Posts in "Elkun poems"

Let Sayragul sing!

Aziz Isa Elkun

About the poem:
this poem is dedicated to the courageous Sayragul Sauytbay, an ethnic Kazakh from East Turkistan. She was arrested in May 2018, after crossing into Kazakhstan illegally, and in a court hearing, she gave testimony about the re-education camps in East Turkistan (Xinjiang). She has bravely spoken to the outside world about China’s “Concentration Camps.” 

When it was written:
On 1 August 2018, after arriving at Almaty airport from London, the first good news I heard was Sayragul Sauytbay’s release from detention after the Zharkent court hearing. 

Sayragul, let the Kazakh girl sing – sing, Sayragul
Sayragul, let her sing for her country – sing, Sayragul
Sayragul, let her sing for justice – sing, Sayragul
Sayragul, never stop her song – sing, Sayragul!

You are a voice for the voiceless – sing, Sayragul
You are a freedom fighter – sing, Sayragul
You are an envoy for freedom – sing, Sayragul
You hover like an eagle – sing, Sayragul!

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On Mothers Day!

Aziz Isa Elkun

Interviewed by Marina Shupac. Poem read by Elkun

All humans have a mother
But all mothers’ fates are different
If you can:
give a bunch of roses on Mothers Day
give her a call on Sunday
visit her often and be with her on Christmas day
So I can say
How lucky you are!

Mother,
Everyone’s mother is an angel …
Mother lives in the heart of a child forever
You are everything for a child
So you are the same for every child
The world will end
Without loving mothers!

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Chimenqush – a flower bird

Chimenqush
Chimengul Awut, she is a well known Uyghur (female) poet and her pen name is “Chimenqush” (it means a flower bird). She worked for Kashgar Uyghur Publishers as a senior editor before she was taken away to the China’s Concentration Camps in July 2018. She’s good friend of mine, last time I have spoken with her on the phone in August 2016. Here is her shortest poem written for her son before her arrest. Poem extracted from her WeChat page. 

She wrote:

“My dear son
Please don’t cry
The whole world will cry for you!” 

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