Artwork
By Kalyar Ei Ei Lwin
Raise Three Fingers by Radia Durrani
By Kalyar Ei Ei Lwin
Poetry
Memories of Spring Revolution
Selected collections by Mon Mon Myat
Raise Three Fingers
I see war machines crawling up Mandalay Hill
The flag’s yellow and green are stained red,
From all the blood that’s been spilled.
I hear people screaming from lands of hills, Terribly loud,
And so terribly shrill.
We should not be living at this hour,
In a game of bloody conquests for power. Where guns write the law and
Troops refuse to withdraw,
We did not expect to lay down
Our children in flowers.
We should not be living at this hour
But here I remain standing
For I am no stranger
To your iron clad towers.
We should not be living at this hour But with three fingers high,
I refuse to cower
Noor Mandviwalla
Thank You for Your Light
LuLu
When you are up, look to the ground
Smelling the freshness of the grass to keep in touch
When you are down, look up and far
Feeling the bigness of the sky to lift you up
When you are in-between, look around your neighbors
Dealing with your vision of many kinds to open up
There are days and times as ups and downs
There are also swings and sways as the looseness and vagueness travel
No worries as they are normal and rhythms for all
Dancing with music to finetune a new normal is a call
Nothing is hard as we see
Nor tight as we feel
Everything is a process so let it move at its own speed
Sometimes said as slow or fast as we are asked to adjust
But who cares at times as it is happening?
Be yourself, be themselves and be ourselves
As you are the only person in-charge
Life is lucky as a precious gift
Studying itself is fun for wiser days ahead as many did
Yesterday is behind because of today
Tomorrow will be sure as today is fading away
As life is problem solving, build up courage in enjoying
No worries, let’s be happy and healthy
People are in their cage of missions, of greed, of worries
We are occupied and thinking that we are alone
The reality is a reverse as we are the same in being suffocated
Climb a mountain in feeling the height and breezing at night
Swim in the sea in feeling the currents and greeting change in daylight
Run in the jungle in feeling the richness and receiving the sounds of shade
The sun will connect us for a new day with a powerful brightness
The moon will contact us for a calmness with a powerful recharge
The star will call us for having a hope with a powerful dream as the future is ours
You, they, and we—all individuals shall make a dim light to shine on us and for others
It is then for many new tomorrows for coming in peace
As we are united and connected over differences
Our dim light in varying power is our strength and signal
As we shall step forward and upward
So, make your next choice in coming to own your flying
You are not alone in this journey as your light is shining on others
The crowd is clapping their hands to cheer your success
Thank you, dear hero, for shining us with yours
Photography
Collected from Upsplash