“When a country has a strong spirit, foreign and exotic influences do not debilitated that spirit, they strengthen it.
- German Literature in the Age of Bach”
Source: Selected Non-fictions
“Despite all the talk of diversity and division--of red and blue states, of black and white and brown people, of rich and poor, gay and straight--Paul believed that Americans were shockingly similar. How can we be so different, thought Paul, if we all know the lyrics to the same one thousand songs?”
Source: War Dances
“Undestination (The Sonnet)
I gave up my country in your love,
I gave up my home for your sweetness.
I stand at your door without identity,
Will you take me in and fill my emptiness!
I've sailed my ship towards undestination,
Let the waves take me where they may.
Embracing the unknown I became a pal of all.
Come out my friend from your cage of dismay.
Come with me, and we'll explore all impossibility.
If we must be awful let's be awful together.
Let us lose all maps and walk around as vagrants.
Why worry, when we have each other!
To hell with destination, let us savor the journey!
Before success and achievement, let us first have unity.”
Source: Şehit Sevda Society: Even in Death I Shall Live
“Your culture is my culture.”
Source: Şehit Sevda Society: Even in Death I Shall Live
“Raghead (The Sonnet)
Some call me raghead,
Some call me desert dweller.
Some call me curry-breath,
Some call me f-ing nigger.
This is not just my story,
But of every person of color.
In a world stolen by whites,
Anything non-white is inferior.
Upon receiving so much hate,
I admit, sometimes I do feel gloomy.
I know how it is to be cussed everyday,
So I choose love no matter the agony.
The tradition of hate has gone on long enough.
I choose to be the break in habit on the world's behalf.”
Source: Handcrafted Humanity: 100 Sonnets For A Blunderful World
“The tradition of hate has gone on long enough. I choose to be the break in habit on the world's behalf.”
Source: Handcrafted Humanity: 100 Sonnets For A Blunderful World
“Broken am I, broken are you, when broken together, we are each other's glue.”
Source: Handcrafted Humanity: 100 Sonnets For A Blunderful World
“You don't need to deny the self for inclusion, or to forget your roots for integration. All you gotta do, if you want collectivity, is, expand your roots and branches in cohesion.”
Source: Handcrafted Humanity: 100 Sonnets For A Blunderful World
“If you truly want people like me- LGBTQ+ people- to talk about our sexuality and gender less, you can help by making it unnecessary- by dismantling the ignorance and fear in your own hearts and minds, and by learning to embrace and celebrate the beautifully diverse expression of humanity for what it is. And it is good.”
“Nutty Community (The Sonnet)
Crazy am I, crazy are you,
When crazy together, we live anew.
Miserable am I, miserable are you,
When miserable together, I find joy in you.
Broken am I, broken are you,
When broken together, we are each other's glue.
Insecure am I, insecure are you,
When insecure together, we find it all untrue.
Disfunctional am I, disfunctional are you,
When disfunctional together, we function well.
Fallen am I, fallen are you,
When we fall together, we'll rise sure as hell.
Let us go against ourselves in defying self-centricity.
You be a nut, I'll be a nut, let's build a nutty community.”
Source: Handcrafted Humanity: 100 Sonnets For A Blunderful World