Sibir

Sibir

Morning sun breaks through the window shade’s cracks,
But the rays which manage to sneak in do little to light the small space,
Or even charm it with a tiny sense of warmth,
Anything that would ease the dark chill that’s been encompassing it,
Over the past few days.

You’ve been here before, in this very same place,
Shivering and worried, will it ever warm up?
So you know how these periods happen to emerge,
Like untimely weather events,
Or meteoroids bursting into the atmosphere,
Which can be forecasted if you know what signs to look for,
Such as contrails of migrating birds,
Messages of fallen leaves drawn on the ground,
Or gossip bees exchange while seeping nectar.
But you rarely do.
Instead, you bask in the light and enjoy the warmth,
As it fills every corner of you, baking you in a comfortable joyful daze,
Until you suddenly realize you are alone in the chamber,
Conversing with yourself,
And your words condense in the frozen air in front of you,
Turning your worries into tiny water droplets,
That quickly vanish,
Unlike your thoughts.

Earthly and celestial bodies move to their own rhythm,
Trying to intercept their motion is unwise,
Not to mention futile.
It is better to watch and admire them from a distance,
Until the constellation realigns to a different form.
Better days ahead, you know that from experience.
Love the invisible sun,
Appreciate her great presence.
She will rise again, anew,
Following a meteor shower,
A flock taking a morning flight,
Or by next fall,
But not today.

 

December 16, 2022

Serendipity

SerendipityThe wrath of the skies on one midsummer night,
Showered thunder and storm on a saturated Earth,
Creeks were filled, rivers rose, and the water raged on,
Widening crevices, paths, downstream flow current strong.

Fields were turned into lakes and house basements to pools,
Drowning all that did not float under cold waterfalls.
It took days for the sun to return to her post,
And the water to give up its conquered lots.

To the basement she went to assess what was lost,
Finding water-soaked pictures the decades engulfed,
Parts of life that belonged to her much younger self,
Faded memories interred in a box on a shelf.

Curiosity, courage combined to an act,
Message sent, one returned, an exchange then begot,
And the flame that was lit then, a lifetime ago,
Kept suppressed, now caught fire with force to behold.

Love is patient, it waits for the right time to strike,
It combines chance and place, and two spirits delight,
From disaster and agony loss sprung fresh love,
That took decades to simmer but has timely arrived.

 

October 2, 2022

רַכָּבוֹת אַחֲרֵי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ

רַכָּבוֹת אַחֲרֵי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ.הָרַכֶּבֶת לְבֶרְלִין יָצְאָה בָּאִיחוּר שֶׁל חֲמִישִּׁים דַּקּוֹת
,הַגֶּרְמָנִים יְדוּעִים בְּדַקְדְּקָנוּתָם
,אֲבָל זוֹ הָיְיתָה תַּקָּלָה טֶכְנִית
,שֶׁהוֹבִילָה אֶת הַקוֹנְדָקְטוֹר לְהוֹרוֹת
.עַל הַחְלָפַת רַכֶּבֶת
.קוֹרֶה

,נוֹפִים עִירוֹנִיִּים מַגְבִּירִים מְהִירוּת
,מוּל הַחַלּוֹן הַמְּמוּזָּג
,וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא לְהַשְׁווֹת מִיָּד
,אֶת הַמַּסָּע הַזֶּה
,הַנּוֹחַ
,לְמַסָּעוֹת אֲחֵרִים
,עַל אוֹתָם פַּסִים מַמָּשׁ
,לִפְנֵי כַּמָּה עָשׂוֹרִים
.בִּקְרוֹנוֹת מִטְעָן חַנוּקִים

,צְרִיחֵי כְּנֵיְסִיוֹת מַשְׁקִיפִים גָּבוֹהַּ
,מֵעַל הַמָּגֵן הָאָקוּסְטִי שֶׁלְּאוֹרֵךְ הַמְּסִילָּה
,גַּם הָרַכֶּבֶת הָזוּ חוֹלֶפֶת בִּיעַף לְדַרְכָּהּ
.מִבְּלִי לְהַפְרִיעַ אֶת מְנוּחַת הַשְּׁכֵנִים

