SHMUEL SHATAL

 

THE DEATH OF JACOB

 

 

His eyes are still open

But gone from them is

Esau.

Hundred of people are with him

Now

Only his eyes remain

Open

Listening

 

And he is still a fetus

In his mother's womb

 

Hearing

"for this too is thy child"

and his hand already grasps

the heel of his brother.

 

And his eyes are still open

As if it were

Now

 

 

 

 

IT MIGHT BE HIM

 

 

I turned on the light

to allow a cockroach

to find its way—

 

With a decisive swing

I killed him –

 

almost

 

but he escaped

to the joy

of the Thou-Shalt-Not-Murder in me –

 

It might have been

Gregor Kafka

 

or

 

the darkness

in my

head

 

 


 

 

COVER

 

I hungered to disclose you

unto the bounds of complete fulfillment

until there was no-thing

 

covering you

 

 

 

translated  by Karen Alkalay-Gut

 

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