Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Sigal Ben Yair

CHECKOUT GIRL

A pillar of salt, shampoo, coupons
you stand on special sale
on one foot and half off the second and the conveyor belt
moves under your hands dripping milk and honey,
a half pound  
of pastrami staining a Pizza Hut voucher,
LED eyes, shiny neon lashes,
an open mouth for coins for troubled youth
you’re up and down
in a white smock your face unreadable.

In the average wage survey,
you’re minimum, a shopping card,
working on holiday eves and then Saturday
someone takes your shift, you leave
and don’t look back again.

קופאית

קופאית

נְצִיב מֶלַח, שַׁמְפּוֹ, קֻפּוֹנִים
אַתְּ עוֹמֶדֶת בְּמִבְצָע
רֶגֶל פְּלוּס שְׁנִיָּה בַּחֲמִשִּׁים אָחוּז וְסֶרֶט
נָע מִתַּחַת לְיָדַיִךְ זָב חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ
מָאתַיִם חֲמִשִּׁים וּשְׁמוֹנָה גְּרָם
פַּסְטְרָמָה מַכְתִּימָה שׁוֹבֵר לְפִּיצָה הָאט
עֵינַיִם לֵד, רִיסֵי נֵיאוֹן מַבְהִיק
פֶּה פָּעוּר מַטְבֵּעַ לְנֹעַר בְּסִכּוּן
אַתְּ לָשֶׁבֶת וְלָקוּם
חָלוּק לָבָן מַבָּט עָמוּם

אַתְּ בְּסֶקֶר הַשָּׂכָר הַמְמֻצָּע בַּמֶּשֶׁק
אַתְּ הַמִּינִימוּם, כַּרְטִיס הַמּוֹעֲדוֹן,
מִשְׁמֶרֶת עֶרֶב חַג, שַׁבָּת אַתְּ
מִתְחַלֶּפֶת וְהוֹלֶכֶת וְאֵינֵךְ
מַפְנָה יוֹתֵר אֶת רֹאשֵׁךְ אָחוֹר.
 
 
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CHECKOUT GIRL

A pillar of salt, shampoo, coupons
you stand on special sale
on one foot and half off the second and the conveyor belt
moves under your hands dripping milk and honey,
a half pound  
of pastrami staining a Pizza Hut voucher,
LED eyes, shiny neon lashes,
an open mouth for coins for troubled youth
you’re up and down
in a white smock your face unreadable.

In the average wage survey,
you’re minimum, a shopping card,
working on holiday eves and then Saturday
someone takes your shift, you leave
and don’t look back again.

CHECKOUT GIRL

A pillar of salt, shampoo, coupons
you stand on special sale
on one foot and half off the second and the conveyor belt
moves under your hands dripping milk and honey,
a half pound  
of pastrami staining a Pizza Hut voucher,
LED eyes, shiny neon lashes,
an open mouth for coins for troubled youth
you’re up and down
in a white smock your face unreadable.

In the average wage survey,
you’re minimum, a shopping card,
working on holiday eves and then Saturday
someone takes your shift, you leave
and don’t look back again.
Sponsors
Gemeente Rotterdam
Nederlands Letterenfonds
Stichting Van Beuningen Peterich-fonds
Prins Bernhard cultuurfonds
Lira fonds
Versopolis
J.E. Jurriaanse
Gefinancierd door de Europese Unie
Elise Mathilde Fonds
Stichting Verzameling van Wijngaarden-Boot
Veerhuis
VDM
Partners
LantarenVenster – Verhalenhuis Belvédère