Poetry International Poetry International
Poem

Tehila Hakimi

ADDICTION

This expectation of sadness
I heard a woman on the radio talking
who lost someone in an attack
sadness can’t be explained but anyway
she answers the broadcaster's questions
at eight in the morning, in 2017,
my heart sinks on the way to work, traffic flows,
tear ducts fill all at once,
one could become addicted to pain,
I don’t want to be part of this
but still it’s hard to change the station.
The prime minister doesn’t do radio any more
I suspect he doesn’t like to speak Hebrew
life is filled with hate, but we’re still alive,
not sure it can be said about the Gaza Strip
but this too depends on the meaning of the word “life”
on the news they call it “the Strip”
sometimes one word is enough to describe something
sometimes it’s enough to forget exactly the same thing.
 

התמכרות

התמכרות

הַצִּפִּיָּה הָזוּ לְהִתְעַצֵּב
בָּרַדְיוֹ שָׁמַעְתִּי אִשָּׁה מְדַבֶּרֶת
הִיא אִבְּדָה מִישֶׁהוּ בְּפִגּוּעַ
אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַסְבִּיר עֶצֶב וּבְכָל זֹאת
הִיא עוֹנָה עַכְשָׁו עַל הַשְּׁאֵלוֹת
הַשָּׁעָה שְׁמוֹנֶה בְּבֹקֶר, הַשָּׁנָה אַלְפַּיִם וּשְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה,
נוֹפֵל לִי הַלֵּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ לָעֲבוֹדָה, הַתְּנוּעָה בַּכְּבִישׁ זוֹרֶמֶת,
תְּעָלוֹת הַדֶּמַע תָּמִיד מִתְמַלְּאוֹת בְּבַת אַחַת,
אֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְמַכֵּר לַכְּאֵב הַזֶּה,
אֲנִי לֹא רוֹצֶה לָתֵת לְזֶה יָד
וּבְכָל זֹאת תָּמִיד קָשֶׁה לִי לְהַעֲבִיר תַּחֲנָה.
רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה לְעֻמַּת זֹאת כְּבָר לֹא מִתְרַאֲיֵן בָּרַדְיוֹ
עוֹלֶה בִּי הַחֲשָׁד שֶׁהוּא לֹא אוֹהֵב לְדַבֵּר עִבְרִית
הַחַיִּים מְלֵאִים שִּׂנְאָה, אֲבָל אֲנַחְנוּ עֲדַיִן בַּחַיִּים,
לֹא בָּטוּחַ שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לְהַגִּיד אֶת זֶה עַל אֵלֶּה שֶׁבִּרְצוּעַת עַזָּה
אֲבָל גַּם זֶה נָתוּן לְפַרְשָׁנוּת שֶׁל הַמִּלָּה חַיִּים
בַּחֲדָשׁוֹת הֵם קוֹרְאִים לְזֶה "הָרְצוּעָה"
לִפְעָמִים מַסְפִּיקָה מִלָּה אַחַת כְּדֵי לְתָאֵר מַשֶּׁהוּ
לִפְעָמִים זֶה מַסְפִּיק בִּשְׁבִיל לִשְׁכֹּחַ אֶת אוֹתוֹ הַדָּבָר בְּדִיּוּק
Close

ADDICTION

This expectation of sadness
I heard a woman on the radio talking
who lost someone in an attack
sadness can’t be explained but anyway
she answers the broadcaster's questions
at eight in the morning, in 2017,
my heart sinks on the way to work, traffic flows,
tear ducts fill all at once,
one could become addicted to pain,
I don’t want to be part of this
but still it’s hard to change the station.
The prime minister doesn’t do radio any more
I suspect he doesn’t like to speak Hebrew
life is filled with hate, but we’re still alive,
not sure it can be said about the Gaza Strip
but this too depends on the meaning of the word “life”
on the news they call it “the Strip”
sometimes one word is enough to describe something
sometimes it’s enough to forget exactly the same thing.
 

ADDICTION

This expectation of sadness
I heard a woman on the radio talking
who lost someone in an attack
sadness can’t be explained but anyway
she answers the broadcaster's questions
at eight in the morning, in 2017,
my heart sinks on the way to work, traffic flows,
tear ducts fill all at once,
one could become addicted to pain,
I don’t want to be part of this
but still it’s hard to change the station.
The prime minister doesn’t do radio any more
I suspect he doesn’t like to speak Hebrew
life is filled with hate, but we’re still alive,
not sure it can be said about the Gaza Strip
but this too depends on the meaning of the word “life”
on the news they call it “the Strip”
sometimes one word is enough to describe something
sometimes it’s enough to forget exactly the same thing.
 
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