I Make Flowers from People
by Vagif Bayatly Oner (born 1948)

I want to smell people like a flower,
Making flowers from people.
But they do not want to turn into flowers
So I make people from flowers.
People say, no man can be created from a flower,
God has made people of clay
You should also make them of clay.
I make people of clay,
I recite poems and
Write poetry for them,
But it's not a poem
That they want from me,
It's clay flowers that clay men want,
I make clay flowers for them,
Clay boys take the clay flowers to clay girls.
Seeing the clay flowers,
Clay women give birth to clay babies.
Maybe God loves the smell of clay,
And, therefore, He keeps creating Clay people.
But, My Lord, it is not the smell of Clay
That I want,
I want the smell of a flower,
So I make people from flowers once again,
I make flower paths, flower houses for them,
I make flower drinks for flower poets,
Flower prisons for flower prisoners,
But they again say
We don't want them made of flowers,
God has made everything of clay,
So you should also make us of clay,
I tell them, "Stop",
For the last time at least
Let me smell you like a flower
Before you turn into clay.

I smell the flowers
For the last time in the world.
My God, what have You done to them,
Even flowers smell of clay?!


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