Kokoro

Kokoro, 2005 

Snow in Istanbul

Fly, carpet. Fly, I said
to the flying carpet
with the tree of life and the pair of birds
in yellow, blue, green, and red.

In a flash I rose straight up
over Copenhagen. Off it went
across Europe
until turbulence and
yellow, blue, green, and red were covered in snow.

Off it went straight down-down-down
into a snowstorm and power failure in Istanbul
where I was to meet my love.

I searched for him
in the Blue Mosque
as it snowed in Istanbul.

I searched for him in dark bazaars
as it snowed and no Turk
could see a hand in front of his face in Istanbul.

I searched for my love in the Aya Sofya
as Istanbul was snowed white.

In the Turk ve Islam Museum in Istanbul
I saw an utter stranger: that was him.

Fly, carpet. Fly, I said
to my flying carpet
with the tree of life
in yellow, blue, green, and red.

Translation: Susanna Nied