Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Benjamin Shvili

YOU ARE ALL TRAVELERS

travels around the world are journeys
without end
I don’t desire anything
the world can give except
if like all of you
my poor self can go
 
far away from my childhood hello Vasco Da Gama             go
Columbus
Marco Polo on the Silk Route                                             go
             
             because my life is sad and meager and lands
             in my loneliness have enchanted me since childhood
 
Jesus
Buddha
Kazantzakis and Kavafis Henry Miller
Ibn Batuta
stars and spheres and Elytis too                                          go
                            
             because my life is sad and meager and lands
             in my loneliness have enchanted me since childhood
 
Alexander Napoleon and Hannibal
Benjamin Metudela
stones and clouds and Bialik too                                           go
                        
             because my life is sad and meager and lands
             in my loneliness have enchanted me since childhood

YOU ARE ALL TRAVELERS

Close

YOU ARE ALL TRAVELERS

travels around the world are journeys
without end
I don’t desire anything
the world can give except
if like all of you
my poor self can go
 
far away from my childhood hello Vasco Da Gama             go
Columbus
Marco Polo on the Silk Route                                             go
             
             because my life is sad and meager and lands
             in my loneliness have enchanted me since childhood
 
Jesus
Buddha
Kazantzakis and Kavafis Henry Miller
Ibn Batuta
stars and spheres and Elytis too                                          go
                            
             because my life is sad and meager and lands
             in my loneliness have enchanted me since childhood
 
Alexander Napoleon and Hannibal
Benjamin Metudela
stones and clouds and Bialik too                                           go
                        
             because my life is sad and meager and lands
             in my loneliness have enchanted me since childhood

YOU ARE ALL TRAVELERS

travels around the world are journeys
without end
I don’t desire anything
the world can give except
if like all of you
my poor self can go
 
far away from my childhood hello Vasco Da Gama             go
Columbus
Marco Polo on the Silk Route                                             go
             
             because my life is sad and meager and lands
             in my loneliness have enchanted me since childhood
 
Jesus
Buddha
Kazantzakis and Kavafis Henry Miller
Ibn Batuta
stars and spheres and Elytis too                                          go
                            
             because my life is sad and meager and lands
             in my loneliness have enchanted me since childhood
 
Alexander Napoleon and Hannibal
Benjamin Metudela
stones and clouds and Bialik too                                           go
                        
             because my life is sad and meager and lands
             in my loneliness have enchanted me since childhood
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