The "Anythings" are an offering we present to our ILA Magazine Facebook Group usually on a Friday, and occasionally on a weekend day. We are behind in publishing our 'Best Entries', and will begin publishing from now until finished. The "Anythings" are sort of like a "Free Day", where poets and artists can both share their creativity with (poetry/prose), (micro short stories/poems/passages), (quotes), (YouTube narratives related to Literature or Visual Arts), (Visual Arts/Literature compositions), and (Visual Arts: [photography/painting/recycled art]). This "Anything" offering was presented to poets July 15th to July 16th, 2023 by one of our contributing editors, Mr. Steve Lyman. FOUR poets were chosen, two with their photography, a micro passage by another writer and painting a frequent artist known to our Facebook group.
Photography below by Poet/Artist, Jurine Garcia, titled "SUNSET"










"THE MAN IN THE BOOK"

I will not tell more in the stars
and will not hope to be found your
mystery in the moonlight.

Because I know
you're just an illusion
a writer just made you.

You were born in the book
and not in the world
that I live in.

You will remain a story
which is unlikely to happen
in real life.

A dream,
which has no fulfillment.

© JURINE GARCIA
Philippines Photography by Poet/Photographer,
Rosemarie Miranda, titled: "LIKE THE SUNSET"









"LIKE THE SUNSET"

There is no stopping the flow
of words once the heart is in motion
to churn phrases in tender spaces
to offer a vista of golden sunlight
as it starts its journey into the night
That is the beauty and magic of poetry
when the mundane becomes special
and the special flips to ordinariness
the sunset emits a lonely vista
holding on to the fading light
as it gracefully exits into the horizon
poetry as they say, leads a lasting imprint
It could be a fading scent of a heady perfume,e
the last few lines of a haunting love song
the flickering embers on a bonfire
the final drops of a vintage wine
the cry of a baby as he enters the world
outside the mother's womb
Like the sunset, poetry is here to stay
appearing as sudden as it leaves
only to repeat the cycle and awe
mere mortals, forever enmeshed
in the grandeur of nature
like the sunset, poetry is free
for lovers to see and feel the glee

© ROSEMARIE MIRANDA
City of Dipolog, Philippines
"A LETTER TO AGE"
(Micro Passage)

Dear Age,

It's beautiful to see how you manage to teach so many things, it's you who planted wisdom that I am using it to make my life worthwhile and also bringing light to others. Isn't this happiness? It indeed is. I am thankful to you for that. You and your friend, TIME, have changed my perspective towards life. With you, I am gracefully accepting what comes by and growing with it. You may come but you also taught how to be young at heart and carry on with life. You taught me that you are never a barrier to dream a dream. I have gone through ups and downs and with the passage of time, I have realized that it's never too late to start something afresh.

No one can prevent you from arriving but with you, someone can become calm, wise and experienced to lead on a peaceful life from womb to tomb. I bow down to you and will be soon getting in touch with you to share my story.

With love and regards,

Someone who is growing gracefully with you.


© PRIYALAKSHMI GOGOI Guwahati, India "UNTITLED"

Is it a love story?
A veil thrust upon my eyes
I could not see you have a nest.
That was the time I desperately needed a reef
I urgently needed a rest,
A shoulder to lean on
The anguish may feel lighter
I could but feel one thing
With you, I breathe better.
Is it a love story?
Or just a whim of a sunken soul
Hammered by loss
Waded into a mess
And you took advantage of that
You unplucked your care
As swift as when you threw a dart.


© SIHEM CHERIF Tunis, Tunisia WORLD IS A WAKING DREAM

World is a waking dream,
Illusion is its bosom friend,
Decay shatters the pseudo mirror,
Death reassures the truth,
Life though an enchantress,
Ditches her lovers in the end,
The conundrum of this cycle,
Takes lifetimes to decipher,
We were only puppets,
In the nonchalant hands of Fate.


© RUPINDER KAUR India Painting by Han Quoc Vu from Vietnam.
Medium: Watercolor on paper.
Title: "TWO KINGS"