Category Archives: Poetry

Dex

DexDex’s eyes are closed and he is dreaming,
Chasing after ball in doggy park,
The wind strokes his face, the birds are chirping,
He trembles for a moment and stretches his paws.

His shiny coal coat pressed against me,
His canine instincts now at complete rest,
His back is anchored in the cushions,
His spirit running wild into the chase.

Birds are gossiping outside the window,
Sunlight flows in softly through the shades,
Days like this are rare and are so precious,
It is truly a shame they need to end.

 

May 26, 2021

בְּיוֹם הַזִּכָּרוֹן

בְּיוֹם הַזִּכָּרוֹן,הֶדֵּי הַקְּרָבוֹת, רֵיחוֹת הָאֵשׁ וְהֶעָשָׁן
,נִרְגְּעוּ וְנַמוֹגוּ אֶל אֹפֶק הַזְּמַן
,אוֹתוֹ זַעַם קָדוֹשׁ שֶׁחִירְחֵר מִלְחָמָה
.שָׁכַךְ זֶה מִכְּבָר וְנִטְמָע בַּשִּׁגְרָה

,הַהֹוֶה מִתְגַּלְגֵּל עַל פַּסִים מֻכָּרִים
,שָׁבוּעוֹת אֲרֻכִּים שֶׁל חַיִּים רְגִילִים
,מִשְׁפָּחָה, עֲבוֹדָה, שַׁבָּתוֹת, טִיּוּלִים
.רִיב פּוֹלִיטִי תּוֹרָן, חֲדָשׁוֹת, מִלּוּאִים

,אַךְ מִתַּחַת רוֹבֵץ הַמַּצָּע הָאָפֹר
,זִכְרוֹנוֹת, חֲרָדָה, וּכְאֵב שֶׁיַּחְזֹר
,מִשְׁפָּחוֹת הַנִּסְפִּים שֶׁחָרַב עוֹלָמָן
.רִבּוֹא מַכָּרִים, חֲבֵרִים, בְּנֵי אָדָם

,בְּבָתֵּי הַקְּבָרוֹת הַמִּסְדָּר עַד עוֹמֵד
,בְּשׁוּרוֹת לְבָנוֹת שֶׁל בְּרָק שַׁיִשׁ בּוֹהֵק
,מוּכָנִים כָּאן כְּמוֹ אָז לְמִקְצָב הַפְּקֻדָּה
.שֶׁנִּתְּנָה לִפְנֵי דּוֹר אַךְ עֲדַיִן תְּקֶפָה

,צְעִירִים לְעוֹלָם, חֲסֵרִים הֵם עַד כְּלּוֹת
,הֵם מְחִיר הַחַיִּים כָּאן בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת
,כָּל אַחֵד וּבַיַּחַד הוֹתִירוּ חָלָל
.שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְמַלֵּא וַעֲדַיִן נִפְעָר

,לְחֶלְקֵנוּ הַיּוֹם הוּא יוֹם לְזִכָּרוֹן
,לְרַבִּים אֲחֵרִים הוּא חַיֵּי הַיּוֹם יוֹם
,מַעְגָּל הַשְּׁכוֹל כְּלָל הָאָרֶץ נִפְרַס
.הַחִבּוּק לְאוּמִּי, הַכְּאֵב בִּלְתִּי נִתְפַּס

א’ באייר התשפ”א
English Translation
April 13, 2021

Atlanta

People become disposable,
When they all look indistinguishable,
To you,
When their work seem inferior,
To you,
When their life,
And their death,
Is insignificant,
To you.
March 18, 2021

מִשְׁפָּחָה טֶכְנִית

,אַבָּא מַבְרֵג
,אִמָּא פְּלָיֶיר
,יֶלֶד בּוֹרֶג
,יַלְדָּה מַסְמֵר
.יֶלֶד דִיסְקָה

