A few weeks ago, KNAU's Poetry Friday segment highlighted the work of the late Flagstaff poet, Jim Simmerman, and the annual poetry contest for young writers set up in his memory. Today, we hear from the winner of this year's contest, Aslihan Hadinoglu, a senior at Coconino High School. She's an exchange student from Turkey and believes you're a different person when you're learning a different language. Her winning poem, Dede, is a portrait of her beloved grandfather, whom she has missed during her year abroad.
AH: It was amazing because I wasn’t expecting it. I was like, ok, I’m just gonna write this, and it’s an experience. So, I wrote it, and I learned that I won, and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ So, it was an honor to win this competition.
So, when I first came here my English skills were not enough to speak fluently and also write in English. But after 5 or 6 months I started to write something. It’s so interesting because you’re a different person in a different language. There is a saying in Turkish, ‘One language, One person.’ So, when you learn a language it improves you in a different way.
I was talking with my English teacher and he said, ‘Do you have someone in your life you can write about?’ So, obviously this poem is about my grandfather. I’ve been living with him for 10 years after my grandmother passed away, so I know him by heart. I mean, I can guess everything that he’s going to say before he says. So that’s what I wrote about him. I have, like, 17 days left in America. So, I will see him after 17 days.
This is the poem that I wrote. It is called ‘Dede.’ Dede means grandfather in Turkish.
Dede, by Aslihan Hadinoglu
You know him,
He is such an interesting man;
Wakes up early,
Turns on the tv,
Never knows how to use properly.
Dede, I say,
Could you turn down the volume?
Never hears
But talks a lot.
He is such an interesting man’
Walks a lot,
Never gets tired,
Loves to work,
But already retired.
Dede, I say,
Did you take your pills?
Never hears
But talks a lot.
He is such an interesting man;
Watches news,
Never understands.
Drops remote from his hands.
Dede, I say,
What’s Erdogan (Turkish President) saying?
Never hears
But talks a lot.
He is such an interesting man;
Drinks a lot,
Eats kebab with what he bought
Dede, I say,
Isn’t that enough?
Never hears
But talks a lot.
He is such an interesting man;
Loves to spend
What our tenants send.
Dede, I say,
Where did all the money go?
Never hears
But talks a lot.
He is such an interesting man;
Plays lottery,
Nevers loses the poverty.
Dede, I say,
Are you not lucky today?
Never hears
But talks a lot.
He is such an interesting man;
Argues with everyone,
He has to be the salty one.
Dede, I say,
Who is the man at the door?
Never hears
But talks a lot.
He is such an interesting man;
Cleans the countertop.
Doesn’t know where to stop.
Dede, I say,
Where did you put the teapot?
Never hears
But talks a lot.
He is such an interesting man;
Calls me “Melek” (angel)
When he wants to.
Dede, I say,
I know you hear sometimes,
I love you too.
Poetry Friday is produced by KNAU's Gillian Ferris. If you have an idea for a segment, drop her an email at Gillian.Ferris@nau.edu.
