"Mars, the god of war, has been left exhausted by their lovemaking, and while he rests, a group of playful fauns make off with his lance and armour. Naked and asleep, he is entirely vulnerable, while Venus retains both her clothes and her composure. The message is that love is stronger than war, and it is conveyed with a delightful sense of humor and sophistication."
Young, Claire, Ed. Myths & Legends, National Gallery, London 2005.
Sandro Boticelli, Venus and Mars, about 1485.

turkish men

at the bazaar where they sell fruits and veggies, bread and clothes and whatnot,
where i drove grandpa -minaluscu we call each other, yes he invents words, it runs in the family-
there are all kinds of men, old, young, fat, slim- sitting around, selling their stuff.
there are all kinds of men who lust after anyone out-of-the-ordinary
who give you their case-specific, intense looks. after all, isn't it all they have, from where they sit, the power of the gaze is your weapon.
a young, dark-skinned one-
an older, fat one with a white moustache, you look like a sea-lion mister.
i go around carrying plastic bags filled with peaches, apricots
with a mini-skirt not so right for the occasion.
the reason is, and i thought about this;
i don't really care. all those men, sit there and staring is all they can do- the capacity to act is limited to that.
my legs, i use them to walk and sit and swim.

if anyone can get any tangible benefit out of looking at my legs,
well, i guess we call them turkish men.

i started taking photographs again. suddenly, the world takes on a 'photographable' character. i frame everything within my view. the blue tiles of the marina restroom. Gulin's shoulders. own body parts that can be 'self-portrait'ed. garden furniture. dad's nikon, my old friend. welcome back.

quote

Sometimes I see something so moving I know I'm not supposed to linger. See it and leave. If you stay too long, you wear out the wordless shock. Love it and trust it and leave.

-Don DeLillo, Underworld