Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Nano Shabtai

MOTHER

Come let’s wash in the inner shower
halos of olive oil hovering about
our blonde heads
when we pick mushrooms
and miniatures the same color
in the forest where we know enough not to pee
how happy you’ll be when we bring them to you
little things the same color
how beautiful we are
the most beautiful
how creative we are
the most creative
the world
can’t
hold
and I’ll be everything
but something abstract
tests me at night
someone simple takes me to pee at night
I’ll read her self-help books
she’ll study ballet
she’ll be a ballerina
she’ll study painting
she’ll be a painter
she’ll study piano
she’ll be a pianist
what a dummy
didn’t know a thing
I shit on her head
I play with another child
I’m a poet.

אִמָּא

אִמָּא

בּוֹאִי נִתְקַלֵּחַ בְּמִקְלַחַת הַפְּנִימִית
הִלָּה שֶׁל שֶׁמֶן זַיִת תְּרַחֵף מֵעַל רָאשֵׁינוּ
הַבְּלוֹנְדִינִים
כְּשֶׁנִּקְטֹף פִּטְרִיּוֹת
וּקְטַנְטַנִּים מֵאוֹתוֹ הַצֶּבַע
זֶה הַיַּעַר
שֶׁלּוֹמְדִים בּוֹ לֹא לַעֲשׂוֹת פִּיפִּי
אֵיךְ תִּשְׂמְחִי כְּשֶׁנָּבִיא לָךְ אוֹתָם
דְּבָרִים קְטַנִּים מֵאוֹתוֹ הַצֶּבַע
אֵיךְ אֲנַחְנוּ יָפִים
אֵיךְ אֲנַחְנוּ הֲכִי יָפִים
אֵיךְ אֲנַחְנוּ יְצִירָתִיִּים
אֵיךְ אֲנַחְנוּ הֲכִי יְצִירָתִיִּים
הָעוֹלָם
לֹא
מֵכִיל
וַאֲנִי אֶהֱיֶה הַכֹּל
אֲבָל מַשֶּׁהוּ מֻפְשָׁט
מִשְׁתַּדֵּל אִתִּי בַּלַּיְלָה
מִישֶׁהוּ פָּשׁוּט מְשַׁתֵּן אוֹתִי הַלַּיְלָה
אֲנִי אַקְרִיא לָהּ סִפְרֵי הַדְרָכָה
הִיא תִּלְמַד בָּלֶט
הִיא תִּהְיֶה בָּלֶרִינָה
הִיא תִּלְמַד צִיּוּר
הִיא תִּהְיֶה ציַיֶּרֶת
הִיא תִּלְמַד פְּסַנְתֵּר
הִיא תִּהְיֶה פְּסַנְתְּרָנִית
אֵיזֶה טיִפְּשָׁה
לֹא יָדְעָה כְּלוּם
אֲנִי מְחַרְבֶּנֶת לָהּ עַל הָרֹאשׁ
אֲנִי הוֹלֶכֶת לְשַׂחֵק עִם יֶלֶד אַחֵר
אֲנִי מְשׁוֹרר

Close

MOTHER

Come let’s wash in the inner shower
halos of olive oil hovering about
our blonde heads
when we pick mushrooms
and miniatures the same color
in the forest where we know enough not to pee
how happy you’ll be when we bring them to you
little things the same color
how beautiful we are
the most beautiful
how creative we are
the most creative
the world
can’t
hold
and I’ll be everything
but something abstract
tests me at night
someone simple takes me to pee at night
I’ll read her self-help books
she’ll study ballet
she’ll be a ballerina
she’ll study painting
she’ll be a painter
she’ll study piano
she’ll be a pianist
what a dummy
didn’t know a thing
I shit on her head
I play with another child
I’m a poet.

MOTHER

Come let’s wash in the inner shower
halos of olive oil hovering about
our blonde heads
when we pick mushrooms
and miniatures the same color
in the forest where we know enough not to pee
how happy you’ll be when we bring them to you
little things the same color
how beautiful we are
the most beautiful
how creative we are
the most creative
the world
can’t
hold
and I’ll be everything
but something abstract
tests me at night
someone simple takes me to pee at night
I’ll read her self-help books
she’ll study ballet
she’ll be a ballerina
she’ll study painting
she’ll be a painter
she’ll study piano
she’ll be a pianist
what a dummy
didn’t know a thing
I shit on her head
I play with another child
I’m a poet.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère