LEYLA IŞIK

 

(N/D)Ame

 

Shameless, your hands hennaed

what you believe on the heavens, having your hand out

sounds of love and romance

when the migratory birds change their direction,

whey the ruins would become their living space?

Where she was the seed fallen on the ground

Where the words were the dolphins in the vast sea

Reproach makes love a true love

Not at the sunset

A body embedded in another body cracks in the first light

through the hunger for loving like the taste of a bite.

When time suckles with its white lait

The leaf would not ask for mercy from the wind

It is taking the chance to break off from the branch, to mix with the soil

O the people, how do you think about it

Life is all about living without a sword or a shield!

 

©Leyla Işık

English Translation By Mesut ŞENOL

 

Mom, Indescribable Pain

Came To My Knowledge!

 

Mom, actually you were telling me when I was small girl, “Watch out where you are walking, or else you get hurt!”

I did not know then the true meaning of what you had to say on those days.

But as I was growing, I came to know what it means through the games played inside life.

How to be commissioned in the game of “Who’s mother now?” and to be tagged…

How the cookies we made out of mud became sweet and salinized…

How to play hide and seek, how to hide ourselves…

Life doesn’t bear a resemblance to the work of building a house out of stone or making cookies out of mud.

Sometimes your playmate doesn’t turn out to be the prince charming.

Cotton candy sellers don’t walk through the street.

We don’t prick up our ears to the neighbour’s conversation,

Before the shank of the evening, we are not running towards the head of the street where my father holding the string bag appears, and we are not asking him “What did you bring?”

 

I gave up on all of these, mom.

The way you taught me, I always let my heart open. Mom, I did hold a grudge and I did not hate anybody. I included my friend in the game I was playing and I added net colour to my life with that person. I shared my bread, I went hungry if need be.

I never complained. I never complained anybody. I never cast someone aside.

But whomever I inserted anyone into my play, they got me out of the game.

Mom, I saw the systems built, lies serenaded for a slice of cake, and the ones who always say “Me, me!”.

We were always “Us”, right?

We always looked out for each other and loved.

We did not care about being rich-poor, Easterner or Westerner. We joined hands, we played together.

Even though we did not speak the same language, we always talked to each other in the language of love.

I watch out where I put my steps, but there are thorns unknown to me on the ground where I put my feet. Nevertheless, I would like to walk barefooted, and even I desire to go after a kite with its broken thread.

I would like to roll around the grass while I was running.

Yet, now everywhere seems to be muddy...

Mom, I don’t want to wallow in mud!

The one I called “you’re my life” too went away.

My love was not just a momentary one. Whey he has gone?

You know everything, come on, tell me

Or else mom, was I bored out of my brains?

Yesterday we were a child.

Today we forgot about everything.

Hands are holding weapons instead of slingshot.

The targets used to be empty bottles whereas now “humans” are targeted.

They kill humanity.

It hurts me.

Mom, indescribable pain came to my knowledge!

 

©Leyla IŞIK

English Translation By Mesut ŞENOL

 

Can I Leave?

 

I live with you in exhaustion within multiple times. By my heart conditioned to loneliness, my endless passion to love, I am carried away towards unknown love adventures. I am just thinking whether I would be able to leave one day? Can I break off with you? By shedding my unseen tears and by taking off my constantly smiling mask, can I do it without a backward glance? I think it is not easy to silence my heart and to suppress my feelings.

 

To love you means to propagate.

It’s not breaking up, it’s not becoming smaller and disappearing for me…

Through breaking up, I would propagate, multiply, exist and love you.

 

Now you, to the one I am attached passionately, are far away. The distance in between us is more than kilometers. In fact, for years and years I have been waiting for the delayed happiness at the utopian stops of life. I just waited for those living days which I consider meaningless. As if I wrote down all negative experiences of my life in my memory and at the end I was awarded with You.

 

Can I leave?

Can I leave disappointed by leaving behind our togetherness at which we neither could live until satisfied, nor are able to turn away from?

 

Can I bear with seeing you vulgar… masked; would you tell me something by breaking your silence?

 

Can I hear the most beautiful words about love?

Maybe it is going to be late. Maybe I will turn my back on your forced fondness one day. And will you be aware of you losing my love you waved aside since you didn’t want to listen to me?

Are you going to contemplate again, time… what you lived through… what you shared with me (!) or are you going to look after them indifferently?

 

Sleepless

My nights passed half sleepy are consumed away through the exhausted time.

The rise of the day…

Calls of the birds…

They don’t give me joy.

Talking to my flowers,

And caressing them doesn’t feel like the same anymore.

Being near me but also being away from me.

Talking but not being able to chat hurts my heart. I play alone the twosome game… You are mute in this twosome game… you are a coward… you are timid… you are secretive. On the other hand, I turn a blind eye to everything for not losing you, and I play even on your behalf. Until when?

