Erkut Tokman - [Poeta Turco]

Erkut Tokman was born in İstanbul in 1971. He graduated from İstanbul Technical University as an engineer. Shortly after his graduation he went to London to study art: mainly on poetry and acting. He studied poetry in various poetry groups around London and afterwards become member of Poets of London. He performed as an actor in Windsor Art Center and Windsor Royal Theatre in U.K, also participated in International Workshop Festival in London, where he studied with theatre directors from Royal Shakespeare Company (U.K), Theatre de movement (FRA),L’ecole de mime (CAN) as well as Marie Rambert Dance Co. And Merge Cunningham Dance Co., later on during his presence in Bucharest, with Romanian theatre director Teodora Campineanu, lyric artist Lia Sloci and soprano Amelia Antoniu in “Studıoul de arte scenice” and also staged at “Ion Crenga Theatre” in Bucharest.

He published his poems ,starting from 1996 at Turkey’s various literature magazines, afterwards followed by poetry translations, articles and stories. His publications appeared at Turkey’s leading literature magazines such as “Hürriyet Gösteri”, “Varlık”, “Edebiyat ve Eleştiri”, “Sonra Edebiyat”, “No Edebiyat”, “Ç.N”, “Üç Nokta”, “Mor Taka”, “ Borges Defteri”,“Islık” “Şiir Oku”, “Başka”, “Budala”, “Son Kişot” as well as young poets anthology.

He used to live in Bucharest inbetween 2002-2006 where he started to translate Romanian Poetry in to Turkish, he took part in International “Mihai Eminescu” symposium, recited his own Eminescu translations in Turkish to Romanian public.He translated from Romanian language and published “Mihai Eminescu”, “Nichita Stanescu”, “Marin Sorescu”, “George Bocavia”, “Tristan Tzara”, “Lucian Blaga” poems and living contemporan Romanian poets; as well as some English and American poets from English including: “P.B.Shelley”, “Langston Hughes”, “Allen Ginsberg”, “ Jack Keruak”, “James Hanley”, “Richard Brautigan”.

He published two volume of poetry book: “Giden ve Kalan”-1999-Liman yapımevi ( Arrivals and departures from Soul-Liman Publishing House), “Bilinmezi Dolaşan Ses”-2007-Yitik Ülke yayınları ( Strolling voice of eternity-Yitik Ülke Publishing house.)

Erkut Tokman has participated in some international poetry festivals in Europe as a poet representing Turkey. He has also worked as a poet in the organization committe of “International İstanbul Beyoğlu Poetry Festival”.His poems translated in to English,French,Italian,Spanish, Romanian, Arabic,Azerian languages. He is member of Turkish P.E.N and also currently working with national and international artists for art projects.

STROLLING VOİCE OF ETERNİTY,

He had revolted at in his human nature

By the destiny of God

Against to all common system

In his eyes blazing hatred

His whacked, furios posture

He was struggling imprisoned within the strength of mind;

Such mentalities by oneself were abundant in the circle of routine

They created civilizations, they formed minor Gods by theirselves

They worshiped initially for the idoles …

In the sequel, technology mauled their ego,

There were the bones of wars

In the middle of gory earth,

The deads were mourning in graveyards, here or there

For their resemblance to human-being.

In such manner,you were led to a distant planet

precisely by eternal will of God,

that illuminates civilizations.

Who is at the lookout for us

Within others destiny for the revelations?

Behold the wisdom of a secret that covers the souls,

In the temple of body

Whose vision that enter upon us

His voice in eternity travels thus.

©Erkut Tokman

Translated from Turkish by M. Fuzuli

UNENDİNG SONG…

A song is playing tonight…

We feel like we are listening to unending tranquillity

The night is constant incurable lullaby,

Philosohpy perhaps nothing else but merely conviviality of mind;

And Nietzsche* is a murderer who kills himself

In the garden of Zen*,

The memory of freedom was bounded

While it is emanating from intelligence subtlely in to intuition

Over again same song is perpetually playing

In to serenity for the symphony of emtinesss;

I perceive this is contrary trick of time,

This is altered face of someone who beseeches himself to unbuild

The stone hands of on-goings now are insensible and cold!

Standing upon in front of me like monuments that want to be destroyed.

We make a visit idolized temples in his garden:

It is called a philosophy that is strolling among us like a blindfolded victim

The rains, once again, will be dragged along a torrent

On its way new victims are gathering;

Thus I demand to get back all fires!

I have come back to earth to burn: The Sun!

It is not Prometheus* at all!

The new regime of whispers go around from ear to ear:

The enemies of the truth have founded new army

They imprisoned billions of the dead in to community prison!

Yet, I want to imprison myself this unending song,

In to something like bitter end

With whole my heart inwhich the roses blossom

I wish to enter upon sacred graveyard of divine universe!

.

* Nietzsche: German philosopher who lived in 19th century.

* Zen: The philospohy from the Far-East.

* Prometheus: Ancient Greek God.

©Erkut Tokman

Translated from Turkish by M. Fuzuli

POEM IN ENGLISH.

To Hamilton’s

ELEGY FOR MILLENNIUM

I am a dead philosopher,

Who picks up his bones from unwritten books?

Whenever I cuddle fossilized soils

I smell my soul

That chants

Old serenades of ancient theatres

Life! You are my unforgotten primadonna

My last melodrama!

----------------------------

I am a dead poet,

Who has not yet to be inspired?

Whenever I conceive ideas

I wear flowers on my body

That bloom

Future’s seeds of civilizations,

Art! You are my evergreen leaves

My begotten sins!

-----------------------------

I am a dead dream-maker

Who visualize the time?

Melting in to pottery

Whenever I reshape

The mirrors with mud

To hide my face, reappear

Inner space of solitude, Ages!

Sagacious holly places!

You are my best friends

My undiscovered traces!

----------------------------

I am a dead story-teller

Who hands down memories?

That enliven

The happiness of children

Whenever I caress

Unimaginativeness of people, I think of

Philosophy! Embodied thoughts,

You are my everlasting temptation

My contemplation!

--------------------------

I am a dead dervish

Who meditates unachieved oneness?

That twirls around in universe

Holly families!

Therefore I am writing to you

You are my ancestors,

Signs!

For God sake

Forgiveness!

©Erkut Tokman-2000

Derbyshire-England

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