I put on the necklace my mom wore to her wedding
To go see a guy who’s never washed his bedding.
I look at the clasp and it reminds me of how
She used to put it on, that time’s long gone now.
It’s sparkly and dainty and i’m just a wreck,
A virgin memory heals my bruised neck;
It doesn’t strangle, it doesn’t hurt
Like your hands on my throat
When you try to make me quiet, hide me from the world
While our bodies are tangled and curled.
I have never kept it on a random shelf.
I never touch it once it’s on myself
Like you never touch me once we’re done
And you can’t wait for me to be gone.
I seek the feels and thrills of a quiet life,
But i’ll never be your domestic wife.

i opened my instagram today and i started mindlessly tapping away, looking through these stranger’s stories, wondering
when mine began, when i became
so lucky to love and be loved
back by someone who cares
if i live or die or if i come
back home tonight,
to hug her tight
and whisper
in her ear
that i’m
here

and
then i
saw that
it was her
birthday, she
who told me years
ago, when i was so in
love with the unattainable
that she loved them too and
they went on a couple of dates
and they were so obsessed with
each other and i felt like dying on
the spot because i loved them more

and she was dumb and childish and not what they needed and not as good
as i could be for them and they
still did not see how great i
was because we were just
friends and she was so
much more, but it all
turned out fine or
so i thought at
that time ‘cus
in the end, i
was theirs
once.

now,
i do not
care, we
are not in
love with each
other anymore
and i am so much
happier with her and
i could not ask for more
because i spent so much
time dwelling on something
that could never be what it was
supposed to be, but i felt empty
when i saw on instagram that she
is happy and she is having a sweet 16

iubesc să mă trezesc la 5 dimineața înainte de şcoală ca să am timp să mă dau cu un ruj mat prea închis la culoare şi să arate ca dracu’ şi să îl greşesc de atâtea ori încât încep să mă usture buzele şi totuşi să fiu o liceană silitoare de la ora 8

iubesc să port o pereche de fishnets pe care le am de la 13 ani când încercam să fiu emo şi misterioasă şi am descoperit pierce the veil şi să le asortez cu o fustă care nici măcar nu îmi trece de cur dar e okay căci mi-e prea frică de bărbați ca să ies din casă fără pantaloni scurți pe dedesubt

iubesc să conduc cu viteza puțin peste limita legală şi să mă rog să nu fie poliția după colț la pândă şi să cânt din toți răunchii în maşină melodii pe care mi le-a arătat tata acuma atâția de mulți ani când mă ducea dimineața la grădiniță

iubesc să port brelocuri cu iepuraşi şi pisicuțe şi să îmi vopsesc părul roz şi să mă comport ca un copil lipsit de griji şi parcă uneori să regresez la starea mea primordială de bebe în scutece şi să uit de responsabilități

iubesc să dansez şi să sar în tocuri şi să mă bag în vorbă cu străini şi să dau shot-uri cu ei până ajung sub masă şi încep să plâng după fete care au şi uitat că exist dar uneori îmi iau bocancii îmblăniți ca să nu îmi fie frig

iubesc să zâmbesc la oameni pe stradă şi să îi urez barista-ului de la five o zi frumoasă pentru că a mea e de căcat şi poate aşa mă mai înveselesc la o cafea după care să mă urc în bus şi să scriu poezie proastă dar adevărată pe care o s-o arăt tuturor follower-ilor de pe insta

iubesc să ştiu că sunt excentrică ca o barbie pe pastile sau ca o rockeraşă cu ducu bertzi în căşti şi scene queen în boxe şi că prin ființa mea cronic îndurerată în pulă poate luminez un chip sau două sau pe toate căci sunt pur şi simplu comic iubită

I tell stories to our children
Late at night
When there is no soul in sight

And when you do a stupid thing
I cry, I beg, I pray,
And you don’t have the guts to say You’ll leave
And I’ll be left with

Telling stories to our children
Late at night
When you watch us out of spite;

Telling stories to our children
From up above
Like the ghost that you now are;

Thinking ’bout our future children
We’ll never raise
‘Cus I know the days have changed;

Living in an old apartment
All by myself,
Never visiting your grave.

When you do a stupid thing
I cry, I beg, I pray,
And you don’t have the guts to say You’ll leave
And i’ll be left with

Seeing ghosts of future children That don’t exist; We both killed what could’ve been.

Have you ever wondered what the relations in international relations stands for?

International relations is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as war and peace, diplomacy, trade, and foreign policy—as well as relations with and among other international actors, like intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations and legal bodies.

The reason we need International Relations is because we, as a society, can not possibly make cultural, social, not even technological advancements in isolation. Let’s take North Korea as an example of what seclusion leads to. In 2013, North Korea attempted to threaten their neighboring South Korea by delivering… a fax message. Most of the world stopped using fax machines in the early 2000’s due to the rise of computers, emails and mobile phones, but North Korea wasn’t there yet from a technological point of view. This lack of technological advancement was a direct consequence of their isolationist policies, fact illustrated, for example, by North Korea being one of the 7 countries, out of 193 countries, that have not become members of the International Labour Organization. Not only that, but the lack of diplomatic relations North Korea entertains also results in a lack of travel possibilities for its citizens. After all, the strength of one’s passport is defined by the quality of the relationships with other states. This means that diplomatic relations affect not only the governments, but also the people. So why shouldn’t the people have a say in it?

Relations between nations are complex and ever evolving, making it important to ensure that diplomatic efforts are successful and constructive. The relationship between two nations is a delicate balance that should not be left solely to the will of governments, but must also extend to the citizens and other groups of that nation. Alliances require deep cultural understanding, mutual trust and respect, and common ground. It is the responsibility of those leading the nations, but also those living within them, to ensure this relationship remains strong and establishes a framework of cooperation and understanding. 

According to Chandler’s political study, Global Civil Society, civil society has become increasingly important in international relations. In the past, they were dominated by states through governments. In recent decades, however, civil society has come to the fore as a powerful non-state actor. It is comprised of a wide variety of non-governmental organizations, including charities, non-profits, advocacy groups, religious groups and professional associations. These groups often have the ability to shape international policy and law, especially in areas such as human rights, environmental protection and economic development. It is this civil society which is often seen as a way to constrain the power of states in international affairs, as well as a way to promote greater participation from citizens in global decision-making. 

I’m sure you have all seen The Terminal, a 2004 American comedy-drama film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is partially inspired by the story of the 18-year stay of Mehran Karimi Nasseri in Terminal 1 of Paris’ Airport, from 1988 to 2006. In 1988, Nasseri flew from Brussels to London via Paris; however, he was sent back to Paris because he lost his refugee passport. France denied him entry, so he lived in the transit area until he was hospitalized due to medical issues. After being placed in a shelter for 16 years, he returned to living at the airport in September 2022, and died there of a heart attack in November 2022. Can you imagine that? No government tried to help him get out of the terminal for nearly two decades, and this is not an isolated case of the human rights of vulnerable groups not being respected. If we look at violence against children, the case named DMD v. Romania is a good example of preconceptions among state institutions. In 2004, a 3 year old child was abused by his step father, and the mother filed a complaint. Apart from the investigation related to the alleged abuse being completely ineffective, the Court of Appeal of Bucharest said that child chastisement is acceptable in some circumstances. It was not resolved for nearly 7 years, until civil society took it to the European Court of Human Rights, where justice was made.

It can thus be seen that it is civil society organizations that try to fight against wrong state-wide ideas. In those circumstances, who should be in charge of the lives, freedom and protection of people?

In conclusion, while governments ultimately have the responsibility to oversee and regulate relations between nations, and by extent are in charge of their respective citizens, it is also important to involve members of civil society to ensure that key decisions are representative of the interests and values of the general public. Due to the far-reaching implications of international relations, collaborative and transparent decision making between both public and private actors is integral to ensuring safe and equitable relations between nations. 

They’ll say “time is a storm in which we are all lost”,
but I’m not lost in time, it’s a quarter past four
and the sky is so clear you can see ursa major.
I am lost in myself, in who I was before,
I am lost in my thoughts, the ones I abhor,
I am lost in her eyes, the little girl I was,
I am lost in the hope she had for our soul.

I am blinded without mercy
by how bright I used to be,
by the countless expectancies
of a life I will not live.

Get on your hands and knees and curl up your toes,
pray for the salvation of all who are lost;
lost in time, lost in their thoughts,
lost in memories they used to call home.

I watch time pass me by
like birds flying in the sky
and for a second, i stop.
Let it run its course.

Any explanation I would give you for the fact that we didn’t follow through with our dreams would be a lie. I love myself for who we were, are and will be. We are the little girl from so many years ago, the one who had her first revelation of the world around herself. We are the primary school student who wrote her first composition of which she is proud. We are the teenager who is still finding out who she is and what “home” means. We are spring days spent reading under the sun. Think about our life. Do you remember? What were we doing? How were we talking, what were we wearing? I love everything we were because I love who we are now. I’m sorry for the false hope of a future we’ll never get, and I’m sorry for all the lies. We are running out of time.

I listen to the wind
or the cars that pass my street.
I hear mom from underneath my feet,
and perhaps the chirping of birds,
or the music we make when we’re alone;
it all sounds like nature’s call;
it almost feels like time is gone;
it all feels like coming home.

Let time grab you by the hand and shake your corpse.
Dance like the tides before they’re hit by storm.
Hold your breath for a minute at best.
Emerge from the sea and let your body rest.

Dykish–
Like that denim jacket you love to wear,
Like your bare freckled face in winter.
I’m a demon in disguise,
You shouldn’t have to taint your mouth
With a slur as bad as I am.

Closely–
І could hold you, make you mine,
Live out a fairytale and lie.
Lie to me, tell me I’m pretty,
Call me your girlfriend-femme-butch-dyke
Or your dykish queer friend
You only call at night.

Tear me–
Like you wear and tear your denim jacket,
Punch me, kick me, I needn’t feel my best.
Praise me for quitting,
Then go smell my coffin nailed hands.
I am nothing but my name,
A dykish name you will forget.

“Mă holbez la toată lumea.”
Cred că ochii tăi nu mint.
Oare sufletul te-ncearcă
Cu un jalnic sentiment
Fragil?

Să ştii, îți place să m-omori
Şi eşti sadică-ntru tot.
Te-ai gândit măcar o dată
La ce-mi faci cu a ta şoaptă?

“Îmi eşti dragă, îmi este dor”
Poate-o fi adevărat.
Spune-mi doar mie, nu-i aşa
Că eu sunt, am fost, voi fi
A ta?

Îți jur că m-ai înnebunit
Şi nu ştiu dac-o comiți.
Astă seară am gust de pelin,
Vreau cu totul să mă înghiți.

Iubita mea sau neiubita,
Dulcea şi cea amăruie,
Ai socotit că-mi eşti ispita?
Inima mea, acum gălbuie
Plânge.

Poate te cam plictisesc
Însă am să te aştept.
Ți-am zis o dată cât te iubesc.
Tu nu crezi că e nedrept?

or the cars that pass
my street
hearing mom from underneath
my feet
and perhaps the chirping
of birds
or the music we make when we’re
alone
it all sounds like nature’s
call
it all feels like coming
home

December 10th, 2020

I don’t think you remember. At the time, we had known each other for just a little over a month. It was a full moon during the cold month of January. We were imagining a world in which things were just as we wished them to be… better. You made me really happy that day. You still do. Every single day. You told me it was a full moon. I had no idea. I opened my window and stared at the moon. I was listening to “The Moon Song” by Oscar Lang. I quickly started associating it with you. That’s when I realized I fell for you. I cried quite a bunch that night. I still do. Every time I hear that song, I think of you. I tried so hard to hide my feelings. I told myself it’d be best if you never found out… we were friends afterall. I wanted to be friends with you. I hid it for eleven months. Until today. When you told me. I never, not in a million years, would have expected that. I’ve always put you on a higher pedestal. In my silly little mind, you were unreachable; someone who I must watch from a distance. I’ve seen you fall in and out of love with others and I’ve wished you would see me as anything but a buddy for once. It hurt, yes. But every single time, I was happy for you. Because you might be the first person I’ve ever loved. At some point I moved on. Or, at least, I tried to. I don’t think I’ve ever truly moved on… I don’t think I ever will. You will just keep being my dear first love. And I wish I could kiss you. Once. Before you are gone forever. Because I do not know for how much longer you’ll choose to love such a flawed being. And I do not know for how long I can keep on choosing you. Don’t get me wrong, you’re one of the only reasons I’ve been happy this year. But you’ve made it hard for me. You’ve always been in the back of my mind, somewhere. You never left. Darling, it is so unfair. I never felt happy with someone else. Every single time, something was missing. You were missing. Now I feel like I’ve already lost you. Lost the chance to be with you one single time before you vanish. And I miss you greatly every day that passes. We’ve only met once, for a split second. But your image never left my mind. Because that night I knew I was in love with you. And I hate this cheesy paragraph I’m writing for you. My silly love paragraph does not compare to the way I truly feel about you. I don’t want to think of the day we’ll go on different paths… yet I know it’s unlikely you’ll love me forever. A boy can dream, though. 

August 10th, 2022

But I was right. You couldn’t love me forever, and nor did I keep choosing you. Our love was not enough. I think about you with every breath I take and it hurts to know I can never know your whereabouts. We’re two separate people once again; and I’m happy about it, yet it pains me. I guess we’re now a cheesy story, a sad event, a teenage romance. I sometimes want you back, but I can never let my feelings show; I can never tell you how I feel. Who would’ve thought forever could last so little?