Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Shimon Adaf

I encountered the world

I encountered the world    
from a point outside on which lay
an axis
what darkness   
of space
not the darkness of space
perhaps as children who were
abandoned to forests
to be reared at a wolf’s
fangs, jaws,                 
and a touch or a sound restores
after many years,
humanity
(loss that shapes itself in an instant
into a framework of consciousness)
yes
perhaps it was the same moment
(that is, it was
a similar one)
and the world said, come in
the world said, airports, metal
rails and electricity
I said, no
I said –
no.
And the world said, kneel
the world said, sex!
I said, no
no.
And the world said, sleep out my wine 
the world said, cities
great and walled.
I said, no
I said – nil.
The world said, superposition, man, the wisdom  
of old age,
I will be
the door, I will be actuality.
I said, no
from a point outside
before the axis, I said  
no
no    
let me be
and the world said, look here now
while speaking, how much     
of you I have, how much
of you is
here.

I encountered the world

פָּגַשְׁתִּי אֶת הָעוֹלָם
בִּנְקֻדַּת חִיצוֹן אֲשֶׁר מִנּוֹכַח
צִיר
מָה חֹשֶׁךְ
הֶחָלָל
לֹא חֹשֶׁךְ הֶחָלָל
אוּלַי כִּילָדִים
שֶׁהֻפְקֵּרוּ לִיעָרִים
לִגְדוֹל בֵּין טְלָפֵי
זְאֵב, בְּמַלְתֵּעוֹת
וּמַגַּע אוֹ קוֹל הֵשִׁיב
לָהֶם, מִקֵּץ שָׁנִים,
אֱנוֹשִׁיּוּת
(אָבְדַּן הַמִּתְעַצֵּב בְּרֶגַע
לְתַבְנִית שֶׁל הַכָּרָה)
כֵּן
אוּלַי אוֹתוֹ הָרֶגַע
(כְּלוֹמַר כְּמוֹתוֹ
הָיָה)
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, הִכָּנֵס
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, שְׂדוֹת תְּעוּפָה, מְסִלּוֹת
מַתֶּכֶת וְחַשְׁמַל
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
אָמַרְתִּי –
לֹא.
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, כְּרַע בֶּרֶךְ
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, סֶקְס!
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
לֹא.
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, שַׁן אֶת יֵינִי
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, עָרִים
גְּדוֹלוֹת וּבְצוּרוֹת.
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
אָמַרְתִּי – לַא.
הָעוֹלָם אָמַר, סוּפֶּרפּוֹזִיצְיָה, גֶּבֶר, חָכְמַת
הַיְשִׁישׁוּת,
אֶהְיֶה אֲנִי
הַדֶּלֶת, אֶהְיֶה הַהִמָּצְאוּת.
אָמַרְתִּי, לֹא
בִּנְקֻדַּת חִיצוֹן בְּטֶרֶם
צִיר, אָמַרְתִּי
לֹא
לֹא
הַנַּח לִי
וְהָעוֹלָם אָמַר, תִּרְאֶה מָה זֶה
בְּאֶמְצַע הַדִּבּוּר, כַּמָּה
מִמְּךָ כְּבָר יֵשׁ לִי, כַּמָּה
מִמְּךָ כְּבָר
פֹּה.
 
Close

I encountered the world

I encountered the world    
from a point outside on which lay
an axis
what darkness   
of space
not the darkness of space
perhaps as children who were
abandoned to forests
to be reared at a wolf’s
fangs, jaws,                 
and a touch or a sound restores
after many years,
humanity
(loss that shapes itself in an instant
into a framework of consciousness)
yes
perhaps it was the same moment
(that is, it was
a similar one)
and the world said, come in
the world said, airports, metal
rails and electricity
I said, no
I said –
no.
And the world said, kneel
the world said, sex!
I said, no
no.
And the world said, sleep out my wine 
the world said, cities
great and walled.
I said, no
I said – nil.
The world said, superposition, man, the wisdom  
of old age,
I will be
the door, I will be actuality.
I said, no
from a point outside
before the axis, I said  
no
no    
let me be
and the world said, look here now
while speaking, how much     
of you I have, how much
of you is
here.

I encountered the world

I encountered the world    
from a point outside on which lay
an axis
what darkness   
of space
not the darkness of space
perhaps as children who were
abandoned to forests
to be reared at a wolf’s
fangs, jaws,                 
and a touch or a sound restores
after many years,
humanity
(loss that shapes itself in an instant
into a framework of consciousness)
yes
perhaps it was the same moment
(that is, it was
a similar one)
and the world said, come in
the world said, airports, metal
rails and electricity
I said, no
I said –
no.
And the world said, kneel
the world said, sex!
I said, no
no.
And the world said, sleep out my wine 
the world said, cities
great and walled.
I said, no
I said – nil.
The world said, superposition, man, the wisdom  
of old age,
I will be
the door, I will be actuality.
I said, no
from a point outside
before the axis, I said  
no
no    
let me be
and the world said, look here now
while speaking, how much     
of you I have, how much
of you is
here.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère