Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Dvora Amir

AFTER THE FALL OF 1956

Lines of adhesive tape crossed the glass of the window, cut checkerboards with Margosa branches.
Like sheaves of firecrackers thin strings burst out of the branches of the tree, dropped down
at their ends lanterns of golden fruit-ammunition for the children’s wars.
After that fall mother brought a basin of hot water to scrape the windowpane.  
She tore lines back and forth making crosses in her eyes
saw her Dovid caught on the fence  
and as though bandaging the wounds of a dead person to revive him she said in a whisper, “The war is over.”

AFTER THE FALL OF 1956

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AFTER THE FALL OF 1956

Lines of adhesive tape crossed the glass of the window, cut checkerboards with Margosa branches.
Like sheaves of firecrackers thin strings burst out of the branches of the tree, dropped down
at their ends lanterns of golden fruit-ammunition for the children’s wars.
After that fall mother brought a basin of hot water to scrape the windowpane.  
She tore lines back and forth making crosses in her eyes
saw her Dovid caught on the fence  
and as though bandaging the wounds of a dead person to revive him she said in a whisper, “The war is over.”

AFTER THE FALL OF 1956

Lines of adhesive tape crossed the glass of the window, cut checkerboards with Margosa branches.
Like sheaves of firecrackers thin strings burst out of the branches of the tree, dropped down
at their ends lanterns of golden fruit-ammunition for the children’s wars.
After that fall mother brought a basin of hot water to scrape the windowpane.  
She tore lines back and forth making crosses in her eyes
saw her Dovid caught on the fence  
and as though bandaging the wounds of a dead person to revive him she said in a whisper, “The war is over.”
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