Poem
Tahel Frosh
OH, MY BANK
Oh my bank screw me you want to screw me good and not some tycoon you don’t want no tycoon, yeah yeah yeah, oh my bank you want to screw me good and not some bad tycoon, with tycoons you sit down to lunch at a fancy restaurant* and eat shrimp in a cheerful sauce but with me there are fireworks and desires a lot of Thanatos and it’s well known this is how life goesOh brothers! Take no notice of me and who I am whose work is writing poems for whom for those eating in a fancy restaurant who have hands with married fingers that sign time cards, bearing the economy on all your shoulders oh on the way to a demonstration against tycoons and platonic relations with the bank I see you in a tapas bar eating carne and my flesh is hollow and the sign I carry remains erect like a penis on Viagra, you are my disaster on the way to the anti-war demonstration
Oh you guys! Those who want to make money oh those who want to get rich and those who want to spend and those who want to eat and then create aches on elegant bicycles, and those who want to wear button down shirts and those who want to wear suits and those who make meteoric careers and those who are written about and she who’s excited to enter the first class compartment and those who love veined white marble, and those who know what money can do and are silent
Oh my bank screw me and I’ll carry out a suicide bombing in the lobby after I whisper semek ars* and nothing will happen screw me into five years of installments on signed documents and then I’ll go out into the sunshine to the street after a rape that is not recognized by the authorities oh! No policewoman will save me and no women’s organization for peace and no animal aid society
© Translation: 2016, Lisa Katz
*In the original poem, Frosh twice identifies the restaurant as that of a famous Israeli chef, Eyal Sheni. "Semek ars" is slang, an angry exclamation used in Hebrew that is composed of several Arabic curse words ("coos emek" and "ars") run together and abbreviated.
הו, בנק שלי
הו, בנק שלי
הוֹ בַּנְק שֶׁלִּי זַיֵּן אוֹתִי אַתָּה רוֹצֶה לְזַיֵּן אוֹתִי טוֹב וְאַף טַיְקוּן אַתָּה לֹא רוֹצֶה אַף טַיְקּון לֹא, כֵּן כֵּן כֵּן, הוֹ בַּנְק שֶׁלִּי אַתָּה רוֹצֶה לְזַיֵּן אוֹתִי טוֹב וְאַף טַיְקוּן לֹא טוֹב, לֹא, עִם הַטַּיְקוּן אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב לַאֲרוּחַת צָהֳרַיִם אֵצֶל אֱיָּל שָׁנִי וְאַתֶּם אוֹכְלִים חֲסִילוֹנִים בְּרֹטֶב שָׂמֵחַ אֲבָל אִתִּי יֵשׁ זִקּוּקִים וִיצָרִים יֵשׁ הַרְבֵּה תָּנָטוֹס וְזֶה כַּיָּדוּעַ עַד אֵיפֹה שֶׁהַחַיִּים נִמְתָּחִים
הוֹ אַחַיי! תִּתְעַלְּמוּ מִמֶּנִּי לְמִי אֲנִי עֲמֵלָה כּוֹתֶבֶת שִׁירִים לְמִי לְמִי אוֹכְלִים שֶׁלִּי בַּמִּסְעָדוֹת שֶׁל אֱיָּל שָׁנִי מַחְזִיקִים יָדַיִם בְּאֶצְבְּעוֹת נִשּׁוּאִים שֶׁחוֹתְמוֹת כַּרְטִיסֵי עֲבוֹדָה, מַחְזִיקִים עַל כָּל הַכְּתֵפַיִם כַּלְכָּלָה הוֹ בַּדֶּרֶךְ לַהַפְגָּנָה נֶגֶד הַטַּיְקוּנִים וְיַחֲסֵיהֶם הָאַפְּלָטוֹנִיִּים עִם הַבַּנְק אֲנִי רוֹאָה אֶתְכֶם בְּטַאפַּס בָּר אוֹכְלִים לָטִינוֹס וְהַבָּשָׂר שֶׁלִּי רֵיק וְהַשֶּׁלֶט שֶׁאֲנִי נוֹשֵׂאת נִשְׁאָר לַעֲמֹד כְּמוֹ זַיִן עַל וִיאַגְרָה, אַתֶּם הָאָסוֹן שֶׁלִּי בַּדֶּרֶךְ לַהַפְגָּנָה נֶגֶד הַמִּלְחָמָה
