“Standing In line For A Show”: Dahlia Ravikovitch

Last Friday marked the tenth anniversary of the death of the great Israeli poet, Dahlia Ravikovitch 1936 – 2005. To celebrate her work I  post some of her poems in my translation.

We are almost at the end of the summer vacation, so for today’s installment I choose to present a poem, from True love (1986), which would be quite familiar to parents of young children.

Standing In Line For A Show

From True Love

Perhaps you and I will not remember,

how we stood together in line,

hand in hand.

And whenever you talked to me

I heard nothing

because of the mothers and children.

And as soon as I bent down to listen

You were already done.

So we couldn’t exchange a word.

*

Child don’t be afraid,

stand aside.

And you were afraid

and you gave me your hand.

And the line! The line!

It was a line that no one could cut.

Fear filled your eyes

and I was afraid that you’d cry.

And suddenly you said, it is already four thirty.

I panicked, how come four thirty?

And you became stiff and desperate

and the line, the line raged and didn’t move.

Child,

your almond eyes

were stronger than wind blowing at my back.

I knew nothing good would come out of it.

And suddenly you said that you no longer wanted.

Child.

We went back in taxi like the rich.

Inside my hand I held a pearl .