there burns a poem
To shine forever on this mortal world. 

The shadows, the candle flames 
The pieces of papers, the nibs of the pens 
And above all the poet himself, 
Can speak how arduous it is to dedicate 
A poem of passion to the humanity. 

No doubt 
The poet encourages to go through his saga 
where his golden foot prints in the coast of time 
inspires a wrecked ship of humility 
to cross the  wild tides of life .
□

Secrets of Heart 

The darkness of the deep blue eyes 
Coroborating the abyss in the waters of a ocean 
Hides many a secrets of century - old stories
Of life and its evolution. 

My silent heart
Off and on discovers those secrets 
And filters the essence
Out of those deserted  eyes in the dark nights.
 
Poetry of a wandering mind 
Fantasies out of secret desires
And dreams of the buried relationship 
Enhances the inquisitiveness
Beyound the bundles of street gossips.
 
World is a bundle of knots in a web
He must be knowing well 
Kissing the wild wind in the 
Silence of summer nights 
Might strengthen  the  knots  
With an unified convenant.

□

- Rajashree  Mohapatra 
Bhubaneswar, Odisha,India

Rajashree Mohapatra: Born in Odisha in India has received her masters degree in 'History'  and 'Journalism  and  Mass Communication' from Utkal University,  Odisha .She is a teacher by profession. Being a post graduate in ' Environmental Education and Industrial  Waste Management ' from Sambalpur University Odisha, she has  devoted herself  as a Social Activist for the cause of social justice, Environmental issues  and human rights  in remote areas  through Non-governmental organisations. Poetry, Painting and Journalism are her passions.

The Immensity, a Poem by Gabriella Picerno

Kiss me now, in this flash already passed by
as I see tumult in your eyes
as I feel your warm yearning body
like that scorching afternoon of July.
Because I want to feel you inside me.

Kiss me relentlessly
till we cannot tell my skin from your lips
till I feel my feet losing ground
and we go in the clean air scented with your breaths

and wandering along sunny beaches
running happily towards life.

Don't lose yourself in the escaping instant
don't let it go
the happiness of our being
which we have exchanged
in the thoughts, dreams, deepest and most passionate 
senses.
Kiss me until it becomes the lively substance of existence.

- Gabriella Picerno
Italy 

Gabriella Picerno is a psychologist, pedagogist, sexology counselor, expert in Child Drawing and Learning Psychology. She is the manager of Educational Study Centre “The Speaking Cricket” in Rufina (Florence). She has been involved for ages in projects of training and workshops in parenthood training, as well as emotions and sexuality.
Her  expertise stretches over areas such as teachers’ training, underachievement in school linked to anxiety disorders, learning and emotional special needs. She is passionate about painting, photography and writing. It has been a while since she started writing poems and short stories. She has published psychology and pedagogy essays, awarded both nationally and internationally. Her lyrical compositions have earned her important acknowledgments and she has won some literary prizes both in her own country and abroad. Her works have been included in numerous poetry anthologies. Among her publications we remember: Separated Parents, Divided Children (with Evelina Fazzi; Del Cerro, 1996); The Words of Education (with Susanna Berretti, Town of Rufina, 2006): Two Parents Two Houses (with Evelina Fazzi, La Rondine, 2013), Easier Said Than Done (La Rondine, 2013); Emotional Well Being in Adolescents (with Luana Collacchioni, Aracne, 2016); My Families and I (with Evelina Fazzi, edited by Pacini Fazzi, 2016). Bambini online, (2019), The Doll of Giada (with C. Desideri, 2020) Two parents, two houses new expanded edition (with E. Fazzi, 2021), Let it be (GD Edizioni, 2021), The olive season (with Andrea Morandi, 2021 GD Edizioni), Affective and Sexual Education Itineraries (7- 10 years), PAV Edizioni (2022); Affective and Sexual Education Itineraries (0-3 years), PAV Edizioni (2023), This is how I feel inside, Edizioni dell'Assemblea- Regione Toscana 2023.
For poetry: A touch of sky (2018), A touch of sky (2019), Un toque de cielo Ediciones Alborismos (2022), Whispers and tides (2022) GD Edizioni.
Co-director (together with Cristina Desideri) of the Children's Literature Series Il Filo di Arianna for GD Edizioni. Curator of the Literary Awards: La Botteguccia delle Favole and Lo Zaino Raccontastorie.
[Prepared by Angela Kosta, Executive Director of MIRIADE Magazine, Academic, journalist, writer, poet, essayist, literary critic, editor, translator, promoter]

