Poem
Rita Kogan
#IMMIGRATION POETRY [SELF-DEFINITION]
- You don’t look like you’re from here.- You don’t look like you’re from there.
- Why are you cold? Aren’t you Russian?!
- Why are you hot? Aren’t you Israeli?!
- Wow! You don’t have an accent.
- Actually, you do have an accent.
- Are you Jewish? On both sides?
- How long have you been in Israel?
- Twenty years and you still haven’t got used to it?
- Where are you from?
- (I mean, from here)
- (I mean, from there)
- You’re leftist? Weird. You’re Russian!
- Do you have a boyfriend? No? Weird. You’re Russian!
- You won’t fuck me? No? But you’re Russian.
- You fucked him? Already? Sure, you’re Russian.
© Translation: 2019, Alex Moshkin
שירהגירהה [הגדרה עצמית]#
שירהגירהה [הגדרה עצמית]#
- אַתְּ נִרְאֵית לֹא מִפֹּה.
- אַתְּ נִרְאֵית לֹא מִשָּׁם.
- לָמָּה קַר לָךְ? אַתְּ רוּסִיָּה!
- לָמָּה חַם לָךְ? אַתְּ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל!
- יוּ! אֵין לָךְ מִבְטָא.
- דַּוְקָא יֵשׁ לָךְ מִבְטָא.
- אַתְּ יְהוּדִיָּה? מִשְּׁנֵי הַצְּדָדִים?
- כַּמָּה זְמַן אַתְּ בָּאָרֶץ?
- עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה בָּאָרֶץ וְעוֹד לֹא הִתְרַגַּלְתְּ?
- מֵאֵיפֹה הִגַּעְתְּ?
( - אֲנִי מִתְכַּוֵּן – מִשָּׁם)
( - אֲנִי מִתְכַּוֵּן – מִפֹּה(
- שְׂמֹאלָנִית? מוּזָר. אַתְּ רוּסִיָּה!
- יֵשׁ חָבֵר? אֵין? מוּזָר. אַתְּ רוּסִיָּה!
- לֹא תִּזְדַּיְּנִי אִתִּי? לֹא מַתְאִים. אַתְּ רוּסִיָּה.
- הִזְדַּיַּנְתְּ אִתּוֹ? כְּבָר? נוּ בֶּטַח, אַתְּ רוּסִיָּה.
- אַתְּ נִרְאֵית לֹא מִשָּׁם.
- לָמָּה קַר לָךְ? אַתְּ רוּסִיָּה!
- לָמָּה חַם לָךְ? אַתְּ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל!
- יוּ! אֵין לָךְ מִבְטָא.
- דַּוְקָא יֵשׁ לָךְ מִבְטָא.
- אַתְּ יְהוּדִיָּה? מִשְּׁנֵי הַצְּדָדִים?
- כַּמָּה זְמַן אַתְּ בָּאָרֶץ?
- עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה בָּאָרֶץ וְעוֹד לֹא הִתְרַגַּלְתְּ?
- מֵאֵיפֹה הִגַּעְתְּ?
( - אֲנִי מִתְכַּוֵּן – מִשָּׁם)
( - אֲנִי מִתְכַּוֵּן – מִפֹּה(
- שְׂמֹאלָנִית? מוּזָר. אַתְּ רוּסִיָּה!
- יֵשׁ חָבֵר? אֵין? מוּזָר. אַתְּ רוּסִיָּה!
- לֹא תִּזְדַּיְּנִי אִתִּי? לֹא מַתְאִים. אַתְּ רוּסִיָּה.
- הִזְדַּיַּנְתְּ אִתּוֹ? כְּבָר? נוּ בֶּטַח, אַתְּ רוּסִיָּה.
From: Rishion leh-shgi-ote kativ/A License to Misspell
Publisher: Elrom, Tel Aviv
Publisher: Elrom, Tel Aviv
Poems
Poems of Rita Kogan
Close
#IMMIGRATION POETRY [SELF-DEFINITION]
- You don’t look like you’re from here.- You don’t look like you’re from there.
- Why are you cold? Aren’t you Russian?!
- Why are you hot? Aren’t you Israeli?!
- Wow! You don’t have an accent.
- Actually, you do have an accent.
- Are you Jewish? On both sides?
- How long have you been in Israel?
- Twenty years and you still haven’t got used to it?
- Where are you from?
- (I mean, from here)
- (I mean, from there)
- You’re leftist? Weird. You’re Russian!
- Do you have a boyfriend? No? Weird. You’re Russian!
- You won’t fuck me? No? But you’re Russian.
- You fucked him? Already? Sure, you’re Russian.
© 2019, Alex Moshkin
From: Rishion leh-shgi-ote kativ/A License to Misspell
From: Rishion leh-shgi-ote kativ/A License to Misspell
#IMMIGRATION POETRY [SELF-DEFINITION]
- You don’t look like you’re from here.- You don’t look like you’re from there.
- Why are you cold? Aren’t you Russian?!
- Why are you hot? Aren’t you Israeli?!
- Wow! You don’t have an accent.
- Actually, you do have an accent.
- Are you Jewish? On both sides?
- How long have you been in Israel?
- Twenty years and you still haven’t got used to it?
- Where are you from?
- (I mean, from here)
- (I mean, from there)
- You’re leftist? Weird. You’re Russian!
- Do you have a boyfriend? No? Weird. You’re Russian!
- You won’t fuck me? No? But you’re Russian.
- You fucked him? Already? Sure, you’re Russian.
© 2019, Alex Moshkin
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