FL370*

From height of level three seven zero,
Rivers seem like veins,
Highways traffic capillaries,
Trees are pinhead greens.

High above all flying creatures,
White of clouds on end,
Humanity to the horizon,
Jet rumble constant jeer.

Motion down is hardly noticed,
Less so aspirations, dreams,
Mankind from the heavens – minuscule,
Far too small to discern.

Tone of skin or language parlance,
Dogmatic camps or conflict lines,
Cries of war or calls for peace,
Unknown from heavens heights.

Blues of oceans, white tall mountains,
Lights of cities, green of trees,
Birds and mammals, fish in ocean,
Life in endless harmonies.

Days with moments overwhelming,
Times of hate and deep despair,
Fly your mind into the heavens,
Spirit sound and mind a clear.

*Flight Level – aviation term for flying altitude.

May 14, 2014

Into the Valley

Jan28

Into the Valley

High over lavender clouds,
A white albatross soars,
Stirring its way,
Toward a distant nest,
Beyond the seas.

Strong thermals lift its wings,
Tailwinds thrust it onward,
Distant stars guide its way,
Gentle flaps of feathers,
Steady,
Tracking seventy-one degrees.

Sudden pain,
Burning in its belly,
The large bird breaks course,
Seeking port and recluse,
Before the agony becomes,
Too overwhelming.

Head down,
Penetrating the thick darkness,
White albatross seeks safe harbor,
Among the white crests,
Powdering the dark horizon below.

Ancient voices sedate its fears,
Soothing direction into the mayhem,
A land patch appears, distant,
But within reach,
For safe landing,
And repose.

Flocks of birds fly high overhead,
Migrating between far corners of the earth,
White albatross rests alone,
On the cold ground.
In a day it will soar again,
Resurrect its body back into the heavens,
And fly,
Routing home.

January 19, 2018

Rusting Acres

Nov1

Jennerâ€™s Park, Loup City, Nebraska, 1900-1942 This town had seen better days,
In years before farming life declined,
Before big cities drew its next generations,
Before people had careers and life to self-fulfill.

Long balconies wrap around old Victorian houses,
That had not been a home for anyone,
For quite a long time,
Large trees cast shadows over quiet streets,
Leading to a spacious town center,
Dark stone city hall looms large in the middle,
Like a giant spider resting in its web.

Time paces by here by the season,
Minutes, hours, days, melt together into the whisper of the wind in the trees,
City Park greens open at the edge of town,
Idle playground fades slowly into rust.

Empty cages carve the rocky hillside,
Remanence of a small zoo for kids delight,
Here a roaring lion once laid jaded,
Hallucinating the small grass before him for a lost savannah.

Stand still in the wild grass,
With eyes closed, listen,
For the metallic squeal of swings and merry-go-round,
The occasional roar of the tiger,
The call of a parent,
And the laughter of children,
Who left their childhood in this town,
That will forever rest among the yellowing cornfields,
On the rough and unforgiving earth.

September 27, 2017

מַסָּע

Oct26

Photo by F.T.

“?מָה לַךְ כִּי נָפְלוּ פָּנַיִךְ”
,רָכְנָה הֵשִׁיטָה אֶל הָאַיָּלָה
,רַכָּה בַּשָּׁנִים
,מִסְתּוֹפֶפֶת בְּצִלָּה
.וְעֵינֶיהָ לַחוֹת

,גָּדוֹל הוּא הַשָּׂדֶה”
,וְיָרֹק אַף הָאָחוּ
,אַךְ אֵין לִי פִּנָּה בָּם
“.לַזוֹר מַכְאוֹבַי

“רָבוּ לֵךְ דְּמָעוֹת”
.שָׂחָה הָאֶבֶן לְמָרְגֶלוֹתֶיה
?הַפְּגוּעָה אֶת? פְּצוּעָהּ”
“?הָרוֹדֵף אוֹתָךְ רַע

,אֵין טוֹרֵף אַחֲרֵי”
,לֹא הֻכֵּיתִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ
,אַךְ הוֹלֵם הוּא לִבִּי
“.וְדוֹאֵב עַד מְאֹד

“?מָה קָרָה יָקִּירָה”
.קוֹנְנוּ צִפּוֹרִים
אֵיךְ קַבְּלִי יוֹם בָּהִיר”
“?בְּפָנִים נְפוּלוֹת

,נָס עָנָן, הַס הָרוּחַ
,וּפָנְתָה לָהּ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ
,הִנְהֲנָה הָאַיָּלָה
.וְקָרְנֶיה רַכּוֹת

,רָב כֹּחִי בְּמֹתְּנַי”
,לֹא פָּגַע בִּי כָּל רַע
,אַךְ נַפְשִׁי מִשְׁתּוֹקֶקֶת כֹּה כְּמֵהָה
“.לִמְחוֹזוֹת רְחוֹקִים