A MYSTERIOUS ANGEL TO THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE/THE PRINCESS OF THE UNIVERSE; IRIS CALIF

Article by: Herzl Hakak

About Iris Calif's poetry and her books "Daughter of God" Hadarim" publishing house - 2020 [122 pages]

And "A Pure Wild Moon" Eked" publishing house-2017- [68 pages]

Article translated to English by: Yarden Zehavi

Literary quotes translated to English by: Iris Calif- "all rights reserved"

[The cover of the book of "Daughter of God]

[The cover of the book of "A Pure Wild Moon"]

Nature and the universe are the realm of longing of the poet Iris Calif. Her poems merge with the changing of the seasons, with the vibration of the great forces of nature - and beyond the words, the reader feels the spirit of God hovering over the surface of this poetry. 

Indeed, before us is worldwide secret poetry.

In the poem 'The ocean of my life', Iris writes about her body:

"Stirring love across the ocean" – Iris Calif.

And we haven't forgotten that already in her previous book 'A Pure Wild Moon' the poet painted herself as part of the cosmos: already then we were amazed by her ability to sketch in private hieroglyphs the movements in every corner of the world, her being an internal element, apart from the changing world. The changes in her life, in her body – all these appeared and shook the pillars of the universe – the poet had become a poetic translator of the soul of existence. 

Her previous book introduced the foundation for her perception, we found in it poems that presented a poetic subtext around the relationship between humanity and the forces of the universe, the forces of nature.

"Embracing my silence in the hidden heaven of my world" – Iris Calif, page 61.

There we saw poetry that conquers water and sky, lines of a scroll of love, which revealed the secrets of the creation of the world, and already then we were fascinated by the secrets of the moon. The spirit of the creation took hold of everything: Iris Calif, as a priestess of existential mystical poetry, is floating in the same worlds: 

Here, in the poem 'Walls of the Moons', she sees with poetic X-ray eyes not only the solar eclipse, but also the eclipse of the night: "In the eclipse of the night I am liberating the spiritual walls of the mysterious moons" – Iris Calif, page 37.

The moon is a part of her soul, and she creates a plot of life across the galaxy in the cycles of the poems – "And in my cold body the moon undresses my soul/ In hidden wings" – Iris Calif, page 48. If you've thought for a moment that the sun is absent from the circles of sublime poetry, here is a magical medley from this wonderful poetry – "Barefoot in the heaven of my senses… In the forest of the night spirit the pure sun of my first desires is divided" – Iris Calif, page 49. She recreates herself not only as Iris Calif, but as a mythological Iris, the foundation of creation - a flower in the foundation of creation, the foundation of blossom and love. And so she writes: "I am the universal human Iris flower of the spiritual heaven land/ In the holy heaven silence I hunt your body" – Iris Calif.

And in the last stanza of the poem:

"I am the universal human Iris flower that is born

In the sight of the spiritual heaven worlds

I am dripping the tears of my land to the silence that carves innocence

Under holy slumbering skies" – Iris Calif, page 56. 

And in another poem on page 53 – "Behold, I am the Iris; the daughter of the living/ Naked in sight of the sands of the kingdom of above/ Adorned with gold and drops of moon light. / The sun in the clouds, and the rays wanders" – Iris Calif. All the forces of nature bow to her, bowing to the poetic cycle of life which she generates in the creation of the world. Look, how the night connects to the magical and mystical soul: "The night is heart breaking from time to time, Embroiders in the mountains to the Iris grace" – Iris Calif, page 53.

It's no wonder that in this poem of hers, the poet seems like a celestial priestess, and the name of her book indeed leads to this sacred status – 'Daughter of God'. The poet conveys through her poems the message that both her existence and her art are part of the creation, they are a noble light from above – and all of her poetry is 'the sermon of love' – as she presents it in her poem on page 57. 

"In the graceful wind of God I am breathing your sacred melodies/ In front of the sermon of love" – Iris Calif. And at the end of the poem - "A woman crosses with steps of the night/ To the season of Iris with the torn dress of her youth/ Under a human's moon/ Barefoot and silent to the bars of her life" – Iris Calif, page 57.

Here, before us, is bewitching female poetry, which connects to the secrets of the cosmos and turns the words into tubes of light, fractions of aura from the spheres that connect the sky and the earth. One poem connects to the other, and they all turn into both a global and lyrical cycle. Here there isn't poetry that drops some rhymes about the sea and nature and a lover that is fascinated by it. Iris floats in high spheres: this is poetry that tries to give us a feeling that the soul and the words and the indispensability of the blossom – all came to her as a gift from God, as if part of a celestial plan.

And I must mention here some lines from 'A Pure Wild Moon' that demonstrate the powerful connection between the poet and the forces of the creation, to the same feeling that this is the poetry of a daughter of God:

Here is an inspiring example:

"And in the ocean of my body

God

Creating

A field of love

And I am the human flower, the Iris of your heart

Flooded by breaths" – Iris Calif, page 34.

Already in her previous book we've seen how poetic ability becomes a ship in stormy waters and crises – and fascinated, we watched nature's ability to contain contrasts, to cause processes of energy explosion, cosmic change: 'The Heaven of the Sea' – 'Blue Flame' – 'Stalactite of Wind' – 

And like in Ezekiel's prophecy, where we watched the divine chariot and the energy of "the electricity", this is the word that appeared in the ancient book of prophecy, here too, in her poetry, there's a description of an electrical process:

A process of electrical exchange – the stalactite melts – and the sensational encounter reveals the pain, the merging becomes a fracture.

The loving poet's burning electricity dance connects to the forces of nature – to the divine entourage – and from this aspect in her poems – the lover and the beloved – are part of the forces of nature, they suckle from the flow of nature, from the life that's in it, from the breaths that break through it and grant it the eternal primordial powers.

Light and drops and spiritual forces – and in the center of the creation is that 'Iris of the land' – a mythological figure, created in a poetic-mystical manner: and that flower of creation – a new part in the forces of nature – a sublime poetic existence, which changed her life.

It's no wonder, that she wanders the galaxy and creates love with parts of universe.

"And I am naked from the wind threads of God

During the years covered in love" – Iris Calif, page 57.

Iris of the creation, princess of nature Instills in us magical pearls of poetry, and in front of us is a process of flow into the human spirit, like threads unraveling until the exposure.

And this is how she describes it in her own words:

"I am unraveling my pearl to the wind" – Iris Calif, page 57.

The biography of the author of the article: Herzl Hakak 

Writer, poet, literary critic. Published articles about various topics: literature, identity, Judaism. Served as the chairman of the Hebrew Writers Association between the years 2003-2005 and 2011-2015.

He wrote 10 poetry books and also published together with his twin brother books for children, books of criticism, a commentary on sacred poetry, a linguistic lexicon and articles in magazines, in the press and on the internet. Recently, a book of his poems, "The Song That Has Never Been Sung" was published by 'Shalhevet Jerusalem' publishing company. 

He received several awards over the years:

An award (the 'Harry Harshon' award) from the Hebrew University for the poetry book 'The Book of Lights of Love', 1972.

An award (the 'Harry Harshon' award) for review – on the book 'Chapters of Berdichevsky' by Herzl and Balfour Hakak, 1974.

An award (the Wallenrod award) – on behalf of the Hebrew Writers Association 1980.

Honorable Mention ("Rise and Fulfill") – Ministry of Education 2018.

The poetry award named after Uri Orbach of the Division for Jewish Culture –  the 1st of Nisan 2021.

The biography of Iris Calif:

Iris Calif is an international writer, poet, dancer, editor and translator of poetry to Hebrew. She is in charge of foreign relations in the online culture, literature and poetry magazine "In Direction of the Wind" ("Bekiovn Hroh") and is a translator and an editor of world-wide poetry in the magazine, as well as in the culture and lifestyle magazine "Mokasini" and in the "World Poetry" section on the literature website "Rooms" ("Hadarim"). She is also a member of the Composers' Association of Hebrew authors and publishers in Israel named "ACUM". 

Iris received the 2023 award for International Best Poets & POETS: THE JOURNAL OF RENDITION OF INTERNATIONAL POETRY (ITRC) [Multilingual] [China]. She also holds a diploma from the "Russian Professional Writers Union" and the international magazine "Arina NN", registered in the Ministry of Culture of Russia, for her contribution to the culture world "International Poetic Community" 2022.

Iris is the head of the Israeli liaison department of the Hong Kong Literature and Arts Magazine and a member of the Association of artists and writers of the World SAPS. She takes part in the editorial board of the World Poetry Yearbook 2024 (English edition) and holds an honorary doctorate from the International Forum for Creativity, Humanity and Coexistence, Kingdom of Morocco. 

Iris is a descendant of a lineage of Kabbalists, blessed with the prophecy of the spirit of the heart and the ability of communication and vision, which are expressed in her mystical and Kabbalistic writing, endowed with spiritual touches of holy upper and hidden worlds. For her, it is a blessing to shine with the spirit of the Jewish voice from the depths of love, life, and faith in the creator of the world- our father in heaven

"And as I soar with the flight of my spirit soul, I will carry the holy halo of the light of my Jewish loving voice, in the eternally world of the wings of the Dove of God spirit of the land-living peace"-Iris Calif

Three of Iris's books have already been published: "In a fascinating lane breathes Lolita" (2001), "A Pure Wild moon" (2017), and "The daughter of God" (2020), and she is currently working on her fourth book. Her poems have been published and read on the radio, on television, on the internet, in national and international magazines and newspapers and in anthologies around the world, and were translated by international poets into numerous languages such as Spanish, Bengali, Nepali, Arabic, Chinese, Turkish, Assamese, Russian, Albanian and Italian. 

Iris's poems were presented in many prestigious and international exhibitions in Israel such as "Crowns of Winter" (January 2023), where a poem of hers translated into Bengali was displayed alongside poems by seven international poets, each translated and edited into Hebrew by her. Also the exhibition "Black-Red-White" displayed Iris's translated versions of poems written by five international poets. Most recently, Iris's poems, also translated into Chinese, Italian, Spanish and Arabic, were presented in the universal exhibition "Butterflies of Peace", which also included the poems of 21 poets from around the world, translated by Iris into Hebrew.

Iris's poetry reflects the inner journey of her soul, which looks through love, dreams of life and breathes holy and hidden worlds. Her poetry is a symbol and an expression of her victory over anorexia and her courageous decision to choose life and love.

The land of my heavenly skies of my poetic worlds in the wind of the worlds of holy hidden life.

My poetry is in the heart of the soul of the heaven land of holy halo wind of light, and in the soul of the heavens and worlds of my created soul, which bows, dances and prays for the nature of life of God and illustrates my longings to the journey of worlds of wind, love, life, holiness and the hidden from the depth of the flame of the storm. From desire, light, pain, fracture, loneliness, fear, hope, purity, femininity, motherhood and the eternal girl that breathes in me eternal worlds of holy hidden life.

"And in my living Iris soul, my spirit dances the living voice of the holy God life"

- Iris Calif