㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀瀀㸀㰀椀洀最 匀刀䌀㴀∀椀渀猀瀀漀猀猀攀⸀最椀昀∀ 栀攀椀最栀琀㴀㠀㜀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀㌀ 㸀
㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀瀀㸀㰀椀洀最 匀刀䌀㴀∀椀渀猀瀀漀猀猀攀⸀最椀昀∀ 栀攀椀最栀琀㴀㠀㜀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀㌀ 㸀
㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀瀀㸀㰀椀洀最 匀刀䌀㴀∀椀渀猀瀀漀猀猀攀⸀最椀昀∀ 栀攀椀最栀琀㴀㠀㜀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀㌀ 㸀
㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀 㰀瀀㸀㰀椀洀最 匀刀䌀㴀∀椀渀猀瀀漀猀猀攀⸀最椀昀∀ 栀攀椀最栀琀㴀㠀㜀 眀椀搀琀栀㴀㌀ 㸀
㰀䘀伀一吀 匀䤀娀䔀㴀∀⬀∀㸀㰀䈀㸀䔀猀愀甀㰀⼀䈀㸀㰀倀㸀
㰀昀漀渀琀 猀椀稀攀㴀∀⬀∀ 挀漀氀漀爀㴀∀⌀ 䌀䌀∀㸀䤀㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㰀昀漀渀琀 猀椀稀攀㴀∀ⴀ∀㸀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 最漀 栀漀洀攀 愀渀搀 洀愀欀攀 瀀攀愀挀攀 眀椀琀栀 洀礀 戀爀漀琀栀攀爀⸀㰀䈀刀㸀
Trouble is, we’re not fighting. Where I come from,
圀攀 栀愀瘀攀 猀甀挀栀 最漀漀搀 洀愀渀渀攀爀猀 眀攀 搀漀渠ᤀ琀 琀愀氀欀 琀漀 攀愀挀栀 漀琀栀攀爀⸀㰀䈀刀㸀
䤀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 猀琀愀爀琀 愀 最漀漀搀 昀椀最栀琀⸀ 吀爀漀甀戀氀攀 椀猀Ⰰ 眀攀 搀漀渠ᤀ琀 戀漀琀栀攀爀⸀㰀䈀刀㸀
So I was there when Dad died, and not him;
匀漀 䤀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 最漀 愀渀搀 洀愀欀攀 瀀攀愀挀攀 眀椀琀栀 洀礀 戀爀漀琀栀攀爀㼀㰀䈀刀㸀
圀栀愀琀Ⰰ 搀椀搀 䤀 猀琀攀愀氀 猀漀洀攀琀栀椀渀最㼀 䤠ᤀ瘀攀 欀渀漀眀渀 昀漀爀攀瘀攀爀㰀䈀刀㸀
Which one Dad loved; all right. So who’s to blame?
圀攀 栀愀瘀攀 猀甀挀栀 最漀漀搀 洀愀渀渀攀爀猀Ⰰ 眀攠ᤀ爀攀 攀愀挀栀 漀琀栀攀爠ᤀ猀㰀䈀刀㸀
圀漀爀猀琀 樀漀欀攀 漀昀 愀 洀椀猀猀椀渀最 栀愀氀昀㬀 猀琀愀渀搀 甀猀 琀漀最攀琀栀攀爀Ⰰ㰀䈀刀㸀
The macho man, the dreamer, we look the same.
䤀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 最漀 洀愀欀攀 瀀攀愀挀攀 眀椀琀栀 洀礀 栀愀椀爀礀 戀爀漀琀栀攀爀Ⰰ㰀䈀刀㸀
䈀甀琀 䤠ᤀ搀 爀愀琀栀攀爀 最漀 漀渀 爀攀猀攀渀琀椀渀最 栀椀洀㬀 栀攠ᤀ搀 爀愀琀栀攀爀㰀䈀刀㸀
Go on paternally dispensing shame.
䤀 栀愀瘀攀 猀甀挀栀 最漀漀搀 洀愀渀渀攀爀猀㬀 䤀 搀漀渠ᤀ琀 猀愀礀Ⰰ 㰀䤀㸀䤀琠ᤀ猀 漀瘀攀爀㰀䈀刀㸀
一漀眀㨀 渀攀椀琀栀攀爀 漀渀攀 漀昀 甀猀 最攀琀猀 琀漀 戀攀 漀甀爀 昀愀琀栀攀爀㰀䈀刀㸀
And play the God Almighty. I should go home
䄀渀搀 搀椀猀琀甀爀戀 琀栀攀 瀀攀愀挀攀Ⰰ 琀漀 洀愀欀攀 瀀攀愀挀攀 眀椀琀栀 洀礀 戀爀漀琀栀攀爀⸀㰀䈀刀㸀
We have such good manners, we don’t talk to each other.
㰀倀㸀
Vayishlach, Gen. 32:4 – 36:43
㰀倀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀
Milk and honey
⠀昀爀漀洀 㰀䤀㸀䈀漀漀欀 漀昀 渀甀洀戀攀爀猀㨀 䄀 眀愀爀 搀椀愀爀礀Ⰰ ㈀ ㌀㰀⼀䤀㸀⤀㰀䈀刀㸀
㰀昀漀渀琀 猀椀稀攀㴀∀⬀㈀∀㸀伀㰀昀漀渀琀 猀椀稀攀㴀∀⬀∀㸀 搀攀愀爀 䜀漀搀㨀 琀栀攀 氀愀渀搀 夀漀甀 栀愀瘀攀 瀀爀漀洀椀猀攀搀 甀猀㰀䈀刀㸀
Already has people living in it, and why
䐀椀搀渠ᤀ琀 眀攀 栀攀愀爀 琀栀愀琀 瀀愀爀琀 戀攀昀漀爀攀 琀栀攀 攀砀漀搀甀猀㼀㰀䈀刀㸀
So this is the choice, to live as slaves or die
䄀猀 猀氀愀瘀攀猀 琀漀 眀愀爀⸀ 一漀眀 琀栀椀渀欀㨀 猀漀洀攀 漀琀栀攀爀 瀀氀愀挀攀㰀䈀刀㸀
You haven’t got? We sent out men to spy
䘀漀爀 甀猀Ⰰ 愀 猀漀爀爀礀 氀漀琀 眀栀漀 挀氀愀椀洀 愀 爀愀挀攀㰀䈀刀㸀
Of giants lives up there, but what a lie.
䴀漀猀琀 氀椀欀攀氀礀 氀漀渀最ⴀ氀漀猀琀 爀攀氀愀琀椀瘀攀猀⸀ 䠀攀戀爀漀渠ᤀ猀㰀䈀刀㸀
A town as old as Esau, walled with stones
吀栀攀礠ᤀ氀氀 最氀愀搀氀礀 琀栀爀漀眀 愀琀 甀猀Ⰰ 戀氀漀漀搀 戀爀漀琀栀攀爀猀 漀爀 渀漀琀⸀㰀䈀刀㸀
Couldn’t we come in peace, share what we’ve got
䤀渀挀氀甀搀椀渀最 夀漀甀Ⰰ 猀攀琀琀氀攀 搀漀眀渀 愀渀搀 挀愀氀氀㰀䈀刀㸀
It off? But No, You answer. You must dispossess them all.
㰀倀㸀
Shelach-lecha, Num. 13:1 – 15:41 㰀倀㸀
㰀䈀㸀䈀攀昀漀爀攀 圀漀爀搀猀㰀⼀䈀㸀㰀䈀刀㸀
㰀昀漀渀琀 猀椀稀攀㴀∀⬀㈀∀㸀䄀㰀昀漀渀琀 猀椀稀攀㴀∀⬀∀㸀 戀愀戀礀 椀猀 猀椀渀最椀渀最 椀渀 琀栀攀 洀漀爀渀椀渀最㰀䈀刀㸀
before anyone is up in the house
㰀倀㸀
Before he has decided
眀栀椀挀栀 漀昀 愀氀氀 琀栀攀 氀愀渀最甀愀最攀猀 栀攀 眀椀氀氀 猀瀀攀愀欀㰀䈀刀㸀
he is trying the sounds of his voice
椀渀 琀栀攀Ā爀猀琀 氀椀最栀琀㰀䈀刀㸀
䠀攀 栀攀愀爀猀 愀 洀愀渀㰀䈀刀㸀
come up the street collecting bottles
樀甀猀琀 愀栀攀愀搀 漀昀 琀栀攀 最愀爀戀愀最攀 琀爀甀挀欀㰀䈀刀㸀
straining uphill
琀漀 挀漀洀攀 琀栀爀漀眀 琀栀攀洀 愀眀愀礀㰀䈀刀㸀
䠀攀 栀攀愀爀猀 琀栀攀 猀栀爀椀攀欀 漀昀 最氀愀猀猀㰀䈀刀㸀
It is like the vessels of Creation
戀爀攀愀欀椀渀最 椀渀 䜀漀搠ᤀ猀 栀愀渀搀猀㰀䈀刀㸀
䠀攀 栀攀愀爀猀 琀栀攀 眀椀渀搀 愀爀漀甀渀搀 琀栀攀 栀漀甀猀攀㰀䈀刀㸀
and in the wind
攀瘀攀爀礀 眀漀爀搀 栀攀 眀椀氀氀 攀瘀攀爀 猀愀礀㰀䈀刀㸀
and what will stay unsaid
㰀倀㸀
and stops to listen to silence
愀渀搀 猀椀渀最猀 琀漀 椀琀㰀䈀刀㸀
the way the body addresses the soul lending it shape
氀攀渀搀椀渀最 椀琀 挀漀洀昀漀爀琀 愀渀搀 猀漀爀爀漀眀㰀䈀刀㸀
吀栀攀 戀漀搀礀 眀愀渀琀猀 琀漀 戀攀 甀猀攀昀甀氀㰀䈀刀㸀
and the soul is open so wide
㰀倀㸀
This is the way we awaken
䠀攀 爀攀洀攀洀戀攀爀猀 栀攀 椀猀 愀氀漀渀攀㰀䈀刀㸀
and cries for us.
㰀倀㸀
㰀倀㸀 Dan Bellm has published two poetry collections: One Hand on the Wheel (1999), which launched Heyday Books' California Poetry Series; and Buried Treasure (Cleveland State University, 1999), winner of Cleveland State’s annual Poetry Center Prize and the Poetry Society of America’s Di Castagnola Award. His poems and translations from Spanish have appeared in Poetry, The Threepenny Review, Ploughshares, TriQuarterly, The Kenyon Review, and elsewhere. A recent California Arts Council Poetry Fellow, he lives in San Francisco and teaches with California Poets in the Schools. 㰀倀㸀 "Esau" was first published in The Threepenny Review; "Milk and honey" in Image: A Journal of the Arts and Religion; and "Before Words" in One Hand on the Wheel and Against Certainty (Chapiteau Press, 2003). 㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀
㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀
In Posse: 倀漀琀攀渀琀椀愀氀氀礀Ⰰ 洀椀最栀琀 戀攀 ⸀⸀⸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀∀∀㸀㰀椀洀最 匀刀䌀㴀∀琀攀搀栀攀愀搀⸀最椀昀∀ 愀氀椀最渀㴀刀䤀䜀䠀吀㸀㰀⼀愀㸀
㰀戀爀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀
㰀瀀㸀