We present this work in honor of the poet’s 70th birthday.

Turkish
b. 1952
autumn is here
the sun and wine are witnesses
and the vine leaves yellowing on branches
sharpened knives of light are witnesses
to the regrets we’ve gathered
from the vineyard of time
let’s go to her today, to time
to the red Goddess who covers up our memory
with her tulle skirt
we’ve somehow already lost
more than we have
like a jug of wine we poured out without drinking
there are too many things to forget
too few to remember
the love whose sky we are leaning on, is witness
come on let’s drink
the rest of our lives
when descending evening like a break-up song
let’s the wine spread
within our blood slowly by slowly
Like a moment of Vuslat