ASAF, Özdemir


Title

White is the color

Of time, fire, and death.

Write red

The color of passion, lies, hatred.

Paint blue

The clothes of dreams, love, and honor.

Draw black

The shirt of poverty, hopelessness, and loss.


Quota

Once, gleamingly, a vessel I was.

I believed in journey blissful.

Islands there were I thought of blue, sunny, peaceful.

In all my speed to the waves I ran.

You should have seen me then.

Once, gleamingly, a vessel I was.

You should have seen me then

You too with me would have come along.

Yet now, in this hour of evening

This last port, myself, where I return

Having sensed, having known, having found.

Remembering that I'd once laughed,

That flight for which I staked all life.

Now in this hour of evening

I am returning having seen, having been, having felt,

On the shore of the ever-craving eyes.


It Wasn't Me

One evening you were looking from your window

Into darkness slowly filling the road.

Someone passed your house resembling me.

Your heart began to race…

But the one passing wasn’t me.

One night you were sleeping in your bed…

You awoke suddenly to a silent world.

Something in a dream opened your eyes,

And darkness was there in your room…

The one who saw you wasn’t me.

At that time I was nowhere near,

And for no reason you began to cry.

Now at last you’re thinking of me

Living with love in your life…

The one who knew this wasn’t me.

You were reading a book, entranced…

The people inside fell in love or else died.

A young man in the novel was killed.

You were afraid, with all your strength cried…

The one who died wasn’t me.

Lavinia

I won't ask you not to go.

You are cold, take my jacket.

These are the loveliest times of the day.

Stay with me.

I won't ask you not to go.

Still, you know.

If you want lies, I will tell you lies,

You'll be hurt.

I won't ask you not to go.

But Lavinia, don't go.

I will keep your name as a secret

Even you shall not know Lavinia.

I used to watch you

Yor hair would waver in the wind.

Nearby, I used to watch you.

The sun would burn, the sea be burnt.

You’d talk, I’d listen.

You used to smile.

You’d be quiet, pensive,

Walking with me hand in hand.

The road would come to an end.

Then I wouldn’t see you…

Years would pass.

From far, far away

I used to watch you.