Bak Milena,

kaçak kız

Telaffuzunu elemeye ve geliştirmeye başladı.. Ve bir takımyıldız gibi kendi yörüngesinde süzülüyor! Ona suikast düzenlemeye çalışan bir dünya var. Kalıntıları arasında dolaşıp, savrulup dönüyorum Yıkıcı bir retorik savaşı yaklaşıyor Kanıyla ve toprağıyla çarmıha gerilecek! Çöken dünyada makalem özgür kaldı. Evren bilgisayarlı! Beni nasıl kendi inlerine sürüklemeye çalıştılar Özgünlüğün baltalandığı bir bağımlılık Kimliklerini inkar ediyorlar... Benzerlik kalıplarıyla şekillenmeyeceğim! Sanatım doğanın sesini dinlemek Ve uzuvlarım düşenlerden gizli Ruhum karanlıkta tek başına savaşır

-Sakina Al-Sharif

Onu yalnız gördüm,

bir deri bir kemik, gözleri iri, gerçekten yorgun,

"Kimi seviyorsun?" diye sordum.

Kalbini kim yaraladı ve parçaladı?

Geceleri gözlerini kim eritip seni huzursuz etti?

Dedi ki: Onu suçlama.

Kalbimin ona taptığını bilmiyor,

Onu aylarca gizlice sevdim,

Yüreğim hasretten öldü.

I can't promise to be calm,

dignified, and indifferent.

like a rock by the sea...

If my heart's going to break,

let it break from anger, grief, or joy.

― Nâzım Hikmet

Do you think when you burnt me

then danced like a devil upon my dead body and left me for dust storms to bury me; Do you think you obliterated my identity? or that you've erased my history and beliefs! In vain you try…No Death There is for a rebel I’m like The Resurrection; one day I shall be, Like Jesus I'm coming back with strength, from every storm I shall gather my parts, I'll come as the oldest rebellious lover, I'll come with the mightiest of the greatest revolutions, A man from the Ditch I am, I must return !

Poem by : Muhathil Alsqor

“And if happiness visits you again, do not remember its previous betrayal..Let that happiness in, and burst!”

-Mahmoud Darwish

Painting by : Jana Brike

Why is Kafka so important when it comes to European loneliness?

How are his writings still so relevant today? And does his literature really reflect the loneliness we see in European societies?

Who is Franz Kafka?

First, let’s start by getting to know Franz Kafka. Kafka was a Czech Jewish writer who lived in the early 20th century. His writings were marked by strangeness and ambiguity, often tackling themes like isolation, alienation, and the dehumanizing effects of bureaucracy. His most famous works, such as *The Metamorphosis* and *The Trial*, convey a deep sense of psychological oppression and the feeling of being trapped in a cold and incomprehensible world.

European Loneliness – How Did It Become a Reality?

Now, let’s move to the key question: Why is Kafka considered important in the context of European loneliness? To understand this, we need to first look at life in modern European societies. Despite the economic and technological advancements in Europe, loneliness has become a significant part of many people's lives. These societies tend to emphasize individualism and self-reliance, which can often lead to feelings of isolation and existential emptiness. A large portion of people in Europe live alone, and due to highly structured social and political systems, individuals often feel like they are just small cogs in a vast machine. This is where Kafka comes in. His writings reflect this very feeling – the sense that one has no control over their life and is trapped in a cold, impersonal system.

How Does Kafka’s Literature Reflect Loneliness?

Kafka’s works deeply capture feelings of loneliness and alienation. In *The Metamorphosis*, the protagonist transforms into an insect and feels rejected by both his family and society. Here, we see a clear picture of loneliness, the feeling of being unaccepted and misunderstood. Kafka was expressing a profound fear of being disconnected from others and not being able to communicate. In *The Trial*, the protagonist is subjected to a senseless trial by a mysterious and oppressive system. This mirrors the experience of individuals in modern Europe who feel like mere numbers in a vast, soulless bureaucratic machine. Loneliness is not just about the absence of personal connections; it’s also about feeling powerless and disconnected from one’s own life. That’s what makes Kafka’s work so relevant to understanding modern European loneliness.

The Existential Dimension in Kafka’s Works

Kafka isn’t just a writer who critiques systems and bureaucracy. He is also a deeply existential writer. Many people in Europe today feel lost in a world that seems to lack meaning, and Kafka’s writings reflect this reality. The existential themes in his works raise questions about the purpose of life and the meaning behind everything that happens, questions that continue to resonate with individuals navigating a chaotic and alienating world.

- Feda'a Yahya

You who pass between our fleeting words

Like bitter dust, pass wherever you want, but do not pass between us like flying insects

Take the past if you like, to the antiques market

Stack your illusions in a deserted hole, and go!

And reside wherever you like, but do not reside among us. It is time for you to depart and die wherever you wish, but do not die among us.

So get out of our land, from our sea, from our wheat, from our salt, from everything that has wounded us, and be erased from the vocabulary of memory.

I HAVE NO POWER

"I have no power to change you or explain your ways Never believe a man can change a woman Those men are pretenders who think that they created woman from one of their ribs, A woman does not emerge from a man's ribs, not ever! it is he who emerges from her womb, like a fish rising from depths of water

and like streams that branch away from a river It's he who circles the sun of her eyes and imagines he is fixed in place.."

- Nizar Qabbani

The color orange and the sunset, The rope and suicide, The glass and the wound, The ocean and drowning, Autumn and farewell, The mirror and me, The windows and staring, The hand waving from afar, The road and the sudden encounter.

Paintings by: Lili Wood

Wondering who you are?

You’re the purple scar that appears for no reason,

The images that give rise to nostalgia without features,

You are the ecstasy that did not complete,

A torment that lasted for an entire lifetime.

You...

You're like a trip I’ve been saving for months,

and when it was time to go,

I felt a desire not to leave.