,בְּתּוּלִית הִיא דַּרְכִּי”
,פְּסִיעוֹתַי בָּהּ סְפוּרוֹת
,לֹא אֵדַע אֵי אֶצְעַד
“.בַּמַּסָּע הָאָרֹךְ

,הָאֶפְנֶה אֶל הָהָר”
,אוֹ שֶׁמָּא אֶל הָעֵמֶק
“?וְאוּלַי אֶעֱקֹב צִפּוֹרִים בִּמְעוּפָן

,לֹא צְבִיָּה לֹא אַרְיֵה”
,יָפְרִיעוּנִי בָּהֶלֶך
,אֶת הָשָעָל יָאִירוּ
“.הַחַמָּה, כּוֹכָבִים

,לֹא בָּרוּר הַכִּוּוּן”
,אַךְ נַהִיר הוּא הַיַּעַד
,אֳצַיְירוֹ בַּמִּכְחוֹל
“.וְאֶדְרֹשׁ לוֹ בְּשִּׁיר

,שְׂאוּ בְּרָכָה צִפּוֹרִים”
,אַבְנֵי שֶׁעַל, עֲצֵי הוֹד
,תֶלַווּנִי הֵיְי הָלְאָה
“.בְּיָּמִים כָּבִּירִים

,כֹּה דָּרְשָׁה אַיָּלָה
,וְנָשְׂאָה אֶת עֵינֶיהָ
,טוֹףְ רַגְלֶיהָ בָּקַרְקַע
.וְנָפְשָׁה בַּמְּרוֹמִים

Departure

“What is for the long face?”
Acacia leaned into the fawn,
Few are her years,
Shrouded in its shadow,
With moist eyes.

“The field is quite large,
And green is the meadow,
But no corner for me there,
To heal my great pains.”

“Plenty your tears are”
Said the stone at her feet,
“Are you hurt? Are you injured?
Are you chased by an evil?”

“No predator trails me,
I have not been harmed on the way,
But my heart is a beating,
And is sympathetically aching.”

“What is the matter, little darling?”
Lamented the birds,
“Why will you usher a bright day,
With a hollow face?”

The cloud vanished, the wind quieted,
And the sun turned within,
Fawn nodded,
Her soft antlers.

“I am plentifully strong,
No harm came to me,
But my soul longs for,
Faraway places.”

My path is virgin fresh,
My steps on it few,
I do not know how I shall walk,
In the distant journey.”

“Shall I turn to the mountain,
Or perhaps to the valley,
And maybe should follow the bird at their flight.”

“Not a doe, not a lion,
Shall disturb me at my walk,
The path shall be lite,
By the sun, the stars.”

“The direction uncertain,
But quite clear is the destination,
I will draw it with a brush,
And shale call it with song.”

“Farwell birds,
Pathways, mighty trees,
You will guide me forward,
Through great days.”

So preached fawn,
And raised her sight,
Her legs tapping the ground,
And her soul in the heavens.

English Translation

September 6, 2017

עֲלֵי עַד

Oct23

,הַסֵּפֶר פּוֹרֵש עָלָיו
,וּמִלִּים מְלֵאוֹת תֹּאַר וְרֹךְ
,פּוֹרְחוֹת מִבֵין הַדַּפִּים
,כְּמוֹ חַרְצִיּוֹת מְיֻבָּשׁוֹת
,שֶׁהֻדְּקוּ שָׁם
,לְמִשְמוֹרֶת עוֹלָם
.לִפְנֵי דּוֹר

,עָלֵי כּוֹתֶרֶת חִוְּרִים
,פּוֹנִים זֶה אֶל רֵעֵהוּ בְּמַבָּט וָתִיק
,זוֹכְרִים יָמִים שֶׁל שֶׁמֶשׁ וְאָבִיב
,לֵילוֹת מָטַר קָרִים
,וְתַאֲוַת נְעוּרִים בּוֹעֶרֶת
,שֶׁהָפְכָה אָבָק צָהֹב
.וּפָרְחָה לָהּ

Eternal Leaves

The book spreads its leaves,
And words full of description and tenderness,
Escape from the pages,
Like dried chrysanthemums,
That were pressed there,
For eternal custody,
A generation ago.

Pale petals,
Turn to each other with a knowing look,
Remembering days of sun and spring,
Cold rainy nights,
And burning youthful passion,
That turned into yellow dust,
And disappeared.

English Translation

June 14, 2017

Four Letter Words

Oct16

For every deed I am known for,
I keep a secret one,
With every prideful feat,
I hide a shameful sin,
Per each triumphal goal,
I hide a glorious failed one,
For every happy laugh,
I muffle a crying wail.

For each close friend I have,
I keep a hateful foe,
For every time I loved,
A bloody fight is stored,
In every flower I pick,
A thorny thistle is hidden,
For all the days I lived,
An equal sum deducted.

Live, love, smile, laugh,
Frown, hate, cry, die,
Hug, push, kiss, slap,
Try, let, run, lie,
The more I try, the more I gain,
The more I do, the more I learn,
Love, hate, live, dead,
Are all four letter words.

