Introduction

Dear Reader:

Peace and Good Evening! Of course, I'm assuming you are reading this at night. And with good reason!
I attest that I love to do my meaningful reading at night. Nighttime — when quietness sets in, when I can
be alone with myself, my thoughts, my Creator. When I can give full attention to the most powerful verses. 
Daytime is usually for light reading, the kind of stuff that might add to my wordly knowledge, but wouldn't 
really transform me. But nighttime is superb for illumination, communication, and solitude. 

The act of reading has a context. You haven't really read something unless you've read it in the right context. 
This goes especially for poems. Setting context in an online journal can be difficult, but I try. I don't know 
when you'll be reading this, but here's a suggestion. If you're feeling It, then read on. If  you're not, then 
neatly bookmark this page, and come back when you're feeling It.

And what is It? It is that gnawing that keeps you up til the wee hours. That yearning for meaningful dialogue,
for profound knowledge, for harmonic resolution in the face of a splintered self. That discomfort with the
way things are, that contempt of your own ignorance, that hope that you could aspire to a higher level. 
That searching for inspiration, not just the tepid voices of the familiar.

When you feel It, poetry can become more than just transient impressions. When you feel It, you may 
feel like a seeker.

To borrow from Mary P.:

I am the seeker of life. 
The one that wants to know! 
Do Angels make babies smile? 
What makes the beauty of the flowers unfold. 
I see your eyes, 
And seek the knowledge within you. 
I Look at the Stars, 
Wondering how long will they be?
Poetry like this is powerful and beautiful, but it needs a thoughtful and attentive reader to make it so. It may
be better to choose even one poem in an issue, but to read it thoughtfully and attentively, than merely skim.
But of course, even doing that has its purpose.  

I shall pretend for the moment that you are new. New and open and interested. And for those of you who
are veteran supporters of this journal, bear with me and try to feel that way. It's a state of mind. Try to recall
the way you felt when you stumbled across this humble publication. New and open and interested. Isn't that
when impressions are made? Yes, says the seeker of life.

Onward!

Omar Azam