,כָּל הַזְּמַן מְתַקְּנִים
,לוֹחֲצִים
,מְסוֹבְבִים
,מְעַקְּמִים
.חוֹבְטִים

,כְּשֶׁתִּתְבַּגֵּר תַּהֲפוֹךְ מִבּוֹרֶג לִכְלִי עֲבוֹדָה
,תִּהְיֶה מַבְרֵג פִילִיפְּס
,אוּלַי פְּלָיֶיר אַף אָרוֹךְ
,מַפְתֵּחַ צִינּוֹרוֹת
.אוֹ אֵיזֶה כְּלִי עֲבוֹדָה חַשְׁמַלִּי מְתוּחְכָּם

,הַחַיִּים מַצִּיעִים שֶׁפַע אֶפְשָׁרוּיּוֹת
?מָה תִּבְחַר לִהְיוֹת
,בּוֹרֶג קָטָן גָּדוֹל
,בּוֹרֶג גָּדוֹל קָטָן
?בּוֹרֶג סְתָם

,אַבָּא פַּטִּישׁ
,אִמָּא צְבָת
,יֶלֶד מַסְמֵר
,יַלְדָּה בּוֹרֶג
.יֶלֶד חוֹלֵם

English Translation
February 23, 2021

The Twenty-Second in February, Two Thousand Twenty One

Half a million,
Five hundred thousand,
So many ones,
In a single sum.

An unimaginable count,
Abstractive amount,
So many faces and stories,
Memorials and grief.

Only two months ago,
This number was halved,
It will grow yet tomorrow,
And the day after that.

An invisible virus,
Wreaking illness and death,
Gaining strength and commotion,
From eager spreaders of doubt.

Half a million so far,
And the aggregate grows,
Until all are inoculated,
Put on a damn mask.

 

February 23, 2021

Barbed Wire

Barbed WireHappy birthday to you, love,
No cake or a festive celebration,
Just the thoughts of you and my dull pain,
So much sadness to contain, my tears stream uncontrollably,
And that overwhelming hollow loneliness, again.

Today is dedicated to commemoration,
Thought of time that was and never will,
Your music in the speakers and your presence all around me,
You are so long gone, and yet so here.

I wish I could remember you without the crushing ache,
Think back on our good times and nothing else,
I’m tired of drowning in my own emotions,
None of it does much to bring you back.

Sharing space in me, I truly love your presence,
But I need the room for other things,
I long for a day we’d live as just good neighbors,
Meet from time to time, but otherwise, be left free.

Happy birthday, love, it’s really good to see you,
I am filled with all the pain of missing us,
Rest your soul, you are gone but not forgotten,
The day will come I’ll find my long-sought peace.

 

November 23, 2020

יְרוֹקֶת

,יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן בְּכִתָּה אָלֶף
,שְׁלוֹשִׁים זַאֲטוּטִים
,דָּנָה קָמָה דָּנָה נָמָה
.לוּחַ עֵץ וּשְׁלַל גִירִים

,יָרֹק בָּהִיר יָרֹק כֵּהֶה
,הַתִּלְבֹּשֶׁת אֲחִידָה
,סֵמֶל עִיר עַל כִּיס הַבֶּגֶד
.לְהוֹרִיד לִפְנֵי כְּבִיסָה*

,אֵין אָפְנָה, בְּחִירָה אִישִׁית כָּאן
,הַשִּׁוְיוֹן לִפְנֵי הַכֹּל
,עִיר שֶׁל מַעֲמָד בֵּינַיִם
.סוֹצְיָאלִיזְם בְּגָדוֹל

,כָּךְ שָׁנָה רָדְפָה שְׁנָתַיִם
,מִתְבַּגְּרִים וּמִתְפַּתְּחִים
,הַמִּדּוֹת גָּדְלוּ אִתָּנוּ
.הַצְּבָעִים נוֹתְרוּ זֵהִים

,לַתִּיכוֹן הִמְשַׁכְנוּ הָלְאָה
,וְהֶחֱלַפְנוּ לְכָחוֹל
,עוֹד אַרְבַּע שָׁנִים וְאָז
.מַדֵּי צָבָא כָּבְשׁוּ הַכֹּל

