Orhan Veli Kanik

13 April 1914 – 14 November 1950 / İstanbul

The Galata Bridge

Hanging around on the Bridge,
Gleefully I watch all of you...
Out there, some of you row backward
Or pick mussels off the buoys;
Some clutch the rudders of barges
Or catch the ropes on the dock,
And the birds in flight, like poems,
And the glittering fish;
Then the ferryboats and floats,
Clouds drifting in the air,
Tugboats with funnels lowered
Glide quickly under the Bridge;
Over there, the whistles blow,
I watch the smoke curl up and go.
But all of you, all of you...
Struggle to make ends meet.
Am I the only one who has fun?
Never mind, maybe some day
I'll write a poem about all of you,
Make a couple of bucks
And get something to eat.
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