The Turkish poet Serkan Engin returns, this time with one of his poems. Its topic is the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek genocides committed by his Turkish ancestors, and it has been accepted into the Armenian Poetry Project. The poet tells us this is the first poem written by a Turkish poet on the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek genocides.
Update: Serkan Engin sends this link to his free e-booklet criticizing Islam, “ISIS is ISLAM, ISLAM is ISIS”.
yes, you are right Ms Daisy, they came
with the wild winds of Greed, brutally
slaughtered all the innocent letters
written on the wall of Grace, even also babies
by burning them alive, before most of them
could not have a toy in their short-length life
with an insufferable last sequence
yes, you are right Ms Daisy, they were
merciless hyena droves born from
Racism, biggest evil of all times,
the bloody verses of Quran
written on the hilt of
their curved swords
feeding their violence
by promising them heaven
as they killed more “heretics”
they were the servants of
remorseless epaulets
they were the slaves of
their own Greed and Savageness
slobberingly
yes, you are right Ms Daisy, they
raped little girls and young women ferociously
without caring their screeches
tearing the deeply embarrassed face of the sky
same horrific verses on their groins
and the permission of pimp epaulets
on their ignoble waists
without any mercy
they were the slaves of
their own Greed and Savageness
slobberingly
they were the servants of
remorseless epaulets
and unfortunately
they were my ancestors
shame on humanity
worst predatory hordes of world history
now, it is hard to erase that “Barbarian” soubriquet
written on my forehead before my birth
it is hard to change to be known as savage
even I am a man feeding his ant friends
with granulated sugar at home
it is hard to explain that I have never hurt
even a wing of a sparrow
I know Ms Daisy, it is hard to introduce me
to your parents
as the man you want to live with
until infinity
Serkan Engin
June 2014
The socialist Laz-Turk poet and author Serkan Engin was born in 1975 in Izmit, Turkey.
His poems and articles on poetic theory appear in more than fifty literary journals in Turkey. In 2004 he published a poetic manifesto entitled “Imagist Socialist Poetry”. He has been trying to launch a new movement in Turkish poetry, and to this end has published numerous articles about literary theory.
His poems and articles on poetry theory have been published in English in many international literary journals all over the world. His political articles on Islam and also on the Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek genocides have been published in a number of countries in many languages including Sweden, USA, Greece, India, France, Argentina, Netherland, Armenia, Indonesia and Finland.
Previously by Serkan Engin: Islam and the Christian Genocides in Turkey
It takes a lot of courage for a Turk to write such a poem. I am of Armenian ancestry and know of the barbarity of the Genocide, the utter barbarity as has been communicated to me, and is still being communicated, because the Armenian people suffered so much, and the Turks have never admitted it, the US has ignored it, and the world has passed it by. It affected permanently our nation in unimaginable ways.
I find this poem annoying.No-one is trying to punish the Turks for past crimes.In fact they have been welcomed into NATO ,showered with billions by Merkel and offered an accelerated path to membership of the E.U. It’s the present persecution of Christians and Kurds and support for I.S.I.S that puts the Turks beyond the pale ,not the crimes of their distant ancestors .
Unfortunately, since they have never been held accountable for their past autrocities, they continue to commit them..
Unfortunately, since they have never been held accountable for their past autrocities, they continue to commit them..Not surprisingly, I am not allowed to post my comments, since it does not absolve turks of accepting any responsibility for their past actions
The genocide has only been ignored by politicians, and Turks
Virtually each day the Orthodox Church Calendar includes one or more Saints who suffered for their faith under the Turkish Yoke. The book “Slain for their Faith: Orthodox Christian Martyrs under Moslem Oppression” shares the Lives of just a portion of these individuals. May they intercede for us.
Genocide may be “ignored” by the perpetrators but it is carried eternally in the DNA of the victims’ descendants. Jung described this in poetic terms but now scientists can tell us how epigenetics plays out over centuries.
There is a large Armenian diaspora throughout the West. From my studies of the subject some years back I remember the largest numbers here in the US are on the West Coast and in California.
Turkey tries to stomp out cultural memories but it can’t be done. Nor can all their refusals to face history change a syllable, even as they flee in fury from the very words, “Armenian” and “genocide”.
The example set by the Jews who survived Europe’s massive attempt has been a lesson for other peoples. “Never Again” applies to all who firmly resolve they will never allow their ancestors to be forgotten.