Eolyne Ratlas

Belgium – Türkiye

My name is a hyphen between sky and earth,
between father and mother.
And I live there,
like a bridge
between two countries,
between two families.

​

Torn between loyalty to a devoted mother
and the need to know where I come from.
But above all, not to ask.
Not to dig.
Not to show interest.
So as not to remind my mother
that I am also from him.

​

Never be angry.
Never frighten anyone.
For fear of becoming a monster too.
And monsters, as we know,
stay well hidden
under beds,
inside closets,
always in the dark.