Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Rafi Weichert

ON TIPTOE


 
Always on tiptoe beside you,
I’m cautious of speech.
Your dead aren’t a metaphor,
your words are accumulated silence.
 
Beside you I rise out of my barred self
to new places.
When you have trouble hearing
I hope I’m not missing the mark.
 
The forty years between us
dissipate at your threshold.
Your lines are a gift
uprooted, against its will, from your hands.
 

על בהונות

על בהונות

 

לְיָדְךָ תָּמִיד עַל בְּהוֹנוֹת,
נִזְהָר בַּדִּבּוּר.
הַמֵּתִים שֶׁלְּךָ אֵינָם מֶטָפוֹרָה,
הַמִּלִּים שֶׁלְּךָ — שֶׁקֶט אָגוּר.

לְיָדְךָ מִתְגַּבֵּהַּ מִסּוֹרְגֵי עַצְמוּתִי
לִמְקוֹמוֹת חֲדָשִׁים.
כְּשֶׁאַתָּה מִתְקַשֶּׁה לִשְׁמֹעַ
אֲנִי מְקַוֶּה לֹא לְהַחֲטִיא.

אַרְבָּעִים הַשָּׁנִים שֶׁבֵּינֵינוּ
נְמוֹגוֹת עַל סִפְּךָ.
שׁוּרוֹתֶיךָ הֵן מַתָּת
שֶׁנֶּעֶקְרָה, עַל כָּרְחָהּ, מִיָּדְךָ.
 
Close

ON TIPTOE


 
Always on tiptoe beside you,
I’m cautious of speech.
Your dead aren’t a metaphor,
your words are accumulated silence.
 
Beside you I rise out of my barred self
to new places.
When you have trouble hearing
I hope I’m not missing the mark.
 
The forty years between us
dissipate at your threshold.
Your lines are a gift
uprooted, against its will, from your hands.
 

ON TIPTOE


 
Always on tiptoe beside you,
I’m cautious of speech.
Your dead aren’t a metaphor,
your words are accumulated silence.
 
Beside you I rise out of my barred self
to new places.
When you have trouble hearing
I hope I’m not missing the mark.
 
The forty years between us
dissipate at your threshold.
Your lines are a gift
uprooted, against its will, from your hands.
 
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