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Poem

Israel Pincas

TWO SKINNY BIRDS

I came to the spring
of my life. The ground gave off a warm
scent. From sea to
sea. This earth blooms
out of my flesh like a graft
cut into a tree trunk.
 
The air is filled with nectar and bees and the sharp
scent of myrtle and absinthe
and acacia. Two skinny birds
that I see now at the edge
of my vision and that see me
while eating barley on the lattice
are the birds of my death,
ready for me in my autumn’s fermenting storeroom. 

שתי צפורים דלות בשר

שתי צפורים דלות בשר

 
בָּאתִי לַאֲבִיב
חַיַּי. הָאֲדָמָה נוֹתֶנֶת רֵיחַ
חַם, מִיָּם אֶל
יָם. הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת פּוֹרַחַת
מִבְּשָׂרִי כְּמוֹ הַרְכָּבָה
עַל עֵץ שֶׁחֻתַּךְ בַּגֶּזַע.

הָאֲוִיר מָלֵא צוּף וּדְבוֹרִים וְרֵיחַ
הֲדַס חָרִיף וְלַעֲנָה
וְשִׁטָּה. שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים דַּלּוֹת
בָּשָׂר, שֶׁאֲנִי רוֹאֶה עַכְשָׁו בִּקְצֵה
עֵינִי, וַאֲשֶׁר רוֹאוֹת אוֹתִי,
בְּאָכְלָן שְׂעוֹרִים מֵעַל לַשְּׂבָכָה,
הֵן צִפֳּרוֹת מוֹתִי,
הַמּוּכָן בִּשְׁבִילִי בַּמְּזָוֶה הַתּוֹסֵס שֶׁל סְתָוִי.
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TWO SKINNY BIRDS

I came to the spring
of my life. The ground gave off a warm
scent. From sea to
sea. This earth blooms
out of my flesh like a graft
cut into a tree trunk.
 
The air is filled with nectar and bees and the sharp
scent of myrtle and absinthe
and acacia. Two skinny birds
that I see now at the edge
of my vision and that see me
while eating barley on the lattice
are the birds of my death,
ready for me in my autumn’s fermenting storeroom. 

TWO SKINNY BIRDS

I came to the spring
of my life. The ground gave off a warm
scent. From sea to
sea. This earth blooms
out of my flesh like a graft
cut into a tree trunk.
 
The air is filled with nectar and bees and the sharp
scent of myrtle and absinthe
and acacia. Two skinny birds
that I see now at the edge
of my vision and that see me
while eating barley on the lattice
are the birds of my death,
ready for me in my autumn’s fermenting storeroom. 
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