Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Israel Bar Kohav

ORPHEUS IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL

My field buried
sheaves buried
rocking horses buried
my father buried
doves buried
chicken coops buried farm buried
the Jezreel Valley forest buried
the children of Katznelson Street buried
the nursery school on the Street of Railroad Workers buried
the railroad workers buried wooden bikes
the scout from the land of buried dreams buried
the magic carpet buried the Negev prairies buried
the ice wagons buried the coal men buried
the burning shack on Berdechevsky Street buried
the poverty of the Fifties buried rationing buried
simplicity buried industriousness, suppressed inner cries,
the Philips radio console buried soda with flavored syrup buried
Ben Gurion buried, Matossian buried, Nelson cigarettes of excellent Virginia tobacco buried,
light splashes from the dead glassy eyes of skyscrapers
dazzle and strike the sky of
a childhood among orange trees and kitchen gardens,
smoke rises in the morning windows, in the eyelids of dreamers
waking to a day of raspberries and pain.
 
 
 
 
 

אורפיאוס בארץ ישראל

אורפיאוס בארץ ישראל

קְבוּרָה שְׁדֵמָתִי
קְבוּרוֹת הַשִּׁבֳּלִים
קְבוּרִים סוּסוֹנֵי הָעֵץ
קָבוּר אָבִי
קְבוּרוֹת הַיּוֹנִים
קָבוּר הַלּוּל קָבוּר הַמֶּשֶׁק
קְבוּרִים הַיְּעָרוֹת בְּבֵית שְׁעָרִים
קְבוּרִים הַיְלָדִים מֵרְחוֹב כַּצְנֶלְסוֹן
קָבוּר גַּן הַיְלָדִים מֵרְחוֹב פּוֹעֲלֵי הָרַכֶּבֶת קְבוּרִים
פּוֹעֲלֵי הָרַכֶּבֶת קְבוּרִים אוֹפַנֵּי הָעֵץ
צוֹעֵד הַנֹּעַר הָעוֹבֵד בְּאֶרֶץ הַחֲלוֹמוֹת הַקְּבוּרִים
מַרְבַד הַקְּסָמִים קָבוּר, קְבוּרוֹת עַרְבוֹת הַנֶּגֶב
קְבוּרוֹת עֶגְלוֹת הַקֶּרַח, קְבוּרִים הַפַּחוֹנִים,
קָבוּר הַצְּרִיף בִּרְחוֹב בֶּרְדִיצֶ'בְסְקִי בְּחַלּוֹנוֹ הַבּוֹעֵר
קְבוּרָה הַדַּלּוּת שֶׁל שְׁנוֹת הַחֲמִשִּׁים קָבוּר הַצֶּנַע,
קְבוּרוֹת הַפַּשְׁטוּת, הֶחָרִיצוּת, הַצְּעָקוֹת הַפְּנִימִיּוֹת שֶׁלֹּא הִבְקִיעוּ,
קָבוּר הָרַדְיוֹ הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁל פִילִיפְּס, קָבוּר הַגָּזוֹז,
קָבוּר בֶּן גוּרְיוֹן, קָבוּר מָטוֹסְיָאן, קָבוּר נֶלְסוֹן מִטַּבָּק וִירְגִ'ינְיָה מְשֻׁבָּח
מֵעֵינֵי הַזְּכוּכִית הַמֵּתוֹת שֶׁל מִגְדְּלֵי בֶּטוֹן נִתָּז אוֹר שֶׁמֶשׁ,
סַנְוֵרִים מַכִּים בִּשְׁמֵי
הַיַּלְדוּת בַּעֲצֵי תַּפּוּז בְּמֶשֶׁק עֵזֶר,
עָשָׁן עוֹלֶה בְּחַלּוֹנוֹת הַבֹּקֶר, בְּעַפְעַפַּי הַחוֹלְמִים
הַמְּקִיצִים אֶל יוֹם שֶׁל פֶּטֶל וּכְאֵב.
 
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ORPHEUS IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL

My field buried
sheaves buried
rocking horses buried
my father buried
doves buried
chicken coops buried farm buried
the Jezreel Valley forest buried
the children of Katznelson Street buried
the nursery school on the Street of Railroad Workers buried
the railroad workers buried wooden bikes
the scout from the land of buried dreams buried
the magic carpet buried the Negev prairies buried
the ice wagons buried the coal men buried
the burning shack on Berdechevsky Street buried
the poverty of the Fifties buried rationing buried
simplicity buried industriousness, suppressed inner cries,
the Philips radio console buried soda with flavored syrup buried
Ben Gurion buried, Matossian buried, Nelson cigarettes of excellent Virginia tobacco buried,
light splashes from the dead glassy eyes of skyscrapers
dazzle and strike the sky of
a childhood among orange trees and kitchen gardens,
smoke rises in the morning windows, in the eyelids of dreamers
waking to a day of raspberries and pain.
 
 
 
 
 

ORPHEUS IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL

My field buried
sheaves buried
rocking horses buried
my father buried
doves buried
chicken coops buried farm buried
the Jezreel Valley forest buried
the children of Katznelson Street buried
the nursery school on the Street of Railroad Workers buried
the railroad workers buried wooden bikes
the scout from the land of buried dreams buried
the magic carpet buried the Negev prairies buried
the ice wagons buried the coal men buried
the burning shack on Berdechevsky Street buried
the poverty of the Fifties buried rationing buried
simplicity buried industriousness, suppressed inner cries,
the Philips radio console buried soda with flavored syrup buried
Ben Gurion buried, Matossian buried, Nelson cigarettes of excellent Virginia tobacco buried,
light splashes from the dead glassy eyes of skyscrapers
dazzle and strike the sky of
a childhood among orange trees and kitchen gardens,
smoke rises in the morning windows, in the eyelids of dreamers
waking to a day of raspberries and pain.
 
 
 
 
 
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