Penguin Şiiri - Levent Karataş

i’m a penguin
coming from other seasons, from other seas
the others understand that too
i’ve understood it from the others
at first i was alone
stark naked and alone
then i understood i was something other
and in the end that i was a penguin
this one said it first
when i was looking at the sea
said it straight out: ‘you’re a penguin’
without deceit, i said ‘yes’
‘what’s that to who? ’
looking into the incurable loneliness of those eyes
‘that’s the truth’ i said with fear
‘i’m a penguin...’
someone who has no place among those who have so much...
we looked at the fish in the seas of ortaköy
‘it’s nice to look at fish’, I said
‘the fish that are seen don’t come to the hook’
‘i don’t know’ i said, ‘i’ve never caught a fish’
‘you’re a penguin, have you forgotten? ’
‘i haven’t forgotten’ i said. we laughed...
sitting by the seashore
we looked at istanbuls reach the night
without speaking at all..
‘now let’s find a cure for me’
i said ‘i’m a penguin’
‘you’ve gone agaın’
‘i’ve gone’ i said...
we walked
the length of the night street with clumps of trees
holding your hands in pain
i tried to remember where i’d flown
the place that i’d come to...
i thought of a poem for my inner penguin,
that’s to say...
if there’s always a penguin crying inside you...

april 2004

Levent Karataş
Translated Fiona Tomkinson, 6th October 2010