Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Sabina Messeg

SOLDIER

My little boy now paces the earth

immersed in darkness 
training for the 
worst.



My tender son, the mild one – little prince 
sheltered from the vulgar world

in the precious ark 
forever floating
                      
on a perpetual flood



the child to whom I didn’t read Red Riding Hood

so as not to alarm him
 with slashed bellies
 
and blood



is now cutting his way through a thicket

crawling on all four


learning   to be 


a wolf.

חייל

חייל

עַכְשָׁו יַלְדִּי  הוֹלֵךְ  בַּחֹשֶׁךְ  אֶת הָאָרֶץ

 מִתְאַמֵּן לַגָּרוּעַ  מִכָּל

.

יַלְדִּי הַטּוֹב,  הָרַךְ ,  נָסִיךְ שָׁמוּר מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזּוֹל

בְּתוֹךְ תֵּבַת-הַתַּכְשִׁיטִים  הַמַּפְלִיגָה

 עַל פְּנֵי מַבּוּל תְּמִידִי



יַלְדִּי,  שֶׁלֹּא  סִפַּרְתִּי לוֹ  אֶת  כִּפָּה אֲדֻמָּה

שֶׁלֹּא לְהַבְהִילוֹ   בְּבֶטֶן חֲתוּכָה,
בְּצַּיָּדִים



חוֹתֵךְ  דַּרְכּוֹ  בַּסְּבַךְ
כָּל  עוֹד  נַפְשׁוֹ



לוֹמֵד  לִהְיוֹת



 זְאֵב.
 
Close

SOLDIER

My little boy now paces the earth

immersed in darkness 
training for the 
worst.



My tender son, the mild one – little prince 
sheltered from the vulgar world

in the precious ark 
forever floating
                      
on a perpetual flood



the child to whom I didn’t read Red Riding Hood

so as not to alarm him
 with slashed bellies
 
and blood



is now cutting his way through a thicket

crawling on all four


learning   to be 


a wolf.

SOLDIER

My little boy now paces the earth

immersed in darkness 
training for the 
worst.



My tender son, the mild one – little prince 
sheltered from the vulgar world

in the precious ark 
forever floating
                      
on a perpetual flood



the child to whom I didn’t read Red Riding Hood

so as not to alarm him
 with slashed bellies
 
and blood



is now cutting his way through a thicket

crawling on all four


learning   to be 


a wolf.

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