Judy Light Ayyildiz
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Mud RiverMother-and-Son Poetry Powerhouse Ugur Akinci, Editor, TURKISH TORQUE “Mud River is a lot of fun--and how often do we get to recommend poetry with that engaging phrase? The reasons seem to be that she has fun writing poetry, and her pleasure in it carries over to her readers. In a poem called ‘Addicted,’ she speaks of the joy of composition. ‘I’ll get it any way I can,’ she says, ‘...and I care less/ Ayyildiz tackles a number of extremely serious subjects: Auschwitz, the death of a friend, mental breakdown, conditions in Poland and so forth. The poem, ‘Palmistry’ is a wistful, even a sad poem, but the easiness of the language communicates deftly a woman’s foreboding when her lover departs momentarily: ‘I/ ...energy, wit, humor, variety, surprise and some unexpected profound feeling. The poet’s loyalties are especially admirable. It’s a good book to read and to own, and I hope that Judy is as proud of it as she ought to be. --Fred Chappell, Novelist, Poet, Essayist, Critic, NCU Professor REQUIEM Auschwitz 1985 Forty years of winds have not cleared the air Laden with unfinished chains, minor modes That steel against the grain of brick And mortar made as sanctum for the massive freight. “Arbeit macht frei,” words In the gate. Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine. An iron slab rolls back into the crematorium, The host is heaved upon it. Three million Candles cannot rekindle even one Bright eye gone ash out that furious Tunnel into night. Hair spins into blankets, tons of twisted Threads genuflect. All sorts, sizes of unpaired Shoes pile empty against the wall, Strings tied upon the tongues. Kyrie eleison, Lord, have mercy, boxcar Loads. –- Sanctus. Sanctus Freezing flesh huddled in the courtyard. In the guts of a gray building, A three-foot cubicle confined three. One Etched an eagle in the corner With a nail, a final litany. Amen. Forty years of rains have not cleansed The firing block. Fresh flowers laid Against the boards burn Their incense. Sun cuts through The gallows noose. The horseless cart Stands steady on the hard earth. --Judy Light Ayyildiz |
Selected WorksFiction and Nonfiction, Children Ages 6-12
Some of My Ancestors Are Ottomans and Turks
An American grandson of a Turkish immigrant learns about his Turkish and Ottoman heritage. Memoir
Nothing but Time
Spiritual strength from moving, insightful, yet humorous stories of the people and experiences in Judy's life. Poetry
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