Poet: Işıl Ayça Akkuş

Note: To my dear M, happy birthday! It was my greatest fortune to meet a friend like you, to learn from you, and to find a sense of home and family, even though we were just two strangers, two girls in science, at the beginning. Your light, brilliance, and resilience always inspire me to be a better person. Years ago, starting to teach even before you are a teacher, you were the most gentle and intelligent person that I could possibly encounter in a lab, and your willingness to share knowledge and kindness has been unmatched ever since.

I will always cherish you and your friendship. I hope to provide a safe, beautiful space for us, even though I cannot match the sense of warmth, gentleness, and inspiration you have offered me so far. I wish you, your loved ones, and your whole family a beautiful life journey, which I will attempt to contribute to, cherish, and protect whole-heartedly.

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Thy name comes from pebbles,
Sacred lands of mighty mountains.
Every hero needs a mentor they say,
Some people paint light into your sky grey.

We had met on a green free village,
Days of learning, a stranger caught my eye,
Shining more than everyone brighter.
Thy eyes gentle first, bona fides later.

Pebbles of warmth in cruel winter,
A sparkling mountain to rest my shoulder.
Thy mind is sweet, yet sharper than minds of cruel;
I shall find strength in thee, my friend, no matter the duel.

The poet wishes to be as calm as sunset waves,
Even a mighty mountain needs rest.
May life gently heal your scars;
Shall thy victory be promised, no matter the fight.

Pebbles reflecting shine suns’ through,
Footsteps that pave the way for the kid.
Thy melody interrupts all agony, hush.
Dear friend of mine,
Your existence is like daisies of spring,
Beams upon the roads of this fool.

My fellow fighter,
Soul fairy making storms lighter,
May all storms only fall as pebbles,
May thy loved ones with you prosper,
Solving the psyche and the life under.
I had never met a soul like yours;
O’ fortune is mine to meet thee tender.