Declaration for Kavala by PEN Turkey

February 21, 2020

"I don't know what to say"

The poem "It hurts" by the late
renowned Turkish Poet Turgut Uyar
starts with the lines:
"I want to talk about misery,
vertical and horizontal misery."
The poem refers to things in the past
that tended to shine but, failing to do so,
got lost in darkness.
In the middle of the poem, Uyar says,
"I don't know what to say.
My love hurts."

Likewise, we say:
My love hurts.
My mind can't understand.
My heart is burning.
My shock deepens.
My soul is darkening.
I try to comprehend -in vain.
I feel helpless.
I'm losing my hope.
I want justice.

We just want justice
for Osman Kavala.

PEN Turkey

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