CHILDREN II

Children play games on the grass,
Children of this world, chirping in tens, hundreds and millions,
Children from Turkey, from Korea, from Vietnam …
They share the sun like swallows share an apple
Filling their pockets with stars as if they were sunflower seeds,
They make lakes and rivers out of violet clouds,
Whenever they stand by the shore; bridges
Are built instantly from one side to the other;
If it dawns upon them to climb up the milky way,
Ladders with golden steps hang in front of them;
They go to the moon for a visit and fly without fear,
They figure out the Big Bear and the Little Bear from the Pole Star,
Children; unspoiled seeds of the future.
With songs of freedom and peace on their lips,
Children of the world from Vietnam, from Turkey …

Oğuz Tansel
Translated by Aysıt Tansel
World of Tales, Elips Kitap, 2012