All By Myself (I) Was it the passing time or was it us to spend time loutishly? Was it us who age our hearts at the same timeframe and locations? Don’t suppose that your words don’t call the tune for your tired wings Even though you go through bee line separations. Don’t assume Your love that you fit in the life of a butterfly would not come when you say “come.” Who would know better than you and I Everything you sacrifice for the sake of you? The warmth of my hands regenerated your hands. I became your crowd in the loneliness of another city. And I placed my heart in your heart. You always gazed off into the view sadly You aligned amongst your unread poems image by image. Like, you know your love would return back to you one day. Your lips would drop on your lips During your dreamy travels when you would be lost in thought I h e a r d t h a t Y o u m i s s m e English Translation By Mesut ŞENOL All By Myself (Ii) Ah the sky, you are again baring your soul. If only I would have been able to do so. Should I thunder from time to time or should I open my curtain to the sun! For you it doesn’t matter whether it is dark or sunny. You could shower when you get full. Moreover, you don’t have the concept of time either. Yesterday night, my heart ached, and my whole body alongside with my heart. I took my lid off and looked at. You are again baring your soul. Firstly, drops fell down slowly, then with a great enthusiasm as if they want to clean all the dirtiness of the earth… I wanted to take refuge in the hands of sleep, but the curtain of my eyes was not brought down. My body got chilled, as well as my heart. There wasn’t any hand to hold, and eyes to look at my eyes. In short there was sadness last night. Now my room is darkish, though already the day broke. I am by the window. A sparrow took a shelter in a soffit, and a hungry cat popped out from a garbage dumpster. With the park being deserted because of the rain, the child in the opposite neighbour’s house drew something on the water vapour of the window. By looking at him, I too drew a heart, yet I did not write initials on it. I couldn’t have done it for some reason. Then I wiped it away. Maybe the child laughed at it silently, not being able to make sense of it, I think. The wind is blowing, and the trees keep on shedding leaves as if wanting to cover the chilly ground. The soil is drinking the rain. I smiled. I await my darkening room to be lit up by the window. In a little while my telephone rings off the hook, and I would not pick up the phone just out of whims. Then it rings again. I would brew the tea and prepare glasses. “He would have the tea in the cup, O God, I just forgot about it for a moment”, I would tell myself. I would go to the kitchen with a thought of the possibility of his asking “didn’t you cook those cookies I love”. I would return to my place by the window. Ah the sky, you are baring your soul so beautifully. If only I would have been able to do so. But I hold my tongue, don’t I? Maybe I do so for “you would gather that being silent offers an answer”. English Translation By Mesut Şenol I Wonder If I Am In Love? Yesterday you had a chat with a pair of doves increasing the sense of your loneliness, and they asked you about me. They wanted you to tell them all happenings as a secret. Without offending me being far away, the words dropped from your lips with difficulty of talking about a love which has been infused for years. “Think of a flesh that has a longing for another body, of her hand being a poem, and her heart being a volcano for love. You cannot open another thought’s door without thinking about her. If you embrace her in your arms then you would squeeze her, you would blend her with yourself and make her you, that is like turning two into one.” you had said. “Elder brother, you are in love” they had murmured smiling. Turning back to your loneliness, you asked yourself by repeating your words: “Was I in love or should I have fallen in love at the hours with her absence?” years passed into years, and nights passed into nights. We provided for each other the light of bright mornings. No any continent or any other souls were able to stand between us. It sufficed for us to be aware of each other’s existence and to hear each other’s voice. The passing time span its web either being active or calm. Not being able to see or touch in between commuting between us hurt our hearts. Watching me by looking at the cornerstones of the passing hours in the evenings and mornings was proved to be difficult. Majnun’s Layla. One day I am there, and the other day I am gone. In fact you froze my existence in your heart for so many years… Your heart which is the volcano of the volcanos. Your heart which is the headwaters of the springs. My heart which bursts into flames in the volcano of your heart. My heart which drinks love from the headwaters of your spring. My heart which touches the rose by not minding its thorn. I am calling on you by multiplying my words at the hours in your absence. I wonder if I am in love? English Translation By Mesut Şenol
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), http://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.
Confessions 