MELEK, ME AND THE NEPHEW - I
-To my dear Melek and the Nephew-

We used to walk together up the hill on Fıstıklı Köşk Street,

You, my nephew, are only four years old, a cute pup,

And I am a young, excited young man.

Fıstıklı Köşk, Yıldız Palace, Sarıbal, Palanga...

The streets of Ortaköy are steep, what does it matter to us!..

We used to run from Palanga to Taraça,

We used to race, you passed me!..

We used to eat our plums, one or two, all season long,

Melek hesitated, your slave did not break,

That's why I did not put any money in my pocket at every opportunity.

It was as if its fruit would never run out all year long.

The inhabitants of Taraça;

Red, white, purple tulips from the Sayri Guli Lola Festival,

Guest wild orchids from Southeast Asia,

The local flora residents come together; With violets, euphorbias, primroses…

Together in the same party, with love, with separation,

They would spend the days chatting…

With colorful Judas trees,

Sone pines offering fascinating shades of green and yellow;

Sometimes quiet, sometimes rough in the wind,

Like celebrating Nevruz or the spring festival,

They were making nazire to each other!..

Do you remember, naughty? You would ask questions no matter what,

Playing, running towards the Bosphorus,

Jumping and doing somersaults, hugging my neck was your greatest love.

How dare you do it so glamorously, when Nadia Comaneci left.

Icould barely contain you,

I wouldn't tell your mother either...

I would say I obey, I am well-behaved!..

Otherwise they wouldn't send me, I know!..

We would watch the Bosphorus from above with Melek,

A bird's flight was ahead of us;

Ortaköy Mosque and right there,

The fluttering of the waves on the walls of Feriye Palace...

As if looking at us from among the plants right next to us,

This fluttering was mixed with the crackling of a turtle...

The birds singing, the monotonous crickets of the plants

Offered an unheard melody.

The terrace; Along Çırağan Street,

It was green as emerald in every season!..

A thousand flowers, colors, a thousand insects and butterflies in their season...

It was as if they were a bale show...

Both of them are so close that we could catch them if we reached out,

They are located between the elegant minarets of Ortaköy Mosque, the exemplary example of the classic,

We would watch the Bosphorus Bridge, the contemporary ruler of the modern.

Do you remember Melek?!..

To look forward to the weekend, to get together...

Just when we were about to run and hold hands,

Afacan would be more practical, run, jump into our arms,

He would wrap us up and hold us... We would hug...

I would smell him, both of us, sighing...

I would get strength from the ground not to fall,

How is it possible to beat Afacan!..

As if our other foot was in the Bosphorus, close by...

We would watch at every opportunity, with renewed excitement...

We would play, have fun, and go again...

The season has passed, the curtain has closed!..

Those were beautiful days, easy to imagine, hard to live...

March 09, 2021
Çanakkale