Rıfat Ilgaz Poems

Doom-birds shuttling back and forth seem
to weave in the air the rug of despair.
Positions have been taken up, there's gunfire back there,
Cannon-balls darkly shake the earth under your feet
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In what language do children cry,
In what language do they smile
Crying has one meaning in every language
Chinese, English, Turkish…
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This feet will judge me,
I let them walk about,behind a thought
Street to street.
This head, this inflexible head too...
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A woman who lit the way for centuries
Is ready to cry on the shore.
Anger on her cheeks,
Blood on her skirt,
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Let my hand touch yours
Let me warm it if itís cold
My last warmth shall not be wasted!
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What will I leave for the people left behind,
For my children,
For their children too?
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I loved the fight, in poetry first
The freedom word by word, in poetry
Line by line I loved to live
So I loved anger and bliss...
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