A.round trip Şiiri - Leman Julide

location: Boonton, NJ.
spot: a small train station
time: syncrous

the time was flowing towards eight in the evening, and I
towards— longing
as I boarded the train.

”round trip” i said to the conductor
”where? ”
”boonton”
was surprised:
”what’s the hurry, before arriving
you are returning? ”

i smiled —not to myself—
but to him,
”eyes are deceptive, sometimes one is not where she seems to be”
i said, returning the joke.

he laughed.
”o.k. then for how many people? ”

was my turn to be surprised.
”how many people do i look like, according to you? ”
”m u u u u ltiples.”
we laughed together.

as he printed out the ticket and left —on his way—
”take the window seat,” i said, to the one next to me.

”i’ll be getting off at Kadikoy to the first sounds of the sea gulls”

Istanbul slid to the right, i to his left.

we started moving over the railroads.

” we reap a profit today also,” i said...

”we slipped by nicely with a single ticket... he was but almost
noticing you, hide yourself well inside me
next time...”

”done” he said with his Bebek dimples which always smiled.

”but these boats of mine which blow their whistles every other minute
and the sea gulls which keep chasing them.
my brimming over inside is due to that.
thank god, they did not land on the guy’s epaulets —thinking
them sesame rolls.”

”how are you, you tell me that”
”i missed you,” i said to him, ’and how.”
”and i. you...”
”come...,” he said.”embrace me, mix it up inside me”
”how come, before all these people.”
”ignore them,” he said, ”they are chasing their own worries.”
”i ignored...”

”i combed the phosphorescence from the wave of your hair
winding your selflessness around my finger
ambled gently down your throat”

”suddenly i got off at Ortakoy —captured by the la sound of someone’s guitar.”

”i touched...
your hills of sundown.
i burnt”

he touched...

my longing heart.
i fell..

he took my hand
putting it in his sea.
i was wet.

”now extend your lips and drink
my liquid from my hand -don’t hesitate”
slaked, it was salty
like him, like Istanbul, it was rainy.
I was soaked
with love.

i stanbul slipped inside me, i slipped outside her
iron rails rolling
over me.

suddenly:
LAST STOP!

location: Kadikoy, Istanbul
spot: a small fish restaurant.
time: six P.M.

waters were flowing towards sundown, and i inside me

i said farewell to istanbul
with the first ”what’s up”
i heard in New York.

leman julide K
translated by murat nemet-nejat
5-14 june /2007 boonton-newyork train