Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Adi Keissar

REALISTIC

If a foreigner comes here
And asks me where the sea is
I'll point east
If he asks what's up
I'll say China
My shoe size is
thirty-nine kilograms
And my height
One meter and sixty nine liters
Israel is the capital
Of Berlin
And its official language
Ant-speak
The hairs on my head
Are salty-colored
The exact same color of those
On my late grandma's head
The trees are budding
Plastic bags
And in the sky
Float men with guns
It's a world of chaos
And that's the way it's going to be in poems, too.

מציאותית

מציאותית

אִם יָבוֹא לְכָאן זָר

וְיִשְׁאַל אוֹתִי אֵיפֹה הַיָּם

אֲנִי אַצְבִּיעַ מִזְרָחָה
אִם יִשְׁאַל אוֹתִי מָה הַמַּצָּב

אֲנִי אֶעֱנֶה סִין

מִדַּת הַנַּעֲלַיִם שֶׁלִּי הִיא

שְׁלוֹשִׁים וְתֵשַׁע קִילוֹגְרָם

וְגָבְהִי

מֵטֶר שִׁשִּׁים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה לִיטֶר

יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא עִיר הַבִּירָה שֶׁל

בֶּרְלִין

וְהַשָּׂפָה הָרִשְׁמִית בָּהּ הִיא

שְׂפַת הַנְּמָלִים

הַשְּׂעָרוֹת עַל רָאשִׁ
י
בְּצֶבַע מָלוּחַ

מַמָּשׁ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ הַשְּׂעָרוֹת

עַל רֹאשָׁהּ שֶׁל סָבָתִי

עַל הָעֵצִים צוֹמְחוֹת

שַׂקִּיּוֹת נַיְלוֹן

וּבַשָּׁמַיִם שָׁטִים

גְּבָרִים עִם רוֹבִים

זֶה עוֹלָם שֶׁל כָּאוֹס

וְכָכָה זֶה יִהְיֶה גַּם בַּשִּׁירִים.
 
Close

REALISTIC

If a foreigner comes here
And asks me where the sea is
I'll point east
If he asks what's up
I'll say China
My shoe size is
thirty-nine kilograms
And my height
One meter and sixty nine liters
Israel is the capital
Of Berlin
And its official language
Ant-speak
The hairs on my head
Are salty-colored
The exact same color of those
On my late grandma's head
The trees are budding
Plastic bags
And in the sky
Float men with guns
It's a world of chaos
And that's the way it's going to be in poems, too.

REALISTIC

If a foreigner comes here
And asks me where the sea is
I'll point east
If he asks what's up
I'll say China
My shoe size is
thirty-nine kilograms
And my height
One meter and sixty nine liters
Israel is the capital
Of Berlin
And its official language
Ant-speak
The hairs on my head
Are salty-colored
The exact same color of those
On my late grandma's head
The trees are budding
Plastic bags
And in the sky
Float men with guns
It's a world of chaos
And that's the way it's going to be in poems, too.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Ludo Pieters Gastschrijver Fonds
Lira fonds
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère