An Tobar Poetry Session ~ Ardbraccan Navan 2023!

 Poetry Session on Tuesday 24th January in An Tobar at 7.30pm

JO

Jim Owens <jim@slip.ie 

Mon 16/01/2023 11:43

Good morning 

May 2023 bring you much joy, many creative moments and a feast of poetry.

Our first session of 2023 is on Tuesday 24th January at 7.30pm in An Tobar.

Because it is the eve of Bobbie Burns Day we agreed at our last session to focus on Scottish poets with particular interest in the poems of Bobbie Burns.

You may be interested to know that Sotland has, in recent times,  their own poet  laureate or Makar. The present  Makar or National Poet  is Kathleen Jamie appointed by Scottish government in 2021

The previous holders were 

• Edwin Morgan (2004-2010)
• Liz lochhead (2011-2016)
• Jackie Kay (2016-2021)

So feel welcome to bring a Bobbie Burns poem

or another Scottish poem 

or indeed any poem your wish!

Below I have included a poem with no connection to the above.

It caught my eye and imagination.   It tries to answer the question: What Good is Reading Poetry?

Then I realised the poet has spent most of his life in prison.  I also include a little bit about him from Wikipedia.

Maybe in future I can circulate a random poem suggested by members of the group when circulating the reminder about the next session.

Best wishes 

Jim Owens 

087 9676728

PS

Feel welcome to pass 

 

A poem published in Irish Times on Saturday 7th January 2022

What Good is Reading Poetry?

A poem by Ilhan Sami Çomak, translated by Caroline Stockford

It's good for making hands fine enough to touch silk
And for feeling the moment that stone turns impatient

It's good for looking in the eyes of hungry cats
And extending curiosity out among all animals

It is the darkness that makes my night voice heard
And makes it easier to say 'the moon will come up late'

For years my feet have been cold, so cold
When I say this, it helps me compare winter to snow

Spring will begin today, I know
Reading poetry helps me believe that feeling

It reminds me I don't miss the Istanbul bustle
Lets me know things to tell my love in a letter

When I'm tired, to stop and rest, not to drink water when I sweat,
It helps me to cry and fret over wildfires, over death

To know anger's reserved just for evil
To stop and ask forgiveness of women

To feel youth when young, to understand it later on,
It's good for helping me to sit and write new poems

Good for helping me seduce and flatter
Then to kiss my love when the leaves turn yellow

Ilhan Sami Çomak is a Kurdish poet, writing in Turkish. He has published nine books of poetry. He has spent 28 years in prison (seven in solitary confinement). He has won two major literary prizes in Turkey, been accepted as a member of the Authors Union of Turkey and this year received the Freedom of Expression Prize of the Norwegian Authors' Union. He is also an honorary member of PEN na hEireann, Today’s poem is from Separated from the Sun (translations of his work by Caroline Stockford, Smokestack Books)

Poems of the WeekPoetry 

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Some more information on Ilhan Sami Çomak thanks to Wikipedia 

İlhan Sami Çomak
Born	1973 (age 49–50) Karlıova, Bingöl Province, Turkey
Nationality	Kurdish
Citizenship	Turkish
Notable awards	Sennur Sezer poetry prize

In 1994, Çomak was studying Geography at the University of Istanbul when he was arrested and charged with starting a forest fire and being associated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Çomak states that he eventually confessed to the charges under torture. He was tried by a State Security Court, which were known to give harsh sentences to people considered a danger to national security.^[2] The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Çomak's prosecution was unlawful in 2007.^[3]

Çomak's conviction was appealed in 2013 and 2016 but his life sentence was reconfirmed. Ipek Özel, who visits Çomak in prison, told Global Voices: "There was no military judge at the court this second time but the mentality of the military court and judge was there. They didn't listen to him, to his lawyers and to the witnesses at all."^[2]

In 2018, Çomak won the Sennur Sezer poetry prize, for his 8th book of poems, Geldim Sana (I Came to You).^[4][5] In March 2020, supporters of Çomak wrote a letter to The Guardian newspaper calling on the UK government to put pressure on Turkey to release Çomak.^[6]

At the Diyarbekir book fair in 2019, a panel discussion was held about Çomak's work, with moderator C. Hakkı Zariç putting it in the context of a long line of Turkish prison authors including Nazım Hikmet, Ahmed Arif, Arif Damar and Enver Gökçe.^[7]

In February 2020, an event was held at the Poetry Café in London to support Comak and call for his release.^[8] The event was organised by Norwegian PEN, whose advisor Caroline Stockford is helping to translate Çomak's poetry and publish it in English.^[2]

End