Poetry: Leyla Isik (Turkey)

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Leyla IŞIK  (Turkey)

Vice President of KIBATEK 

Leyla IŞIK – Educator-Poet-Writer-Artist

She completed the primary and secondary education in İzmir. She studied at the Teacher Training College in Usak. She graduated from the Faculty of Education of Eskişehir Anadolu University and retired from the primary school. Leyla Işık, the Vice President of KIBATEK and International Organization and Project Coordinator, organized the 31st KIBATEK International Litrary Festival in Istanbul / Tuzla in 2003, 34 th KIBATEK International Litrary Festival in 2004 and 39 th KIBATEK International Litrary Festival in 2016 together with the Pablo Neruda Cultural Association in Taranto. Currently, she keeps on her works at the 42nd KIBATEK International Litrary Festival Project in Ortahisar (CAPPADOCIA).

Leyla IŞIK has many valuable awards in her literature life.

Her Awards;

2003 – İksder-İzmir Culture and Art Association “Halikarnas Fisher Cevat Şakir” 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) Litrary Award,

2016 – Rumen Dialect, Poetry, Art, Literature Platform International Literature, Friendship and Peace Prize.

A CALL TO HUMANITY

If I could fly a bird whose wings are

Loaded with love to humanity

If it could wander over all countries

For LOVE is needed

To live fraternally

If I could hear neither hunger screams

Nor gun sounds

If I could remove

The hearts full of grudges and hate

And instead put the ones

Full of love for fraternity and humanity.

If I could fly a bird whose wings are

Loaded with love to humanity

If it could take liberty to all countries in the world

For PEACE is needed

To live fraternally.

If all countries could speak a common language, a heart language,

Their hands would not touch guns

And pull the triggers.

For a heart language is needed

To live fraternally.

Whether in Bosnia-Herzegovina or Iraq

Or in another place in the world

People should not be killed. Babies

And children should not be left orphaned.

Stop this savagery, that’s enough!

Don’t let blood floods run.

OH MY FACE . . .

You are where my shadow gone blind has left you off.

It is useless, even if my image, which behind the mirror

Has got undressed into its tain,

Takes its real face off and turns inside out!

I have broken and spent my eyes.

My tears pregnant with darkness,

You are the aged wine hoping for candle light’s help

In the bottle of time.

Oh my face . . .

SINCE YOU DID NOT COME

I tirelessly waited for you on this beach everyevening

The clouds soaringly left the welkin

The oleanders wilted and their pinks felt sad

The corners of my heart remained desolate,

Since you did not come…

Without you the sea became turbulent, and the waves got foamed out of their grief

The darkness angrily spreaded its skirt and covered everywhere

Feelingtired, the seagulls in the sky do not want to fly

The sea, the beach and my loving heart are all sad,

Since you did not come…

The winds are sighing, it’s the sad evening descending

The lights that go down to the sea are unamusedly sparkling

The flowers are faded, the leaves fell off the weeping willow

The blue sand the grens are all offended by you

Since you did not come…

 Setu, September 2018