Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Ayat Abou Shmeiss

I don\'t want to write about homeland

I don’t want to write about homeland
And about land
I don’t want to write about an identity that has been stolen
And about a girl who was killed
I don’t want to write
About humiliation oppression or anger
I don’t want to write about discrimination
I don’t want to write about love
Of an Arab man and a Jewish woman
Or a Jewish man and an Arab woman
I don’t want to talk about a wonderful friendship
And not just friendship
I don’t want to write about a dream to have peace
I don’t want to write about any warrior
And any hero
I want to write about the birds
That are not in the sky
Whose wings have been clipped

I don\'t want to write about homeland

לֹא רוֹצָה לִכְתֹּב עַל מוֹלֶדֶת
וְלֹא עַל אֲדָמָה
לֹא רוֹצָה לִכְתֹּב עַל זֶהוּת שֶׁנִּגְנְבָה
וְלֹא עַל יַלְדָּה שֶׁנֶּהֶרְגָה
לֹא רוֹצָה לִכְתֹּב
עַל הַשְׁפָּלָה דִּכּוּי אוֹ כַּעַס
לֹא רוֹצָה לִכְתֹּב עַל אַפְלָיָה
לֹא רוֹצָה לִכְתֹּב עַל אַהֲבָה
שֶׁל עַרְבִי וִיהוּדִיָּה
אוֹ יְהוּדִי וְעַרְבִיָּה
לֹא רוֹצָה לִכְתֹּב עַל יְדִידוּת מֻפְלָאָה
וְלֹא סְתָם יְדִידוּת
לֹא רוֹצָה לִכְתֹּב עַל חֲלוֹם שֶׁל שָׁלוֹם
לֹא רוֹצָה לִכְתֹּב עַל אַף לוֹחֵם
וְאַף גִּבּוֹר
רוֹצָה לִכְתֹּב עַל הַצִּפֳּרִים
שֶׁלֹּא בַּשָּׁמַיִם
שֶׁגָּזְרוּ לָהֶם אֶת הַכְּנָפַיִם
 
Close

I don\'t want to write about homeland

I don’t want to write about homeland
And about land
I don’t want to write about an identity that has been stolen
And about a girl who was killed
I don’t want to write
About humiliation oppression or anger
I don’t want to write about discrimination
I don’t want to write about love
Of an Arab man and a Jewish woman
Or a Jewish man and an Arab woman
I don’t want to talk about a wonderful friendship
And not just friendship
I don’t want to write about a dream to have peace
I don’t want to write about any warrior
And any hero
I want to write about the birds
That are not in the sky
Whose wings have been clipped

I don\'t want to write about homeland

I don’t want to write about homeland
And about land
I don’t want to write about an identity that has been stolen
And about a girl who was killed
I don’t want to write
About humiliation oppression or anger
I don’t want to write about discrimination
I don’t want to write about love
Of an Arab man and a Jewish woman
Or a Jewish man and an Arab woman
I don’t want to talk about a wonderful friendship
And not just friendship
I don’t want to write about a dream to have peace
I don’t want to write about any warrior
And any hero
I want to write about the birds
That are not in the sky
Whose wings have been clipped
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère