I know, one day when sitting at a park
A hand will touch my shoulders as rain
A pair of eyes, an invitation, a heart
I’ll leave everyone behind . . .
Leaves will fall, flowers will wither
There will be an autumn, a morning and a rain
With scents of the earth and of people,
In a howling drunkenness, for the years
I’ll leave, go on my own.
translated by Omer Kursat
Turkish poet
Keep The Change by Cemal Süreya
I am dying dear God
This too happened.
Every death is an early death
I know dear God.
But yet, this life you take
Is not so bad . . .
Keep the change . . .
translated by Omer Kursat
Every Woman Knows Her Own Tree by Bejan Matur
When I came to you
I meant to unfurl my wings
Over that lifeless city
Built of black stone,
To perch on the branch of a tree I found
And call out in pain.
Every woman knows her own tree.
That night I flew.
I passed the city where darkness was afraid to go.
When shadowless, the soul was alone. I howled.
translated by George Messo
Sand by Gülten Akın
I had a lover
Who sent sand from the city where he lived
And yet it was the wind there I always wondered about
Was it tame wild incessant?
Did it suddenly appear hurling in the sky
What it took from the ground?
Later there were cities we shared
The wind a master but me untrained
It blew, raging, came and went
Sand filled my eyes
translated by George Messo
In Love with the Wind by Leyla Şahin
alone, and alone before too
from his eyes a carnation clings on to the world
in the middle of that world he was alone.
his kite never once reached the clouds
in the middle of that world he was alone.
the sun never once warmed his heart
in all the winters there were he was alone.
he lived a timid, fearful life
alone, alone among voices.
in his vision and his pose he was alone
in his memories alone, he had no songs:
in the evening he was most alone . . .
translated by George Messo
Broken Windows by Leyla Şahin
we’re hopeful migrants
we pitch our tents in the open
now open your arms
a bird multiples in air
we’re a raised voice
we rise with our eyelashes wet
put your arms around me
it’s love that rears the day
our eyes and brows cast down
walk now through roses, sweat
(windows broken
you can’t take me away from sorrow
it’s only for you that I cry)
a bird multiples in air
my eyes overrun my eyes
I’d have been as mute as stone, but for you
translated by George Messo
Morning in Maduray by Perihan Mağden
Didn’t I tell you
Not to open your mouth
Not to swallow birds
Their wings flap inside
And tire you
They’re woken before dawn
On trains
The bags under your eyes grow bigger
Listening to songs in temples
You unwind
translated by George Messo
Pale Blue by Aslı Durak
Hold my hand
Not to carry me far away . . . no.
My roots and branches
Will strain for distant clouds
Maybe my eyes
Are in that same pavilion of loneliness now
Let my face again be the statue of sadness
When you beautify me
Maybe
I’m a pale blue woman now
translated by George Messo
Birds by Perihan Mağden
Deceitful stones these birds
Recalling spring, they sing of it
Morning I opened the window
Winter streets, spring birds
translated by George Messo
Poem 3 by Enver Ercan
I had unraveled
under the spell of a garden
with stars overlooking its pool
she was bending over the water
a swan appeared
did the swan resemble the poppy
or was the poppy the swan
the question did not even occur to me
in that childish afternoon
when words retreated into silence
time
was kissing everything it passed.
translated by Suat Karantay
Leonard Durso 