Poem 853 – Just Ice?

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Just ice would be too sharp
Too cold upon the tongue
Bitterness needs sweetness
For us to get along

Firm punishment is fair
For them who break the rules
But for those who are oppressed
Justice is much more cool

It’s absolutely right that those who cheat or lie to obtain asylum and those who assist them for a profit should be punished and prevented, but I worry that stories like those in the news recently may hinder those who are vulnerable and need asylum, or affect how others see them unfairly.
(16.04.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Poem 851 – Güle Güle Ölüdeniz

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A chittering call and in the Martin sweeps,
an elegant swerve beneath the open eaves,
curving with ease around the wooden trees
that hold our roof. It teases us, one sweeping
dive and then another, until it flits
from view and disappears. We hold our breath
hoping to see it reappear. We wait.
Finally we find it upon a rafter,
the nest in which it sits feeding its young.
We watch with joy, pointing it out to others
until it makes its move and leaves. We wave.
Soon after, we too disappear into
the world, swooping from our temporary
perch,
to fly across blue seas, returning home.

Every day we’ve watched Martins flying in and out of the restaurant, wandering where they went to. Today we finally found out just before we left.
(14.04.26)

© Ben Quant 2026

Poem 850 – Just One Shot

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‘Let me show you how you do it’
he said taking the gun into
his tattooed arms. ‘Like this.’ He posed
making sure of our attention.

His body tensed and tattoos blocked
their ears. A pause. A shot. A miss.
A round of manly banter followed
whilst Kate quietly shoots and hits.

An enjoyable moment in today’s rifle shooting session.
(13.04.26)

© Ben Quant 2026

Poem 849 – Suspended

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I am that distant dot.
Up here the world is calm –
the turquoise sea is still
and all the globe is quiet.
Suspended up above
the angry clamour ceases:
perspective changes every-
thing. I long to stay.

In a fit of courage, I may have accidentally stepped off the edge of Bagadad, 1800m up… Glorious!
(12.04.26)

© Ben Quant 2026

Poem 848 – Knock-Offs R Us

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It’s time to buy the New’est Looks,
Stock up on all the latest fashions,
There’s only one place we can go,
We’re off to Delboy’s International!

And after that perhaps John Leviz,
For modern homeware and cigarettes,
Then Adidaz and Skeechers trainers,
With Gücci bags from Sportz Direkt.

And last of for holy luggage,
Try Jesus’ bags and leatherware,
Admire his creepy mannequins, for
The best fakes found almost anywhere…

There are some gloriously named stores and fakes in Olüdeniz. I’m not convinced that Sainsbury’s is part of the well know chain either…
(11.04.26)

© Ben Quant 2026

Poem 847 – Olüdeniz Lagoon

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Iridescent kingfisher blue lined with
a sandy olive, tints of turquoise flow
from gentle sea tide ripple. Shoals of silvery
fish, inquisitive and supple, dance
between our legs and toes, as silhouettes
repeat upon the shimmering bed below.
The air is warm, a tint of azure salt
upon the lip, dreamy seasoning
intruding into true. We dive on in.

Today we revisited the lagoon where we came a few years ago with the Alsatians that adopted us. A beautiful place.
(10.04.26)

© Ben Quant 2026

Poem 846 – Kayaköy Blooms

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Kayaköy, your bleached stones bloom before me.
Mourning your children snatched before their time,
your silent wailing groans throughout your homes,
echoes disturbing graves and gathered grime.

But even as these tears descend there’s hope:
chaffinches become redemption’s raucous choir
and nature’s tendrils reach around each stone,
their blooms composing a far more cheerful flower.

We hiked back to revisit Kayaköy having been there a few years back. A place of terrible atrocious which is gradually being taken over by an abundance of wildlife.
(09.04.26)

© Ben Quant 2026

Poem 845 – A Türkiye Sundae

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The tips of Turkish mountains rise above
the whipped cream clouds. Upon their ivory crests
the trees appear like sprinkled treats. I long
to taste their paths and tread their ancient streets.

What gain in winding around its many layers;
consuming but never making it to their end?
The unexpected view of nature’s gifts,
the joy of exercise and feeling spent.

The hills around Olüdeniz are calling. Planning a good walk in then at some point during the week we’re here on the old Lycian Way.
(08.04.26)

© Ben Quant 2026

Poem 844 – Soon After Take Off

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The wings extend, reaching for the horizon.
There the gentle earth curves from our sight,
whilst up above the hazy blue invites us
like freshly laundered duvets. We dive in.

Below the fields stretch out, a honeycomb
of every green from darkened moss to sun,
detailed by hedgerow lattices and throbbing
tarmac veins. Soon distant trees compress.

Lazily we rise and patterns change
blurring in their complexity and scope.
Individual fields combine. Gradually
we dissipate and all is reconciled.

Flying to Turkey on an unexpectedly sunny morning.
(07.04.26)

© Ben Quant 2026