March 8, 2017

Emergency Survival List

Aug7

Emergency Survival List Gun, nine millimeters, clean and oiled,
With five loaded magazines,
Tucked in holster.

Baseball bat, regulation size,
Aluminum alloy,
In room corner, behind the door.

Large hunting knife, carbon steel,
Black-coated, fixed blade,
With mean serrated edges,
For best results.

Wooden stake, twelve inches long,
Lacquer coated, small chain,
In breast pocket, ready for action.

Running shoes, waterproofed,
Dark color, with no reflective strips,
Set to be laced.

Vampire sunscreen, SPF 9000,
Toothbrush with extra-long bristles,
Arm & Hammer toothpaste,
In a heavy-duty Ziploc bag.

Family portrait, names written on back,
With a love note, if possible,
Sealed in hard plastic,
And a note to self.

December 8, 2016

מִשְלֵי חַיִים

Jul27

,צַעַד צָעַד
,עָקֵב בְּצַד אֲגֻודַּל
,פּוֹרְסוֹת הַמִּלִּים דֶּרֶךְ
.אֶל הָאוֹר

,נָתִיב חוֹרֵץ נָתִיב
,בָּאֲדָמָה הָרְווּיָה
,סִפּוּרִים וּמְשָׁלִים
.חוֹבְקֵי עוֹלָם

,טְווּיִים כְּרֶשֶׁת
,דּוֹרוֹת אֵין סְפוֹר פָּסְעוּ בָּם
,לֵידוֹת, שִׂמְחָה וּמָוֶת
.מַפַּת חַיִּים

,מִי לוֹ וְיַבִּיט בָּהּ
,חָכְמַת חַיִּים טְמוּנָה
,מוֹרָה הִיא אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ
.אֶל הַמָּחָר

The Literary Path

Step by step,
In slow pace,
The words lay a path,
Onto the light.

A path crisscrosses another,
In the saturated soil,
Stories and tales,
World encompassing.

Woven as net,
Countless generations have walked down them,
Births, joy, and death,
A map of Life.

Who shall look at it,
Embedded wisdom lies,
Teaches the way,
Onto tomorrow.

English Translation

December 1, 2016

הַדֶרֶךְ

Jul18

הדרך

,הַמְּשׁוֹרְרִים, דִּינָם לִנְדֹּד
,רוֹצְעִים אֶת הַתֵּבֵל בְּמַסְעוֹתֵיהֶם
,תָּרִים אַחַר מִלִּים
.אוֹתִיּוֹת וְאוֹתוֹת

,אִישׁ לְכִוּוּנוֹ הוֹלְכִים
,יֵשׁ מְהֵם בְּצַעַד קַל
,אָצִים הֵם וּמְחַפְּשִׂים
.אַחַר הַמּוּזָה הַנִּשְׂגֶּבֶת

,קוֹל הֶהָמוֹן בְּגַבָּם
,פְּנֵיהֶם אֶל הָאֹבֶךְ הַסָמִיךְ
,וּמִתּוֹכוֹ מְגָרֶה אוֹתָם וּמַזְמִין
.סוֹד עוֹלָמָם

The Road

Poets, their sentence is to wander,
Streaking the universe in their travels,
Searching for words,
Letters and ciphers.

Each person walks to his direction,
Some use a light step,
Rushing and looking,
For the elusive muse.

The crowd’s noise in their back,
Their faces in the thick haze,
From within it draws them and invites,
Their world secret.

English Translation

November 15, 2016

כְּחוֹל הָאָהָבַה

Jun29

,קָמָה הַצִּפּוֹר
,מִשְּׁנָתָהּ עֵדֶן
,פָּרְשָׂה כְּנָפֶיהָ
,יִשְּׁרָה קְפָלֵיה
,נִקְּרָה קַלּוֹת בְּנוֹצוֹת חָזַה
,וְנִתְּרָה אֶל הַמָּרוֹם
,כְּחֹל הִרָקִיעַ
,הֶעָשׂוּי כֻּלּוֹ מִנְּשִׁימוֹת קְטַנּוֹת
,מִשְׁאָלוֹת חָבוּיוֹת
.שֶׁל אַהֲבָה

Love Blue

The bird rose,
From ever sleep,
Spread its wings,
Uncurled its folds,
Picked lightly at its breast feathers,
And leaped into the heights,
The skies blue,
Made wholly of tiny breaths,
Hidden wishes,
Of love.

English Translation

Ophir Palmon, writer

poetry, fiction, life stories, שירה, סיפורת

Category Archives: Poetry

FL370*

May 14, 2014

Into the Valley

January 19, 2018

Rusting Acres

September 27, 2017

מַסָּע

September 6, 2017

עֲלֵי עַד

June 14, 2017

Four Letter Words

March 8, 2017

Emergency Survival List

December 8, 2016

מִשְלֵי חַיִים

December 1, 2016

הַדֶרֶךְ

November 15, 2016

כְּחוֹל הָאָהָבַה

April 7, 2016