Poems by Neslihan Yalman
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Dead Rabbits in God’s Hat
The heart is infected constantly from the open sore When a woman wets her pillow with tears She gets as sad as there is a funeral in home Said the gentleman I saw the darkness of being a funeral that day As Virginia reached out the sparrow’s dead body I buried a sparrow behind the bus station, as well Was it winter, bird flu, shivering, whatever it was It was a day that touching to the ground was not allowed I touched and paused the clocks’ routine My heart cracked the time It is not a fairy tale, this is real In the land of paralyzed fathers and bristly mothers Both Alice and Pollyanna were crying I said don’t! You are heroes with power They showed me their graves tearing apart their chests If it doesn’t rain, who’s going to water hopeful baby flowers? I’ve seen the darkness of being a funeral The angel of death fell into my arm Telling me not to be angry with him While it was slipping a formula in my freezing hands There is no splendid return of getting on Learn! Life is just useful for uselessness Translated by Özge Özkan MALÈNA grabbing my ideas by hair they will drag towards their ideas crucify also my breasts, without breast-feeding since I gave them to your empty hands you will not reach out to me when you call the same moment, like a satan stoned I will be taken to the court of hell founded on earth you will forget my voice, my body and my all sooner than forty days, you are going to have strenght neither writing letter nor keeping up with the times you are going to fall asleep in the bosom of another woman nobody will understand me and you in the world where making love is thought to be sin and selfhood is death, pointed choices and in ourselves we will already be missed the time to take shelter Translated by Müesser Yeniay |
Neslihan Yalman was born in 1982 in Ankara. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Dokuz Eylül where she graduated as a valedictorian from the department of dramatic writing. She did her post-graduate work in Gazi University’s Social Science’s Institute’s Turkish Ethnology Department. She worked as and editor/copy editor and copywriter. She wrote a column in ‘Haber3.com’, ‘Tiyatro Tiyatro.com’ and ‘Aksisanat.com’. She currently teaches in Art Academy İzmir. She has columns in ‘Aykırı Akademi’ magazine. Her poetry and essays have been published in many journals. She was invited many art festival in Turkey and abroad.
Her Books: ‘Turkey: Where You Can’t Live But You Can’t Leave’ (2013); ‘States of Injury’ (2013); ‘But’riarchal’ (2014); ‘Bronze Informer’ (2015). Her Script: ‘The 10th Village: Teyatora’ – [Has been filmed.] Her Theatre Play: ‘Tent of Those Who Cannot (h/m)old Into Life’ –[Received the Suat Taşer Short Play Competition Award, 2004.] |
