Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Rivka Miriam

AGAIN THE TREE COMES TO ME

AGAIN THE TREE COMES TO ME
 
Again the tree comes to me and claims the fall 
but it’s mine. Mine alone, I’m the one who falls off.
Not leaves of trees.
And not feathers. Not wall plaster.
Not drops of rain. Not petals.
I’m the keeper of fall
ending-without-end like myrrh passing through.
My bosom is wide enough to shed and embrace its shedding.
I was plucked.
My mother gave birth to me plucked before I was cut.
I’m a treasure. A treasury of losses. A kingdom of loss.
I am autumn
and from autumn
the tree cannot steal the fall.

 

AGAIN THE TREE COMES TO ME

שוב בא אלי העץ

שׁוּב בָּא אֵלַי הָעֵץ וְאֶת הַנְּשִׁירָה תּוֹבֵעַ.
אַךְ לִי הִיא. לִי בִּלְבַד. אֲנִי, אֲנִי הִיא הַנּוֹשֶׁרֶת.
לֹא עַלְוַת עֵצִים.
וְלֹא נוֹצוֹת. לֹא טִיחַ־קִיר.
לֹא טִפּוֹת שֶׁל גֶּשֶׁם. לֹא עֲלֵי כּוֹתֶרֶת.
בִּי אֲצוּרָה הַנְּשִׁירָה
אַחֲרִית־אֵין־קֵץ כְּמֹר עוֹבֶרֶת.
רָחַב חֵיקִי דַּיּוֹ לִנְשֹׁר וְאֶל עַצְמוֹ לְהֵאָסֵף.
קְטוּפָה אֲנִי.
קְטוּפָה יָלְדָה אוֹתִי אִמִּי עוֹד טֶרֶם אֶקָּטֵף.
אוֹצָר אֲנִי. טִמְיוֹן. אִבּוּד. מַמְלֶכֶת.
סְתָו אֲנִי
וּמִן הַסְּתָו
לֹא יִגְזֹל הָעֵץ שַׁלֶּכֶת.
 
Close

AGAIN THE TREE COMES TO ME

AGAIN THE TREE COMES TO ME
 
Again the tree comes to me and claims the fall 
but it’s mine. Mine alone, I’m the one who falls off.
Not leaves of trees.
And not feathers. Not wall plaster.
Not drops of rain. Not petals.
I’m the keeper of fall
ending-without-end like myrrh passing through.
My bosom is wide enough to shed and embrace its shedding.
I was plucked.
My mother gave birth to me plucked before I was cut.
I’m a treasure. A treasury of losses. A kingdom of loss.
I am autumn
and from autumn
the tree cannot steal the fall.

 

AGAIN THE TREE COMES TO ME

AGAIN THE TREE COMES TO ME
 
Again the tree comes to me and claims the fall 
but it’s mine. Mine alone, I’m the one who falls off.
Not leaves of trees.
And not feathers. Not wall plaster.
Not drops of rain. Not petals.
I’m the keeper of fall
ending-without-end like myrrh passing through.
My bosom is wide enough to shed and embrace its shedding.
I was plucked.
My mother gave birth to me plucked before I was cut.
I’m a treasure. A treasury of losses. A kingdom of loss.
I am autumn
and from autumn
the tree cannot steal the fall.

 
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