,אֶפְשָׁר לַחְשׁוֹב לְרֶגַע
,כַּמָּה טוֹב וּבָטוּחַ לִנְסוֹעַ כָּאן הַיּוֹם
,אֲבָל מִיָּד נִזְכָּרִים
,שֶׁמַּמָּשׁ לֹא רָחוֹק מִכָּאן
,נוֹסְעִים לָהֶם אֲחֵרִים אֶל הַלֹּא נוֹדָע
,שֶׁהָפַךְ אֶת חַיֵּיהֶם
.לְגֵיהִנּוֹם מוּכָּר

,מָסָךְ הַמֵּידָע בַּקָּרוֹן
,מַצִּיג פִּרְסוֹמֶת עַדְכָּנִית
.בְּצַד זְמַנֵּי הַגָעָה מְדוּיָּיקִים
,בְּעוֹד שָׁעָה וּשְׁתֵּיים עֶשְׂרֵה דַּקּוֹת
.נַגִּיעַ לַתַּחֲנָה

,זוֹ אוֹתָהּ הָעִיר
,וְאֵלֶּה אוֹתָם הַפַּסִים
,וְהַיּוֹם הַכּוֹל אַחֶרֶת
,אֲבָל בְּאוֹפֶן מְסוּיָּים
,לֹא הִשְׁתַּנָּה כָּאן
.כְּלוּם

English Translation
July 18, 2022

Awake

AwakeHorny cats yowl a cappella,
In a fiery summer night dating ritual.
Heated fights pierce the collective hum,
Of air-condition units,
Struggling to cool down the humid air,
And tempers,
Swirling over the sleepless metropolitan.

Making love is a sticky venture,
For the furred,
And the furless.
Lust driven by hormones,
Gamed by opportunity, determination,
And a good dose of timing and luck.

Electrode fingers, rubbing bodies,
Touching, sensing, probing,
Trying,
Producing sweat, raising temperatures,
Generating fun-static electricity,
Pleasure,
And envy.

Street lights glow through the window shades,
I lay beside you,
Listening to your quiet breathing,
And yowling silently.

 

July 2, 2022

אֲגַם הַשְּׁכוֹל

אֲגַם הַשְּׁכוֹל,כְּמוֹ לַהֲקַת עָגוּרִים עֲצוּמָה
,שֶׁהִתְכַּנְּסָה לָהּ לִשְׁנַת הַלַּיְלָה
,עוֹמְדוֹת לָהֶן לְבָנוֹת וּשְׁקֵטוֹת
,בְּשׁוּרוֹת אֲרֻכּוֹת וּמְסֻדָּרוֹת
,עַד קַו הָאֹפֶק
.לְלֹא קוֹל אוֹ מַשָּׁק כָּנָף, דּוֹמְמוֹת

,מִכָּאן לֹא יַרְחִיקוּ עוֹד נְדוֹד
,לְחוֹפִים כְּחֻלִּים בְּאֲרָצוֹת רְחוֹקוֹת
,לֹא יְחַזְּרוּ אַחַר בְּחִירֵי לִבָּם
,לְהָקִים בַּיִת, לְקַנֵּן כְּזוּג
,לֹא יִדְגְּרוּ יַחַד וְיַדְרִיכוּ גּוֹזָלִים לָעוֹף
,לֹא יַמְשִׁיכוּ תּוּר וְיַזְקִינוּ בְּמוֹרָד הַשָּׁנִים
.כְּדַרְכָּם מִתָּמִיד שֶׁל הַעָגוּרִים

,בְּשָׂדֶה רְחָב יָדַיִים נָחִים הֵם עַכְשָׁיו
.כָּתֵף אֶל כָּתֵף, אַחִים בַּדָּם
,יֵשׁ מֵהֵם שֶׁנָּחֲתוּ כָּאן זֶה מִכְּבָר
,וַאֲחֵרִים שֶׁהִצְטָרְפוּ אַךְ תְמוֹל שִׁלְשׁוֹם
,הַיְישֶׁר מִן הַקְּרָב הָאַחֲרוֹן
.אֲשֶׁר כְּתָמִיד אֵינוֹ כָּזֶה

