WHEN I MET TURKISH LITERATURE

 

                                  Istanbul

They say to be a poet, you have to go to hell and come back.

I have been on my way to hell many times. 

But, stopped midway,

Never  reaching its  fiery center

Or perhaps, I did reach a hell.

Everyone's hell is different

"The hell" is dynamic
Different from person to person
Its thermostat varying in degrees
Your hell may be different from mine
And her's different from his

Two years ago, I fell in love with Turkish literature
With each passing day,
I'm captivated.
It holds me hostage between its teeth of idioms, metaphors and intrigues.

From Poetry notables like Yunus Emre to  comtemporaries like Nâzim Hikmet, Birhan Keskin
As, someone who delights in exploring other cultures, history and languages
I'm hooked on it for this time.

Istanbul
Istanbul.
Bride of the West and East.
One arm in the West, the other clings to the East.
Thrace holds to a hand, Anatolia the other
Once upon a time,
Banzytine.
Constantinople reborn
Steeped in history, cultures of many before, after and now.
Straddled by the Bosphorus
Head held high
In the clouds of antiquity
You are forever a Classic.

Greeks.
Romans
Turks.
All laid a claim.

Istanbul.
Istanbul.
Çok güzel