Selections

Haviva Pedaya
A Poem – The Light's Chrysalis

A Poem

THE LIGHT’S CHRYSALIS

He who is plucked from his skin

like a pearl from its oyster,

his essence is rendered a tear.

With time, he shall think back lovingly

to the plucking and its pain.

When counting his wounds, he’s counting all those times

he’d trampled, invaded, torn, and claimed his pound of flesh.

He, himself, begins to shed the skin’s garments.

Living cautiously cocoon-like once more

encoding himself ahead of the light.

When others recall him, they recall his chrysalides

making him an imagined, imposed essence from the string of his mistakes.

Only he’s no longer in need of a home that’s been stolen

shedding yet another home, and another underneath.

When he, unto himself does not exist

but in the sequence of living light

light’s chrysalis, spirit

and darkness’ chrysalis, body

the spirit’s chrysalis, spirit

and the body’s chrysalis, body.

From thin to thinner,

from pure to purer.

An embodying,

a depleting

a refining.

The exploiters don the hollowed, stiffened, bloated body

like an envelope, as if slipping on a petrified scream.

But there is no memory here, nor is there forgetfulness

there is only life and death,

light and chrysalis

Translated from the Hebrew by Eran Edry