Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Tahel Frosh

ISABELLA SLEEPS WITH THE DOGS

Isabella asked where are the dogs
she slept with dogs dreamt dogs
in a raging storm,
there were no dogs in our house or in any other
but Isabella kept looking for the dogs.

And no, this wasn’t our house
but a room where house is possible
where love is possible,
but every time it rained
we walked around the room and threw stones.

Isabella sleeps with the dogs
sowing a bone for roaming
we walked just like her
from house to house
and when it rained we only found branches.

Black dogs take their rest
with Isabella, coiled
on her woolen breasts,
her nipped flesh, they know everything.

I sat in the street and saw the two of us
or maybe I only saw the escape
I knocked with the branches knocked hard
at each door, there was no house
the storms came and went and blue sliced the sky.

איזבלה נמה בכלבים

איזבלה נמה בכלבים

אִיזַבֶּלָה שָׁאֲלָה הֵיכָן הַכְּלָבִים
יָשְׁנָה בַּכְּלָבִים חָלְמָה בַּכְּלָבִים
בַּסְּעָרָה הַגְּדוֹלָה,
וּבַבַּיִת שֶׁלָּנוּ לֹא הָיוּ וְגַם בָּאֲחֵרִים
אֲבָל אִיזַבֶּלָה חִפְּשָׂה אֶת הַכְּלָבִים.

וְלֹא, לֹא הָיָה זֶה הַבַּיִת שֶׁלָּנוּ
אֶלָּא חֶדֶר אֶחָד שֶׁבּוֹ יָכוֹל הַבַּיִת
וִיכוֹלָה לִהְיוֹת אַהֲבָה,
אֲבָל כָּל גֶּשֶׁם שֶׁבָּא
הִסְתּוֹבַבְנוּ בַּחֶדֶר וְזָרַקְנוּ אֲבָנִים.

יְשֵׁנָה אִיזַבֶּלָה בַּכְּלָבִים
זוֹרַעַת עֶצֶם לִנְדִידָה
כָּמוֹהָ הָלַכְנוּ
מִבַּיִת אֶחָד אֶל בַּיִת אַחֵר
וְכָל גֶּשֶׁם שֶׁבָּא לֹא מָצָאנוּ אֶלָּא עֲנָפִים.

נָמִים שְׁנָתָם בְּאִיזַבֶּלָה
כְּלָבִים שְׁחוֹרִים פְּקָעוֹת
עַל שָׁדֶיהָ צַמְרִירִים                     
נִנְשַׁךְ בְּשָׂרָהּ, הַכֹּל יוֹדְעִים

יָשַׁבְתִּי בָּרְחוֹב וְרָאִיתִי אֶת שְׁנֵינוּ
אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא רָאִיתִי אֶלָּא אֶת הַמְּנוּסָה
וְדָפַקְתִּי בָּעֲנָפִים וְדָפַקְתִּי בְּחָזְקָה
וּבְכָל דֶּלֶת לֹא הָיָה בַּיִת
הַסּוּפוֹת בָּאוּ הָלְכוּ וּבַשָּׁמַיִם תְּכֵלֶת חָתְכָה.

 
Close

ISABELLA SLEEPS WITH THE DOGS

Isabella asked where are the dogs
she slept with dogs dreamt dogs
in a raging storm,
there were no dogs in our house or in any other
but Isabella kept looking for the dogs.

And no, this wasn’t our house
but a room where house is possible
where love is possible,
but every time it rained
we walked around the room and threw stones.

Isabella sleeps with the dogs
sowing a bone for roaming
we walked just like her
from house to house
and when it rained we only found branches.

Black dogs take their rest
with Isabella, coiled
on her woolen breasts,
her nipped flesh, they know everything.

I sat in the street and saw the two of us
or maybe I only saw the escape
I knocked with the branches knocked hard
at each door, there was no house
the storms came and went and blue sliced the sky.

ISABELLA SLEEPS WITH THE DOGS

Isabella asked where are the dogs
she slept with dogs dreamt dogs
in a raging storm,
there were no dogs in our house or in any other
but Isabella kept looking for the dogs.

And no, this wasn’t our house
but a room where house is possible
where love is possible,
but every time it rained
we walked around the room and threw stones.

Isabella sleeps with the dogs
sowing a bone for roaming
we walked just like her
from house to house
and when it rained we only found branches.

Black dogs take their rest
with Isabella, coiled
on her woolen breasts,
her nipped flesh, they know everything.

I sat in the street and saw the two of us
or maybe I only saw the escape
I knocked with the branches knocked hard
at each door, there was no house
the storms came and went and blue sliced the sky.
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