Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Rivka Miriam

EVERYTHING THAT WAS FLESH OF YOUR FLESH, SAYS JONATHAN

EVERYTHING THAT WAS FLESH OF YOUR FLESH, SAYS JONATHAN
 
Everything that was flesh of your flesh, says Jonathan
is about to drop off you, like a shell –
detach and come off, like a hymen, like the scab of a wound
like snakeskin.
Every inside is peeling off, says Jonathan, becoming outside
to make space for a new inside.
A boy peels off to become a youth. A caterpillar to become a cocoon.
The cocoon will be a moth.
Even I, who is moving inside you
will drop off and fall.
Like ancient skin, slowly I will wither and dry up.
But I won’t forget you. I’ll sneak in, in disguise, I’ll become a hat
in your closet, a coat
a pearl brooch
that you’ll be able to pin on your lapel.

EVERYTHING THAT WAS FLESH OF YOUR FLESH, SAYS JONATHAN

 כל מה שהיה בשר מבשרך, אומר יונתן

כָּל מַה שֶּׁהָיָה בָּשָׂר מִבְּשָׂרֵךְ, אוֹמֵר יוֹנָתָן
סוֹפוֹ לִנְשֹׁר מִמֵּךְ כִּקְלִפָּה –
לְהִנָּתֵק וְלִנְשֹׁר, כִּקְרוּם שֶׁל בְּתוּלִין, כְּגֶלֶד שֶׁל פֶּצַע
כְּמוֹ נֶשֶׁל נָחָשׁ.
כָּל פְּנִים מִתְקַלֵּף, אוֹמֵר יוֹנָתָן, הוֹפֵךְ לִהְיוֹת חוּץ
שֶׁמָּקוֹם יִתְפַּנֶּה, הוּא אוֹמֵר, לִפְנִים חָדָשׁ.
יֶלֶד מִתְקַלֵּף לִהְיוֹת נַעַר. זַחַל לִהְיוֹת גֹּלֶם. הַגֹּלֶם יִהְיֶה עָשׁ.
גַּם אֲנִי, שֶׁבְּתוֹכֵךְ מִתְנוֹעֵעַ
אֶנְשֹׁר וְאֶפֹּל.
כְּמוֹ קְרוּם עַתִּיק, לְאִטִּי אֶצְטַמֵּק וְאִיבַשׁ.
אַךְ לֹא אֶשְׁכְּחֵךְ. אֶתְגַּנֵּב, אֶתְחַפֵּשׂ, אֶהֱיֶה בַּאֲרוֹנֵךְ
כּוֹבַע, מְעִיל
אוֹ סִכָּה שֶׁל פְּנִינִים
שֶׁתּוּכְלִי לַעֲנֹד עַל הַדָּשׁ.
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EVERYTHING THAT WAS FLESH OF YOUR FLESH, SAYS JONATHAN

EVERYTHING THAT WAS FLESH OF YOUR FLESH, SAYS JONATHAN
 
Everything that was flesh of your flesh, says Jonathan
is about to drop off you, like a shell –
detach and come off, like a hymen, like the scab of a wound
like snakeskin.
Every inside is peeling off, says Jonathan, becoming outside
to make space for a new inside.
A boy peels off to become a youth. A caterpillar to become a cocoon.
The cocoon will be a moth.
Even I, who is moving inside you
will drop off and fall.
Like ancient skin, slowly I will wither and dry up.
But I won’t forget you. I’ll sneak in, in disguise, I’ll become a hat
in your closet, a coat
a pearl brooch
that you’ll be able to pin on your lapel.

EVERYTHING THAT WAS FLESH OF YOUR FLESH, SAYS JONATHAN

EVERYTHING THAT WAS FLESH OF YOUR FLESH, SAYS JONATHAN
 
Everything that was flesh of your flesh, says Jonathan
is about to drop off you, like a shell –
detach and come off, like a hymen, like the scab of a wound
like snakeskin.
Every inside is peeling off, says Jonathan, becoming outside
to make space for a new inside.
A boy peels off to become a youth. A caterpillar to become a cocoon.
The cocoon will be a moth.
Even I, who is moving inside you
will drop off and fall.
Like ancient skin, slowly I will wither and dry up.
But I won’t forget you. I’ll sneak in, in disguise, I’ll become a hat
in your closet, a coat
a pearl brooch
that you’ll be able to pin on your lapel.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère