Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Mordechai Geldman

I had a revelation

 
I had a revelation
at the SuperCenter in the mall
I was trying on a polo shirt
of an apple-green shade
and between the two mirrors
I saw my face
and my exposed chest    
and it occurred to me that I am ripening
and that soon I will drop like an apple
and will crash onto the warm ground
and a thump will sound
 
and the earth will not shake
and the sea will not flood
and the sun and moon will not go dark
 

I had a revelation

 
הָיְתָה לִי הֶאָרָה
בַּסּוּפֶּרְסֶנְטֶר שֶׁבַּסֶּנְטֶר –
עוֹדֶנִּי מוֹדֵד חֻלְצַת פּוֹלוֹ
בְּגָוֶן שֶׁל יָרֹק תַּפּוּחַ
וּבֵין שְׁתֵּי מַרְאוֹת
רָאִיתִי אֶת פָּנַי
וְאֶת קֶטַע גּוּפִי הֶחָשׂוּף
וְהִבְלִיחַ לִי שֶׁאֲנִי מַבְשִׁיל
וְעוֹד מְעַט אֶנְשֹׁר כְּתַפּוּחַ
וְאֵחָבֵט בָּאֲדָמָה הַחַמָּה
וּצְלִיל חֲבָטָה יִשָּׁמַע
 
וְהָאָרֶץ לֹא תִּרְעַד
וְהַיָּם לֹא יִגְאֶה
וְהַמְּאוֹרוֹת לֹא יִלְקוּ
 
Close

I had a revelation

 
I had a revelation
at the SuperCenter in the mall
I was trying on a polo shirt
of an apple-green shade
and between the two mirrors
I saw my face
and my exposed chest    
and it occurred to me that I am ripening
and that soon I will drop like an apple
and will crash onto the warm ground
and a thump will sound
 
and the earth will not shake
and the sea will not flood
and the sun and moon will not go dark
 

I had a revelation

 
I had a revelation
at the SuperCenter in the mall
I was trying on a polo shirt
of an apple-green shade
and between the two mirrors
I saw my face
and my exposed chest    
and it occurred to me that I am ripening
and that soon I will drop like an apple
and will crash onto the warm ground
and a thump will sound
 
and the earth will not shake
and the sea will not flood
and the sun and moon will not go dark
 
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