Poetry book by jailed politician Yüksekdağ: Walls to pull down

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Behind bars since November 4, 2016, Figen Yüksekdağ, the former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), wrote poems while she was in prison. These poems will now be published as a book.

Arrested in Kandıra Type F Prison for almost four years now, Yüksekdağ's book is titled "Yıkılacak Duvarlar'' (Walls to pull down) and it will come out on September 1 World Peace Day. While the book will collect her poems in Turkish, it will be published by Ceylan Publishing House.

'She speaks with the language of her heart'

The foreword of the book has been penned by poet Suna Aras. "Poem is the acidic needle tip abacinating the eye of the nightingale," Aras has written in her foreword to Yüksekdağ's book, briefly adding:

"That is why, every poem reflects its poet. There is no escape from this. Every single needle tip unlocks the heart, spilling around the secret and secrecy of the poet. It is the fellow traveller of her imaginary hopes, with a liking for being in motion. The poems of Figen Yüksekdağ are like herself. And it is the right thing. She speaks with the language of her own heart.

'We will either burn together or live together'

"Figen Yüksekdağ has been captive in this prison surrounded by wire fences for four years. But she still says what she wants to say, adding her virtuous stance to poetry, mixing today's words with yesterday's ember. She seeks after bringing peace, the long foregone merit of humanity, fraternity, equality and freedom back to life. 'We will either burn together / or live together to the end,' she says, underlining that the way to peace is paved by unity.

"Figen Yüksekdağ does not forget that love is the most revolutionary act of all. 'I think I have just understood what love is/ But, alas/ I am like a river not bursting its banks,' she says, but I still think that it has already burst its banks, overcoming wire fences and high walls and coloring her hope in blue. To top it all, 'the administration has no idea'." (RT/SD)