TE16 Turkish Delight

İlhan Sami Çomak rain lessons

At last the pigeons came to land on my tongue We realised this in gratitude. In the dead-ends Of my chest I hid the coarse teeth of the morning And the deserts walked to the sand’s tom-toms My mouth astonished entire and my mouth a master And I am adding myself to you I am singing songs Taking wing toward the bottom of some rain Your long and flickering hair like the words Touching my skin I dry out in foamy waves Rising to the sea’s long sentences Memorise those stones think of me long and slow Towards the curling feet of rivers

I said come here you towards my being Close the windows, the door, come. I said I am counting to ten Pass those lights, flourishing your skirt

Disrupt the night’s spelling with ancient words Towards my being, touching my being, I said come

The rain began to fall. I said keep dry. The swinging of Your tresses will bring the gypsies out. Your hair Carries the coolness of wet courtyards. I said those kids are putting up their fingers To your sunburnt skin, to life. Cut the apple in half, quit smoking Don’t step on the poppies. I said look ahead

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