LEYLA IŞIK

LEYLA IŞIK

This World Has Got Its Never Grown Up Children

Through facing with hunger, harassment,

rape and cruelty,

by getting drowned in unknown seas

by being frozen inside remorselessness.

Without accounting for.

Groundless inside a war

By being snatched away from its breed,

Race

Creed through injustice

being taken away from the mother’s bosom,

from its land.

At the time when they were in the phaseof flower budding

as they were a part of offshoot of the branch

before taking root in their soil,

before they guzzle their sap

the ones broken,

causing to break loutishly

and detached from life

This world has got its never grown up children.

They want to have their hope and happiness in their hearts

They want to roll a hoop of life

in their childhood

By letting their kite fly into the sky,

holding on to the one edge of the clouds,

by blending with the seven colors of the rainbow

undivided, unseparated,

in the countries with no borders drawn

singing the songs of humanity

in the common language of love

This world has got its children wanting to grow up.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY MESUT ŞENOL

We were such a deep wound

Prior to our healing

We were cattily shot,

As the wound was forming a scab silently

We were made bleed

We bled among social quagmires.

We used to be a river with rapids.

While we were struggling to reach the oceans,

The web of the stick-in-the-mud,

Became a barrage before us,

Yet we were not undaunted by.

Rather than getting drowned in a shallow water.

We made headway gradually

To get drowned in the ocean

We used to be such lovely songs on the lips,

We used to be the instruments and words of the bards.

We used to speak out,

Travelling via mouths

Hand in hand,

Shoulder to shoulder in halays

During holidays, wedding feasts

We were just banned one night

We were hurt and broken too much.

From where we are most vulnerable,

while we were branches of a plane tree,

in the freedom forest.

As we were falling down the ground,

we knew what love is all about,

and hope.

Our seeds were supposed to keep being alive

In the soil of our homeland.

We were supposed to be reborn and grow tall

With the advent of early springs, once again..

We were so many bosom friends.

Including animals, birds,

Insects,

Grasses and flowers,

Variety of trees,

Brush woods, weeds

We used to reach out towards the sun equally.

Our branches used to hold on to each other

Even

They used to be wrapping around like an ivy.

We used to stretch to the light without casting a shadow

Right before we were made dissociated.

We used to be such a huge forest.

We were the merriment of the leaves in various colors.

We used to be the voice of the birds,

Uttering their melodies in different modes,

While we were numerous living creatures inside

We were set on fire through a spark,

We got burnt

Burnt.

Turned into ashes.

They were not able to consider.

We were going to be reborn from our ashes.

Now, each of us had become a PHOENIX.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY MESUT ŞENOL

We Are Required To Lend

A Helping Hand To Life

I, you, he/she/it

As we, you, they.

Knowingly

As well as so much willfully.

Without giving a reason

Without saying if only.

By loving without getting to know.

Without questioning

their language

Religion

Race

Creed

and color.

Without thinking over

why and for what.

By sharing

Your food and bread

Pain and happiness

Considering yourself a human being.

Just now

As the whole world fighting the virus

And losing their loved ones

And having life stopped.

Have we realized

The value of life and one single breath.

We sit on the pans of the scales

Are we equal now?

Without making a distinction between poor, rich

Beautiful, ugly, woman, man

Old or young

Do we now realize what is what?

Inside the cage,

or

the beauty of being free.

The virtue of justice

With no violence, no thieves, no murderers

We polluted the air and the water of the world

We plundered its mines

We burned, demolished and wiped out its green

We slaughtered

its animals, birds and insects

Mercilessly…

We did not have compassion.

As we fight the virus

We imprisoned ourselves at home.

Even the mansion,

the palace

the four walls

turned out to be the same

it’s a life and death situation,

We are bargaining with the grim reaper.

At hospitals

We longed for the sun of the sky

While we are inside

Now they are outside

They live freely

A bird builds its nestle with no fear

Even on a car,

It sings with joy

A bear walks around with her cubs contently

Without a ring on her muzzle

The cages of the lions and tigers

are empty.

Trees began sprouting and bushing out

The forests recovered themselves.

We entered our cages.

Fearing,

Anxious

Uneasy

Inside an unknown.

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.