Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Aharon Almog

ON THE SILENCE OF THE YEMENITES

Yemenites from the transit camp came to my grandfather’s house
sat and kept silent
while one sang the other waited
so I was raised between howling
and silence
now they’ve installed a telephone for my father and he sits
waiting for a ring
for 80 years he was silent and his ancestors kept silent
now he wants someone to hear what he says

ON THE SILENCE OF THE YEMENITES

Close

ON THE SILENCE OF THE YEMENITES

Yemenites from the transit camp came to my grandfather’s house
sat and kept silent
while one sang the other waited
so I was raised between howling
and silence
now they’ve installed a telephone for my father and he sits
waiting for a ring
for 80 years he was silent and his ancestors kept silent
now he wants someone to hear what he says

ON THE SILENCE OF THE YEMENITES

Yemenites from the transit camp came to my grandfather’s house
sat and kept silent
while one sang the other waited
so I was raised between howling
and silence
now they’ve installed a telephone for my father and he sits
waiting for a ring
for 80 years he was silent and his ancestors kept silent
now he wants someone to hear what he says
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