cold, dark, eerie
leather soles staccato along pavements
avoiding cracks and stray van
İstanbul becalmed, again
street lamps whisper through hüzün
diesel engines growl like kangal
buses ready to depart
north along Boğaziçi shore
in the direction of Tarabya
to jostle with metallic sedan
and pantechnicons overloaded
avoiding motor cycles, motor homes
for advances in the traffic queue
back as far as Dolmabahçe
due to strollers through Bebek
and road works of Emirgan, again
as distant horns echo, echo
from clandestine oil tankers
while evening blankets Trakya
cold, dark, eerie
