Hasan Hüseyin Korkmazgil: Kızılırmak

One day they came out—
their meaningless faces and smiles—
consumption production and old underpants—
they brought their chewing gum and left it—
their tics, their facial expressions, their shouts—
they brought and left the dreams of young girls—
every day they brought it back and left it—
their ropes, their fishing rods and cans—
milk powders, soy, Salem cigarettes—
contraception pills, medals, collars—
flags, tears, curses—
our mother, our sister, our child—
the most what we care so much about—
using the organs of production and the waste of consumption—
is that courtesy of God and Jesus and ours—
horses, stables—
razors and teeth they brought and left—
every day they brought and left again every day—
then beautiful, beautiful agreements—
then beautiful, beautiful contracts—
then they share it beautifully—
hanged by your permission—
and non-stop Balthasar feasts—
after that beautiful, beautiful fighter jets—
radars, launchers, atomic bombs—
submarine something above the sea—
subconscious, unconscious everything—
flea markets—
heroin they brought their cocaine and left it—
they brought it back every day
they left—
and then they didn’t retreat to their ships
and then they didn’t retreat to their ships
and then they didn’t retreat to their ships
and now they’ve brought so much.
and now they’ve brought so much.
and now they’ve brought so much.
there is no place for independence in my country.1

 

  1. Translation, as it appears in a yet unpublished text, The Struggle for a New Human Being, by Aytaç Ünsalm.