Erkut Tokman

Erkut Tokman is a Turkish poet, actor,visual artist,editor and translator was born in İstanbul in 1971. He used to live respectively in London,Bucharest,Milan, İzmir and Istanbul where he studied also continiously poetry, modern dance and acting yet he currently lives in İstanbul. He is the president of İntercultural Poetry and Translation Academy of Turkey (IPTAT) and the member of Turkish and İtaly P.E.N working in WiPC (Writers in Prison Committee). He worked as editor in Yasakmeyve-literary review of Turkey and Levure Litteraire (France/Germany/USA)and currently works as columnist for Artfulliving.com.tr and TersDergi. He is  one of the founder of AÇIK ŞİİR (OPEN POETRY) movement which mainly is dedicated to performance poetry in a way of Avangard and Interdisciplinary. He has five poetry book published the latest one called Lupoc-published at 2019. His interviews with Orhan Pamuk, Joyce Carol Oates, Adonis, Aslı Erdoğan, Milo De Angelis, Knut Odegard etc. published international magazines such as WLT, İtalian PEN review, Poesis International He won İtalian Ministery of Culture Translation award -2019;“Messina Citta di Arta” international poetry prize and “Salvotore Quasimodo Jaci Poetry Award” in Italy.

An Old Guest

Embodying the mute language
dark matter merging the universe
diffusing into infinite space,
between you and me

An utopia hidden therein dust cloud
a dream got pregnant aching within our souls,
bounded by milestones of the ages
Since incomplete hypothesis based on an equation of existence
An arrow sprung from its bow targeted our hearts
Inescapable metaplasia of r-evolution
Yet it has a grievance
amongst the worlds that we imagine

In the end once again you have invited in
the one knocked at humanity’s door
Is the oldest guest; solitude!
A lost wind on the geography of your mind,
A memory scorched by the heat of forgetfulness
called life which you can’t get away from
the flames of soul within.