הוֹ אַתֶּם! מִי שֶׁרוֹצִים לַעֲשׂוֹת כֶּסֶף הוֹ מִי שֶׁרוֹצִים לְהִתְעַשֵּׁר וּמִי שֶׁרוֹצִים לְשַׁלֵּם וּמִי שֶׁרוֹצִים לֶאֱכֹל וְאָז לְיַצֵּר כְּאֵב עַל אוֹפַנֵּי סְפּוֹרְט מְהֻדָּרִים, וּמִי שֶׁלּוֹבְשִׁים חֻלְצָה מְכֻפְתֶּרֶת וּמִי שֶׁלּוֹבְשִׁים חֲלִיפָה וּמִי שֶׁעוֹשִׂים קַרְיֶרָה מֶטֶאוֹרִית וּמִי שֶׁכּוֹתְבִים עֲלֵיהֶם וּמִי שֶׁעוֹבֶרֶת בָּהֶם הִתְרַגְּשׁוּת לִפְנֵי הַכְּנִיסָה לְמַחְלָקָה רִאשׁוֹנָה וּמִי שֶׁאוֹהֲבִים שַׁיִשׁ לָבָן עִם עוֹרְקִים, וּמִי שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים מַה שֶּׁעוֹשֶׂה הַכֶּסֶף וְהֵם שׁוֹתְקִים
הוֹ בַּנְק שֶׁלִּי זַיֵּן אוֹתִי וְאֶעֱשֶׂה פִּגּוּעַ הִתְאַבְּדוּת בַּלּוֹבִּי אַחֲרֵי שֶׁאֶלְחַשׁ סְעֶמֶק עַרְס וּכְלוּם לֹא יִקְרֶה זַיֵּן אוֹתִי לְמַפְרֵעַ בְּתַשְׁלוּמִים לְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים בְּמִסְמָכִים חֲתוּמִים וְאָז אֵצֵא אֶל הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ אֶל הָרְחוֹב אַחֲרֵי אֹנֶס לֹא מֻכָּר עַל יְדֵי הָרָשֻׁיּוֹת הוֹ! אַף שׁוֹטֶרֶת לֹא תָּבוֹא לְהַצִּיל אוֹתִי וְלֹא אִרְגּוּנֵי הַנָּשִׁים וְלֹא אִרְגּוּנִים לְמַעַן הַשָּׁלוֹם וְלֹא תְּנוּ לַחַיּוֹת לִחְיוֹת
הוֹ אַחַיי! תִּתְעַלְּמוּ מִמֶּנִּי לְמִי אֲנִי עֲמֵלָה כּוֹתֶבֶת שִׁירִים לְמִי לְמִי אוֹכְלִים שֶׁלִּי בַּמִּסְעָדוֹת שֶׁל אֱיָּל שָׁנִי מַחְזִיקִים יָדַיִם בְּאֶצְבְּעוֹת נִשּׁוּאִים שֶׁחוֹתְמוֹת כַּרְטִיסֵי עֲבוֹדָה, מַחְזִיקִים עַל כָּל הַכְּתֵפַיִם כַּלְכָּלָה הוֹ בַּדֶּרֶךְ לַהַפְגָּנָה נֶגֶד הַטַּיְקוּנִים וְיַחֲסֵיהֶם הָאַפְּלָטוֹנִיִּים עִם הַבַּנְק אֲנִי רוֹאָה אֶתְכֶם בְּטַאפַּס בָּר אוֹכְלִים לָטִינוֹס וְהַבָּשָׂר שֶׁלִּי רֵיק וְהַשֶּׁלֶט שֶׁאֲנִי נוֹשֵׂאת נִשְׁאָר לַעֲמֹד כְּמוֹ זַיִן עַל וִיאַגְרָה, אַתֶּם הָאָסוֹן שֶׁלִּי בַּדֶּרֶךְ לַהַפְגָּנָה נֶגֶד הַמִּלְחָמָה
הוֹ אַתֶּם! מִי שֶׁרוֹצִים לַעֲשׂוֹת כֶּסֶף הוֹ מִי שֶׁרוֹצִים לְהִתְעַשֵּׁר וּמִי שֶׁרוֹצִים לְשַׁלֵּם וּמִי שֶׁרוֹצִים לֶאֱכֹל וְאָז לְיַצֵּר כְּאֵב עַל אוֹפַנֵּי סְפּוֹרְט מְהֻדָּרִים, וּמִי שֶׁלּוֹבְשִׁים חֻלְצָה מְכֻפְתֶּרֶת וּמִי שֶׁלּוֹבְשִׁים חֲלִיפָה וּמִי שֶׁעוֹשִׂים קַרְיֶרָה מֶטֶאוֹרִית וּמִי שֶׁכּוֹתְבִים עֲלֵיהֶם וּמִי שֶׁעוֹבֶרֶת בָּהֶם הִתְרַגְּשׁוּת לִפְנֵי הַכְּנִיסָה לְמַחְלָקָה רִאשׁוֹנָה וּמִי שֶׁאוֹהֲבִים שַׁיִשׁ לָבָן עִם עוֹרְקִים, וּמִי שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים מַה שֶּׁעוֹשֶׂה הַכֶּסֶף וְהֵם שׁוֹתְקִים
הוֹ בַּנְק שֶׁלִּי זַיֵּן אוֹתִי וְאֶעֱשֶׂה פִּגּוּעַ הִתְאַבְּדוּת בַּלּוֹבִּי אַחֲרֵי שֶׁאֶלְחַשׁ סְעֶמֶק עַרְס וּכְלוּם לֹא יִקְרֶה זַיֵּן אוֹתִי לְמַפְרֵעַ בְּתַשְׁלוּמִים לְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים בְּמִסְמָכִים חֲתוּמִים וְאָז אֵצֵא אֶל הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ אֶל הָרְחוֹב אַחֲרֵי אֹנֶס לֹא מֻכָּר עַל יְדֵי הָרָשֻׁיּוֹת הוֹ! אַף שׁוֹטֶרֶת לֹא תָּבוֹא לְהַצִּיל אוֹתִי וְלֹא אִרְגּוּנֵי הַנָּשִׁים וְלֹא אִרְגּוּנִים לְמַעַן הַשָּׁלוֹם וְלֹא תְּנוּ לַחַיּוֹת לִחְיוֹת
© 2014, Tahel Frosh
From: Betsa/Avarice
Publisher: Mossad Bialik, Jerusalem
From: Betsa/Avarice
Publisher: Mossad Bialik, Jerusalem
Poems
Poems of Tahel Frosh
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OH, MY BANK
