Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Enis Batur

BURNT

Let my desk, afterward, not be cleared –
this line, composed in Behçet's manner,
you may take as the optative, or examine it
inside out for intimations of the imperative:
In a documentary on his life I saw that
when Cocteau died they left it as it was,
his last writing desk: they caused nothing
to be removed from its original place.

So, like that, let time be frozen in place. No, 
it's not that I want to take up where I left off,
I won't be coming back anyway, of course
my desk can be emptied and re-organized --
the overflowing drawers, the surface clutter --
but the texture should not change, traces
of me should stay: the ink stains, the stubborn
circle left by that hot cup of coffee, and most
of all, those small brownish-yellow spots --
cigarette burns. If, yes, my desk was scarred
through my carelessness, let it be known that
the fire in my left hand was the mirror of my right.

YANIK

YANIK

Masa, sonra temizlenmemeli—
Behçet Bey’in sesiyle kurduğum mısra
ister dilek kipinde duyulsun ister 
buyruk kipi aransın altında ve üstünde,
bir belgesel izliyordum, gördüm:
Öldüğü gibi, olduğu gibi bırakmışlar
Cocteau’nun son yazı masasını,
hiçbir şeyi oynatmamışlar yerinden.
Böylece dondurulsun zaman, hayır,
tasam, dönecek değillim ki bıraktığım
yerden yeniden başlamayı ummak olsun.
Boşaltılabilir masam, pekâlâ toplanabilir
üstündekiler de, tıkabasa çekmeceler de,
tek tenine dokunulmasın: Kalsın arkamda
izler, mürekkep lekeleri, sıcak kahvenin
doldurduğu bir fincanın altından belirmiş
inatçı halka, en çok da şu küçümen sarı
kahverengi noktalar- sigara yanıkları:
Benim dalgınlığımla yanmışssa masam,
bilinsin sol elimdeki ateş sağ elimin aynası.
Close

BURNT

Let my desk, afterward, not be cleared –
this line, composed in Behçet's manner,
you may take as the optative, or examine it
inside out for intimations of the imperative:
In a documentary on his life I saw that
when Cocteau died they left it as it was,
his last writing desk: they caused nothing
to be removed from its original place.

So, like that, let time be frozen in place. No, 
it's not that I want to take up where I left off,
I won't be coming back anyway, of course
my desk can be emptied and re-organized --
the overflowing drawers, the surface clutter --
but the texture should not change, traces
of me should stay: the ink stains, the stubborn
circle left by that hot cup of coffee, and most
of all, those small brownish-yellow spots --
cigarette burns. If, yes, my desk was scarred
through my carelessness, let it be known that
the fire in my left hand was the mirror of my right.

BURNT

Let my desk, afterward, not be cleared –
this line, composed in Behçet's manner,
you may take as the optative, or examine it
inside out for intimations of the imperative:
In a documentary on his life I saw that
when Cocteau died they left it as it was,
his last writing desk: they caused nothing
to be removed from its original place.

So, like that, let time be frozen in place. No, 
it's not that I want to take up where I left off,
I won't be coming back anyway, of course
my desk can be emptied and re-organized --
the overflowing drawers, the surface clutter --
but the texture should not change, traces
of me should stay: the ink stains, the stubborn
circle left by that hot cup of coffee, and most
of all, those small brownish-yellow spots --
cigarette burns. If, yes, my desk was scarred
through my carelessness, let it be known that
the fire in my left hand was the mirror of my right.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère