Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Ory Bernstein

[How was love]

How was love when it was?
No way to know, to say what water is.

Only the after-sights remain:
a recollection of jealousy when I shouted
desperate in an empty room.

A memory of desire when the body
left its borders and ascended
to stifling heights.

A memory of friendship when we each
placed a hand on the other’s shoulder,
going, together, toward an event.

But how was love when it was?
No way to know, to say what water is

[How was love]

אֵיךְ הָיְתָה הָאַהֲבָה כְּשֶׁהָיְתָה?
אֵין לָדַעַת, שֶׁאֵין לְהַגְדִּיר מַיִם.

וְנִשְׁאֲרוּ רַק מַרְאוֹת לְוַאי:
זֵכֶר קִנְאָה כְּשֶׁצָּעַקְתִּי
נוֹאָשׁוֹת בְּתוֹךְ חֶדֶר רֵיק.

זֵכֶר תְּשׁוּקָה כְּשֶׁהַגּוּף
חָרַג מִגִּדְרוֹ וְהֶעְפִּיל
לִגְבָהִים שֶׁל חֶנֶק.

זֵכֶר שֶׁל יְדִידוּת כְּשֶׁהִנַּחְנוּ
אִישׁ יָד עַל כֶּתֶף רְעוּתוֹ,
הוֹלְכִים, בִּמְשֻׁתָּף, לִקְרַאת מִקְרֶה.

אוּלָם אֵיךְ הָיְתָה הָאַהֲבָה שֶׁהָיְתָה?
אֵין לָדַעַת, שֶׁאֵין לְהַגְדִּיר מַיִם.
Close

[How was love]

How was love when it was?
No way to know, to say what water is.

Only the after-sights remain:
a recollection of jealousy when I shouted
desperate in an empty room.

A memory of desire when the body
left its borders and ascended
to stifling heights.

A memory of friendship when we each
placed a hand on the other’s shoulder,
going, together, toward an event.

But how was love when it was?
No way to know, to say what water is

[How was love]

How was love when it was?
No way to know, to say what water is.

Only the after-sights remain:
a recollection of jealousy when I shouted
desperate in an empty room.

A memory of desire when the body
left its borders and ascended
to stifling heights.

A memory of friendship when we each
placed a hand on the other’s shoulder,
going, together, toward an event.

But how was love when it was?
No way to know, to say what water is
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