Oh my bank screw me you want to screw me good and not some tycoon you don’t want no tycoon, yeah yeah yeah, oh my bank you want to screw me good and not some bad tycoon, with tycoons you sit down to lunch at a fancy restaurant* and eat shrimp in a cheerful sauce but with me there are fireworks and desires a lot of Thanatos and it’s well known this is how life goesOh brothers! Take no notice of me and who I am whose work is writing poems for whom for those eating in a fancy restaurant who have hands with married fingers that sign time cards, bearing the economy on all your shoulders oh on the way to a demonstration against tycoons and platonic relations with the bank I see you in a tapas bar eating carne and my flesh is hollow and the sign I carry remains erect like a penis on Viagra, you are my disaster on the way to the anti-war demonstration
Oh you guys! Those who want to make money oh those who want to get rich and those who want to spend and those who want to eat and then create aches on elegant bicycles, and those who want to wear button down shirts and those who want to wear suits and those who make meteoric careers and those who are written about and she who’s excited to enter the first class compartment and those who love veined white marble, and those who know what money can do and are silent
Oh my bank screw me and I’ll carry out a suicide bombing in the lobby after I whisper semek ars* and nothing will happen screw me into five years of installments on signed documents and then I’ll go out into the sunshine to the street after a rape that is not recognized by the authorities oh! No policewoman will save me and no women’s organization for peace and no animal aid society
© 2016, Lisa Katz
From: Betsa/Avarice
From: Betsa/Avarice
OH, MY BANK
Oh my bank screw me you want to screw me good and not some tycoon you don’t want no tycoon, yeah yeah yeah, oh my bank you want to screw me good and not some bad tycoon, with tycoons you sit down to lunch at a fancy restaurant* and eat shrimp in a cheerful sauce but with me there are fireworks and desires a lot of Thanatos and it’s well known this is how life goesOh brothers! Take no notice of me and who I am whose work is writing poems for whom for those eating in a fancy restaurant who have hands with married fingers that sign time cards, bearing the economy on all your shoulders oh on the way to a demonstration against tycoons and platonic relations with the bank I see you in a tapas bar eating carne and my flesh is hollow and the sign I carry remains erect like a penis on Viagra, you are my disaster on the way to the anti-war demonstration
Oh you guys! Those who want to make money oh those who want to get rich and those who want to spend and those who want to eat and then create aches on elegant bicycles, and those who want to wear button down shirts and those who want to wear suits and those who make meteoric careers and those who are written about and she who’s excited to enter the first class compartment and those who love veined white marble, and those who know what money can do and are silent
Oh my bank screw me and I’ll carry out a suicide bombing in the lobby after I whisper semek ars* and nothing will happen screw me into five years of installments on signed documents and then I’ll go out into the sunshine to the street after a rape that is not recognized by the authorities oh! No policewoman will save me and no women’s organization for peace and no animal aid society
© 2016, Lisa Katz
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