Toward Freedom Poem by Orhan Veli Kanik

Before dawn,
While the sea is still snow-white, you will set sail;
The grip of the oars in your palms,
And in your heart the joy of toil and vigor,
You will go.
In the roll and sway of the nets, you will go.
For welcome, fish will appear on your course
Delighting you.
As you shake the nets,
Scale by scale, the sea will journey into your hands.
When silence pervades the souls of seagulls
In the cemetery of the rocks,
All of a sudden,
All hell will break loose on the horizon:
Mermaids will scuttle and birds scurry...
Saturnalia and festivals, orgies and carnivals,
Bridal processions, masquerades, revelries, carausals...
Heeeyy!
Whaddya waiting for, man, jump in the sea!
Forget who's waitying for you back there.
Don't you see: Freedom is all around you.
Be the sail, the oar, the rudder, the fish, the water,
And go, go whereever you can