,כָּךְ שְׁנָתַיִם וְשָׁלוֹשׁ
(!יֵשׁ שֶׁאַף שֵׁרְתוּ יוֹתֵר)
,סוֹף, לָאֶזְרָחוּת יָצָאנוּ
.וְנִדְרַשְׁנוּ לְבָרֵר

,אֵיךְ קוֹנִים בְּגָדִים וְלָמָּה
,יֵשׁ צְבָעִים שֶׁלֹּא הוֹלְכִים
,עִם צְבָעִים שׁוֹנִים מֵאֵלֶּה
!אַחֶרֶת לְהַחֲלִיף, זְוָעָה

,מָה לִלְבּוֹשׁ, אוֹ מָה מַמָּשׁ לֹא
,לֹא הָיָה לָנוּ מֻשָּׂג
,שְׁנוֹת יְלָדוֹת כְּלוּם לֹא לָמַדְנוּ
.רַק לִלְבֹּשׁ מִן הַמּוּכָן

,חַם בַּחוּץ? נִלְבַּשׁ קָצָר
,צֶבַע לֹא חָשׁוּב אַף פַּעַם
,אִם קָרִיר, נִקַּח אָז סְוֶדֶר
.גּוֹדֶל לֹא קוֹבֵעַ כָּאן

,כָּךְ פָּגַשְׁנוּ בַּגְרוּתֵנוּ
,עִם מֻשָּׂג קָלוּשׁ בְּטַעַם
,עוֹד חַיִּים שְׁלֵמִים יִקַּח
.לִלְמֹד אֶת שֶׁהֶחְמַצְנוּ פַּעַם

 

March 16, 2020

New Dawn

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Good morning,
Rise to a new dawn,
Of decency and hope,
And healthier choices,
For us to realize.

Open your eyes and smile,
At a future that became brighter overnight,
Opportunities that feel closer,
And the atmosphere that cleared up,
By so much.

Stretch your arms,
Up toward the ceiling,
That became easier to breach,
Through a collective effort,
Which is still being realized.

Open your front door,
The sight, the smells, are the same, yet different,
Yesterday we rejoiced,
And today we shall have,
A good day.

 

November 7, 2020

The Third in November

Ash TreeThe Ash tree in the front yard lost all its leaves,
To the storm last night.
The skies are now pouring through it,
Onto the dormant ground.

Ready for the winter hardship,
It stands naked, gray branches barren,
No coat or cover, only thin fingers,
Pointing defiantly at the cold wind.

Birds bathe in the shallow end of the pond,
Readying their feathers for the coming winter,
Squirrels run last-minute errands,
To store food.

The season is changing,
Sending messages of bright colors,
Chilly nights,
And a fading sun.

The election season blows angst into my head,
A year framed by confinement and fear,
Is reaching its conclusion.
In leaves-covered yards.

Faces in windows,
Peeking outside,
Seeking, and hoping,
For a greener future.

 

October 24, 2020

Counter Life

In a parallel world, I have made different choices,
I did not fall in love, I made giant mistakes.
In that twin universe, we did not meet each other,
And all that we know never ever took place.

In a parallel world, I’m a violent felon,
Get in fights, beat and rob, also spent time in jail.
In that twin universe, I have nothing to live for,
Only suffering loss, pain, regret, and despair.

In a parallel world, I have married another,
We did somewhat okay, only just for a while.
In that place over there we fought much, hate each other,
We were coupled together, but never a pair.

The weather out there in that parallel universe,
Is the same as is here, seasons, sunshine, and rain.
All the towns and the streets are too, pretty identical,
So are dreams, hopes, desires, and people who care.

It’s the choice that is different, at that one intersection,
When an option presents, you take left instead right.
That’s how chances are missed and sure futures lose merit,
To a life that heads downhill instead of to great.

In a parallel world, I took different direction,
That had changed life forever for me and for some.
In that twin universe, I did not write this poem,
Or anything else I created in time.

 

September 13, 2020