,אֶל הָאֲגַם מַגִּיעִים מְבַקְּרִים
,עוֹפוֹת מִשְׁפָּחָה, צִפּוֹרֵי חֲבֵרִים
,יוֹשְׁבִים לְצִדָּם, מְסַפְּרִים וְזוֹכְרִים
.אֵרוּעִים, חֲוָיוֹת, כְּשֶׁהָיוּ עוֹד חַיִּים
,מִי הָיָה הוּא הָאִישׁ, מִי הָיְתָה הָאִשָּׁה
.אֵיךְ הָלְכוּ בְּחָטַף, כֹּה קָשָׁה הַתְּחוּשָׁה

,יוֹם קָדוֹשׁ הוּא הַיּוֹם
.מִכָּל שְׁאַר הַיָּמִים
,עוֹד לֹא תַּמוּ קְרָבוֹת
.בֵּין גְּבוּלוֹת וְעַמִּים
,לוֹ יְהִי, מִי יִתֵּן, מַגָּשׁ כֶּסֶף, דָּמִים
,אֵין זֶה תָּם וְנִשְׁלָּם
.כָּךְ חַיֵּינוּ חַיִּים

English Translation
May 3, 2022 ,ב’ אייר, תשפ”ב

Circle of Love

Circle of LoveHome is where love is,
Love is where you feel safe,
Feeling safe helps you become inspired,
Being inspired gives you strength,
Strength saves you from danger,
Inspiring you to expand into new worlds,
Where you can discover strength, safety, and love,
Reinforcing your home.

 

December 6, 2021

Vultures

VulturesThe wind blows in waves of dry leaves,
Yellow dust,
And delicate rumors.

Gusts of courtships,
Whispers of relationships,
Tales of failure and success,
Whisked from mouth to ear by blooming curiosity,
Arrant jealousy,
And sprinkles of fear and worry.

The ventures of preying birds,
Soaring over the prairie,
Diving into circling flocks,
Disturbing their flight,
Staining their feathers,
Upsetting the good order of nature,
Its boundaries and manners,
Drawing chaos and fear.

Riders of confidence thermals,
And kindness gusts.
Robbers of trust and warmth,
Chasers of fantasies and imagination,
Charging onward in a drive to conquest,
Unwilling bodies, resisting souls,
Who seeks nothing but peaceful existence,
But are forced to flee,
To hide,
From the menace.

Quests are made to stop these ravens.
Hints heavy as tree trunks,
Are dropped in their path.
Pleas clear as a blue sky day,
Fade into thin air,
In grand ignorance,
As the cuckoos rush to vanquish,
Their object of desire.

The flock soars up,
Flies in closer formation,
More cautious,
Warily mindful,
Of the skies above.

 

March 30, 2022

Defiance

DefianceLong lines of people,
By car,
And on foot,
Mothers clutching their children to their chests,
Or walking them by the hand.

The older boys had stayed behind,
To fight forces greater than,
A Molotov cocktail, a stone,
Or a gun.

A proud nation stands defiant,
To defeat invading forces.
No time to bury its dead,
Or mourn them.

Large cities crumble under the weight,
Of the bombs and the tanks and the hate.
Morning rises, the war rages on,
Under blue skies and yellow gold pride.

 

March 21, 2022

Mid-Day Poetry

Mid-Day PoetryStomach murmurs jab at the concentrated mind,
The work project is set aside,
Giving way to meal choices,
And food preparations.

Reading through a magazine over a warm plate,
Bright sunlight washes over the table,
Outside, a bone-chilling blue-sky day,
The cat sleeps at his spot on the window sill.

Peaceful silence, only a distant car hum,
Thoughts run wondersome over the kitchen sink,
To the frozen yard outside,
And lost in the cloudless heavens above.

 

January 26, 2022

Dialogue

DialogueWords conveyed,
Sent,
Read,
Replied.

Bearing thoughts,
Wonders,
Worries,
Snapshots of passions.

Expressing hopes,
Fears,
Love,
The gamut of emotions.

Spoken with voice and typed by fingers.
Skating on a surface of emotions that stretches between the horizons of sight and time.
The sun rises and sets.
Seasons turn.
Lives are born and lost.
Expressions continue to flow,
Weaving the fabric of life with depth and meaning,
To form the evolving picture of humanity.

 

January 18, 2022