 

I do not recognize you, I do not apprehend you. My attention makes you hypocrite, and I always see you with your face I wish to see.

 

Can I leave?

I need you so much. I am content with your silence.

 

I would like you to touch me, hug me, and stay in my pupils. Take such a look at me so that the warmth of you looks should be spreading on my body. Touch me. Let your love be on the tips of your fingers, and let your heart be held in your hands.

 

Can I leave?

…… You’re in my pupils

……….You’re on my body with your warm looks

…………….. You’re holding your heart in your hands

………………………  You would place your heart in my hands…

Would I ever leave?

 

Leyla Işık

English Translation By Mesut Şenol

 

LEYLA IŞIK

 

LEYLA IŞIK: Educator-Poet-Writer-Artist-Painter. She graduated from Teacher Training College in Usak and Faculty of Education of Eskisehir Anadolu University. She had worked as a teacher for many years. She, Vice President of KIBATEK and International Organization and Project Coordinator, organized the 31st,34 th, 39th, 40 th, 42 nd, 44 the KIBATEK International Litrary Festivals and attended India World Poetry Festival organized by Pentasy B in Hydarabadand “Golden Word” International Literary Festival in Uzbekistan.

 

Her Awards:2003 - İksder-İzmir Culture and Art Association "Halikarnas Fisher CevatŞakir" First Prize Poetry Award, 2008 – Şaire Mehseti Gencevi (MŞM) Honorary Diploma on behalf of Azerbaijani Baku Poet Mesheti Genjevi for Serving Turkish World Literature. 2013 – Atilla İlhan Friendship and Fidelity Medallion from Platform of Love Izmir 2015 - World Young Writers Association (DGTYB) Literary Award, 2016 - Rumen Dialect, Poetry, Art, Literature Platform International Literature, Friendship and Peace Prize. 2017-Pablo Neruda Cultural Association” Neruda Award 2017”award- Italy Pablo Neruda Cultural Association” Representative for Turkey of Pablo- Neruda-Italy Honorary Member of Italian Cultural Association Pablo Neruda Chief Representative of the World Notation Writers ‘union in Turkey-Kazakhstan  Hyderabad India World Poetry Festival Pentasi B 2017 "Inspirational poetry" award Fellowship Certificate-Fellow of the Regal world of Scribes (FRWS) India World Poetry Festival “Writers Corner - Warangal Medal”  India World Poetry Festival Writers Corner Warangal “The Enchanting Muse Award" World Nations Writers “Union Kazakhstan “Pride of the Globe-2017, WNWU” in Response to exceptional commitment and devotion to literature 2018-OPA-Poetry Archive’s Assignment of Publication  OPA Our Poetry Archive featured poet of the month March. World Award in Literature - 2018, WNWU 2019-Motivational strips “AMBASSADOR DE LITERATURE 2020-Peruvian Union "Literary Excellent Award" Hispanom Dial De Escritores, Motivation           Strips, World Nations Writers Union Chile Diploma and Certificate of Honor Romania International Academy of Arts and Letters Certificate Morocco "International Creativity and Humanity Certificate" India / Daman "World Illustrated Poetry Forum" Grand Woman Poet Award for great success in high virtue assessment

 

Her books: HUZUR ÇERÇEVEM (E) poetry, SERÜVEN KUŞU İÇİMİN ÖYKÜSÜ poetry – poetic expression, YENİDEN YAŞAMAK GİBİ short story ,BİR BAŞKA DÜŞ (E) poetry - poetic expression, DODAQ İZLERİN poetry -translated and published at Vektör University, DÜŞLERİMİ (Ç) ALDIM ,UYKUSUZ ESRİK GECENİN SABAHINDA ,ULUSLARARASI EDEBİYAT ŞÖLENİ ŞİİR ANTOLOJİSİ Besides  KIBATEK

 

Aegean Cultural Platform Theatre Coordinator, Literature Association Member , Member of International Activist Artists Association, She is also Turkey Representative and Honorary Member of Italy Pablo Neruda Cultural Association, Member and Turkey representative of World Nation Writers Association. Her poems are published in international anthologies; Galaksi  Poetike  Atanis, Grami Romanesc, Global Voices of 21st Century female Poets QUEEN, Poetry in the Park Collection No 4,Antologia Poetica KIBATEK festival 39 (Italy), www.mearteka.net, Antologia Amaravati Poetic Prism 2018,2019 Her articles and poems have been translated into German, Albanian, Arabic, Romanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Dutch, Italian, English and Azeri Turkish, Spanish, Macedonian, Urdu, Chinese by published in anthologies in various journals both in Turkey and abroad. She is painter, received theatre training, writes heather plays besides poetry, short stories and essays. She is the poet of passion, longing, love and struggle.