Cypriot poets say YES!

2004-03-30

Cypriot poets say YES!

15 poets, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots came together to use their imagination and work on a common poem. We decided to work on a concept and we chose the concept ‘YES’ which is a very popular and also unpopular word today in our country.

We had in mind that every YES is also a NO to something else and every NO has also a YES. We approached YES as a very affirmative word. A word we learn first in the other’s language, a word which is an opening rather than a closure, a word which can bring a change?

We wanted to make an intervention with the language of poetry to the area of politics which is in our houses every night through the TV screens. Which fills us with so much anxiety and negative energy with its confronting and often fearfull attitude.

We found a big YES in our hearts for a better future and for a unifying Cyprus. We did not discuss about plans, about property, about percentages? We looked at our own YES’es.

All the poets produced their own verses and then we made a collage.
THE COMMON POEM OF CYPRIOT POETS

YES: WHAT A JOYFUL WORD!


Yes, to a bird with open wings

To the open sky, to the open sea

Yes, to lips open to a smile

To a wish, to hope

Magical words

The revenge of silenced hearts against history

While kissing the wind of love

To share the same flame

Sing the same song

Be drunk with the same passion

Make love under the same moon

Let my heart my body be light

So that I can speak

What is Greek what is Turkish

Are they two houses exchanging each other

Are they two lives filled to the brim

Emptying themselves

into sand bags

Yes, I said as though drawing a beautiful bird

Nearing extinction

I am handing it over to you

So that you can add yet another colour

A bird hidden for so long in my heart

A YES bird; so close to bursting my heart open

Take this joy

Attach it to the bird’s wing

As though planting new saplings

In a beautiful forest

I sit, sweating, breathless

So as to send a wave from deep inside me

Look there, at the abyss of my heart

That thing amongst the flames is “Yes”

Life will fall, like a star

And we will also change

Yes, a palm open to the other

To the different, to the unknown

I passed through the border amongst

The rumble of thousands of migrating butterflies

I know this day of May will be the day

The dead will awaken only once

Your stones

We will burry

In the foundations of our common house

Oh wall

The whole universe

Fits into a single word!

Yes: What a joyful word!

To sing the song of heavenly love

Say Yes! To your good neighbours in exile

Open the doors ajar with your hands

Say yes! Let’s come out onto the doorsteps

Clean out our wounds

Kiss by kiss



Neşe Yaşın, Filiz Naldöven,Lily Michailidou, Fikret Demirağ, Elli Peonidou, Zeki Ali, Takis Hadjigeorgiou,Tamer Öncül, Feriha Altok, Neriman Cahit, M. Kansu, Stephanos Stephanides, Gür Genç, Jenan Selçuk,Michalis Papadopoulos, Aydın Mehmet Ali





http://www.klys.se/cypriot-poets-say-yes.htm

Fikret Demirağ

http://www.cypnet.co.uk/ncyprus/literature/demirag.html

Neşe Yaşın

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nese_Yasin

http://www.cypnet.co.uk/ncyprus/literature/yasin-n.html


Marios Tokas meets Nese Yasin for the first time - 02 - Camden Cypriot Festival 1991


Comment made by youtube user "grokked":
Nese Yasin recites in Turkish her now famous poem "My Country has been Divided in Two, which of the two parts should I love", accompanied by Marios Tokas on the piano. Part of a an evening's concert by Marios Tokas duriing a two week festival of Cypriot Arts during the Camden Cypriot Festival 1991.

See a video of the entire evening's concert available online at:
http://www.archive.org/details/Cyprio...

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The content of Nese's poem has kindly been translated into English for us all (with thanks for the labour of love by youtube user cypriotenglish, in the heat of August 2009, rededicated again to PEACE in Cyprus and the world):

On the Turkish side, in a small grave, a war victim Cypriot child said: People, why did I die? I was still a baby, I didn't commit a crime, why did you put me into the darkness?

On the Greek side, in a small grave, another war victim Cypriot child said: why did I die? I want to climb a carob tree, people why did you put me into the darkness?

I took the sound with me as I went, I kept on looking at the void, your footsteps have not yet left on the road to love. It was mere loneliness you left, even though you say you are not alone.

I have still not grown up, I am a love child. My dreams new enough, girl child, when everyone is asleep - I will come to you.

In the same city, walls block my way, to run and hug, wait for me across there.

Because love is a bird, what about you? How does a man love?

Would he trample on all the rules and expectations and come? From head to toe love. There will be no pass, even if you took to the road, it can't be, unless ordered by the general.

I was going to say - do not love a poet, your fire silenced me. Love is a national traitor, in two seperate cells, to quietly love, this is betrayal at the grasp of rebellion.

Your name is tangled in a knot, I am untangling it, pain to the soul and the love watch have become frequent.

If it is not a joyous thing to make love whats it good for?

I must write a request, my circumstance evident, for a pass to cross, for my longing.

A flower is dying, guns pointed at it, in no mans land love was caught, it confessed to being a fugitive.

Even if I knew nothing, I know everything, love is a god who recognises no boundaries.



I saw you in my dream, a bitter tasting mix, you said you were sick, I haven't forgotten.

Even if you, if women always surrounded you, die with me if you must, don't die, I will die. I fear that the forbidden hope may fade eventually.
The flame reduced to ashes is inevitable, I am crazy, one day I may come, what about you?

A thief of hearts, womens hearts are stolen by it's bird. If I flew away, what would I do? If I was set free where would I go? Who would understand my language? (untranslatable) tasralli girl love.

I am scared, but you do not know, today is my hopeless day.

Nobody could unite United Nations, as long as nations exist.

I want peace between women and men.

Could you not even fly for me a bit of news?

The love of a women is at stake in the end, I'm lonely, I am so you, oh so lonely. So much a poet, so much a woman, so much a child.

I am a flower, closed, only to you would I open my joy - I'm alone. If they praised me to you, and you to me, in the end we would be left.

I would sit and write poems, along side you I would keep burning [with passion or love] if I was next to you and you next to me, we would be one and be us.

No permission to cross, in reality it is the glimmer of hope which disappears.

Days spent in longing have turned to sadness.

Don't wait for me in the other cell of sorrow.

No access to love.

(Our army is our greatest security), I kept looking at the stars tonight
hoping you are too.

Your message for a meeting has reached me in a different country in a different time.

But I can't wait, the yellow snake called time keeps crawling inside me

I have fallen into unstoppable longings

I must see you today

I will tell everyone your forbidden name, I will then walk through dressed like a cat

Wait for me, take me in your arms, I will say 'miouw' to you in Turkish

My country, mostly I heard you in this love.

The fact that I love you and him, is written with my tears into history. They split us up - my heart the truthful document. Bury him to me and me to him - if we one day don't reunite, let our tombstones read: they loved, history didn't love those in love, history who should love you?

My father says love your homeland, my homeland is divided into two, which part should I love?