Güntürk Üstün | Mediterranean Poetry

Raised in Izmir by the Aegean Coast, Mr Güntürk Üstün, a retired medical doctor, a poet, a long-time maritime, railroad and aviation fan has lived in Istanbul for the past 23 years and he currently works on his new books of poetry [He has written and published 6 books (all in Turkish) until now]. His poems have been published in various literary journals and anthologies in Turkey as well as in a English language poetry website called Mediterranean Poetry (www.odyssey.pm) based in Sweden. Mr Üstün is fluent both in English and French.

MARITIME TRIPLETS

So I headed there, that merry Mediterranean island
Choosing not to live here, in this peaceful peninsula
With her oppressive and absolute absence

Where are you my dear and loving Ro-Ro vessels?
My elegant seafarer girlfriend’s gone to a seminary
And I have no one to read my marine poetry loud

There’s been a battle of life and death
Going on in the Mediterranean’s
Dark blue waters of unfairness

As a source of inspiration
Full moon talks to the seafarers
In the form of a searchlight

Even the tuna hunters adore
Tasting canned tuna in olive oil
With a glass of white wine at home

Maritime adventures
Can only continue if you are
As adventurous as the sea

My pleasant journey ends here
Goodbye to the pier-friendly seabus
Hello to the seabus-friendly pier

The cute Aegean Sea is the most beloved
Little sister of the huge Mediterranean Sea
They adore each other but they don’t get on well all the time

On the high-speed ferry between
The two coasts of the Adriatic Sea
Suddenly a dolphin family on our right

Sicily is jealous of Corsica for being so near to Sardinia
Sardinia is jealous of the French touch of Corsica
Corsica doesn’t believe in jealousy at all

Only fishes and ships swimming close to Cyprus
Know for sure that how much the restless island desires
Its reunification before the Mediterranean Sea evaporates

Istanbul sings, “I’m tired of being Izmir’s role model”
Izmir sings, “I’m tired of staying in Istanbul’s shade”
I write, “Hey! Mermaids, this tireless poem is for the majesty of both of you”

No secret islands left anymore
Neither in the Aegean nor the Mediterranean Sea
Hail to the turquoise lagoons and the pristine beaches!

Coral blue is the sky
Meteor blue is the ocean
Jazz blue is the seafarer’s soul

At nights, the Cyclops eye
Of the lighthouse is all red
Due to duty of insomnia

Eating freshly baked warm pineapple cake
Drinking freshly squeezed cold pineapple juice
On the wharf, under a pineapple-colored gleaming moon

If you want to make a deep dive in the Mediterranean
Do it in the ultramarine dreams of your restful night sleep
Inside a spacious cabin of a huge cruise liner

Traveling back and forth by our boat on the river
Still searching in vain for the estuary to the sea
Finally she broke the silence and said, “My name is Delta”

19

Sea journey nostalgia overflows
In waves of salty bitter tears
From the young eyes of my sea-eyed darling

She is my dressy port of Stockholm
She is my Ingrid Bergman-like lifelong companion
She is my unique burning iceberg

For other contributions by Güntürk Üstün, please follow the links below: