Tsipi Sharoor New Poetry |Israeli poetry about war |Israeli poetry |Famous Israeli poets

 

And then War
by Tsipi Sharoor

translated by Daniel Revach
 
As if no time had passed, a warning siren rips
the festive morning membrane. I stare through
bleary eyes, only to return to my sheets. A nightmare, no doubt.
 
And then a massacre.
 
And as if no time had passed, the years slip back
with the slashing thrusts of memory:
Six Day War. Yom Kippur War. First Lebanon War. Second Lebanon War.
 
And as I do when gripped by fear, I step out
into the street, in spite of the sirens, in spite
of the emptiness of a locked-up city. To bear witness. 
And then war.
 
Blood, mass slaughter and soldiers – with duty and with courage. With death.
History is hurled back into a previous century.
 
The body in flames. The soul in a tempest.
Could it be? Here? In this land? The thunderous burst of missiles,
while the street goes about its day, empty. Pure like the morning,
too early to understand that it’s washed in children’s blood.
 
Seven wars. I beg there won’t be another. But the war
goes about its day. Goes on happening, unfolding
its red petals over the Gaza envelope, the North’s finger.
In all its echoes, as the enemy devours.
And will be devoured?
 
This is war.
 
Cruel as always. Cursed. The blood of babies offered to the earth.
And as if no time had passed, warning sirens rip one morning
after another, membranes long crumbled.
 
This is war! This is it!
 
Meditation
 
This is the moment to breathe
You are a leaf swept away
This is the moment you have no roof and no father.
This is the moment when there is in you no yearning and conquest
This is the moment. no pigeons. no water
No direction.
It's a rare moment to be
Om Shanti...
 
Tsipi Sharoor, ISRAEL, TEL- AVIV
 is a well-known writer, poetess, editor and an educator.
So far, has published 38 books of prose and poetry, for adult and youth.
She was the editor of "Moznaim", Literary Monthly published by the Hebrew Writers Association in Israel.
Tsipi Hosts courses in creative writing of prose and poetry.
Tsipi was a member of The Second Television and Radio Authority board of directors.
She also was the chairwoman of the Committee for Communications Development on behalf of the second Television and Radio Authority.
Awards and scholarships:
The prime-minister award for creation
CISAC (the Israeli branch) Award
Homski Award (the Writer Association- Award)
Tel-Aviv Fund for Literature and Art
The President House Fund
Writer- Teacher Scholarship
Her book 'mommy is also the daddy' was published in French by 'Stavit' publishing house. Translation into French: Michel Elial-Eckard.
Her recent novel "Calipso Ramla", which was published in Hebrew in 2012, was  published in  English on 2014, and has bocame a best seller in Amazon and She holds an honorary doctorate from the International Forum for Creativity, Humanity and Coexistence, Kingdom of Morocco.