Three Poems

Abstract

Visit the WLT website to hear the author read these poems in Hebrew. Editorial note: From The Return of the House and Its Wanderings. Diti Ronen is an Israeli poet and editor. She has published six fulllength collections of poetry as well as numerous essays and articles. Her poetry has been translated and received international and national awards and published in literary magazines and anthologies worldwide. Linda Stern Zisquit has published five full-length collections of poetry, most recently Havoc: New & Selected Poems (Sheep Meadow Press, 2013) and Return from Elsewhere (2014). Her translations of Hebrew poetry include Rivka Miriam, Yona Wallach, and Yehuda Amichai. I was the wind that sang in the curtains the window that looked out to the landscape the wash hung to dry. I folded the love corner to corner and carefully placed it within the folds of the shirts. I stored all my hopes there. I was standing at the opening and waiting. Later there was war and letters arrived or didn’t arrive I was standing at the opening and waiting. It was the longest winter it was the coldest winter later letters didn’t arrive I was standing at the opening and waiting. And you didn’t return later you returned as if you didn’t return I was standing at the opening and waiting. Translations from the Hebrew By Linda Stern Zisquit poetry WORLDLIT.ORG 49 Three Poems by Diti Ronen [Untitled] On recent nights I look for my home wandering after it in the paths of the universe feeling its way with bare hands singing to it in Hungarian calling it in Hebrew come, come, come. [Untitled] And what is a house anyway? A structure standing on foundations of the body and the covenant of the words. If first person says to second person words like leave me alone the cracks will open their mouths wide bring down the walls and the house will collapse on its tenants. [Untitled] Once I spread over me love and made a house out of it. I wove a pillow and a blanket and in the time of the babies I knit a lace canopy. The light wandered between the eyes of the occupants. ronen photo : gadi dagon ...