Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

David Avidan

A FEW PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Let me be a mummy.
Wake me
once every thousand years with a shot of undiluted adrenalin, and then
I’ll burn Rome again, report on the event
with a pale face and a pounding heart, first I’ll castrate
all the barbarian warriors who conquered the city, possess
all their young women, so there’ll be
things to burn and men to castrate
in another thousand years. I have
patience for long-run missions.

קצתוֹכניות לעתיד

קצתוֹכניות לעתיד

הַנִּיחוּ לִי לִהְיוֹת מוּמְיָה.
הָעִירוּ אוֹתִי
אַחַת לְאֶלֶף שָׁנָה בִּזְרִיקַת אַדְרֶנָלִין מְרֻכֶּזֶת, וְאָז
אֶשְׂרֹף מֵחָדָשׁ אֶת רוֹמָא, אֲדַוֵּחַ עַל הָאֵרוּעַ
בְּפָנִים חִוְּרִים וּבְלֵב נִפְעָם, אֲסָרֵס מֵרֹאשׁ
אֶת כָּל הַלּוֹחֲמִים הַבַּרְבָּרִים, שֶׁיַּעֲלוּ עָלֶיהָ, אֶבְעַל
אֶת נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶם הַצְּעִירוֹת, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה
מַה לִּשְׂרֹף וּמַה לְּסָרֵס כַּעֲבֹר
אֶלֶף שָׁנִים נוֹסָפוֹת. יֵשׁ לִי
סַבְלָנוּת לִמְשִׂימוֹת אֲרוּכּוֹטְּוָח.
Close

A FEW PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Let me be a mummy.
Wake me
once every thousand years with a shot of undiluted adrenalin, and then
I’ll burn Rome again, report on the event
with a pale face and a pounding heart, first I’ll castrate
all the barbarian warriors who conquered the city, possess
all their young women, so there’ll be
things to burn and men to castrate
in another thousand years. I have
patience for long-run missions.

A FEW PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Let me be a mummy.
Wake me
once every thousand years with a shot of undiluted adrenalin, and then
I’ll burn Rome again, report on the event
with a pale face and a pounding heart, first I’ll castrate
all the barbarian warriors who conquered the city, possess
all their young women, so there’ll be
things to burn and men to castrate
in another thousand years. I have
patience for long-run missions.
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