Journal of American Studies of Turkey

14 (2001) : 1

Editorial

and the dust and the blast

rained on us all

namibians at the foot of towers

felt the instant combustion on their tongues

gray skins turned gray with the vibration

of expanding air / blue no more

and the wreathes were left / really /

at the absent

when the absent

locality no more /spirit of place a lie

land no longer land / no longer vital and black

taste the high octane fuel---twenty three megatons---

suddenly turn to---combustion---

and the burned air---innocent of all---

now a poison / aftertaste on our tongue

all our tongues---and we are billiard balls---

all---unsteady and volatile and rolling

mindlessly, on felt, green no more

we are the emptied-out. we are the unconsulted.

we are the strollers hit hard between shoulder blades

with a mindless fist---fisted in mercury-revenge.

and the world had been pricking its ears

and waiting / for the blast / waiting a long time

and now the dust and the debris

has rained on us all

ayşe lahur kırtunç

november 14, 2003