Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Oreet Meital

I LAY DOWN LIKE A CATERPILLAR

I lay down like a caterpillar
but he wanted me
to lie down like a panther
one moment before the attack.
I lay down like a panther
but he wanted me to spring
like a grasshopper, thin legs
folded at each side.
 
The sheet was green, my skin white
without stripes. I took
the lashes of the whip
and reddened. I crawled
like a panther, legs
bent like a grasshopper’s.
I sprang. And even sang.

I LAY DOWN LIKE A CATERPILLAR

I LAY DOWN LIKE A CATERPILLAR

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I LAY DOWN LIKE A CATERPILLAR

I lay down like a caterpillar
but he wanted me
to lie down like a panther
one moment before the attack.
I lay down like a panther
but he wanted me to spring
like a grasshopper, thin legs
folded at each side.
 
The sheet was green, my skin white
without stripes. I took
the lashes of the whip
and reddened. I crawled
like a panther, legs
bent like a grasshopper’s.
I sprang. And even sang.

I LAY DOWN LIKE A CATERPILLAR

I lay down like a caterpillar
but he wanted me
to lie down like a panther
one moment before the attack.
I lay down like a panther
but he wanted me to spring
like a grasshopper, thin legs
folded at each side.
 
The sheet was green, my skin white
without stripes. I took
the lashes of the whip
and reddened. I crawled
like a panther, legs
bent like a grasshopper’s.
I sprang. And even sang.
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