Ella Odeyash

By the Sea

Like liquid glass, waters of sea, 
Made of the tinted-bottle color, 
Was pouring softly, heavily - 
The appelation of this: summer. 

And ships, appearing like white dots, 
Forming the distance with their presence. 
They went somewhere to end of earth - 
The appelation of this: heaven. 

***** 

Like in childhood, I am walking barefot 
With my feet feeling the trail. 
For long time I did not walk like this. 
For long time I was not this way. 

Balmy breeze in my face is blowing. 
I forgot how old I've become 
And perhaps it's the joy of living 
Wafting at me from the ground. 

It's the day, it's the path, it's the summer... 
Every blade of grass, dear to me... 
And my bare-footed childhood 
Smiling, is looking at me. 

***** 

From the bluish distance blown, 
Wind, arrives on a spring day. 
Arms and elbows smell of orange, 
Air is full of jasmin smell. 

Not agreeing with my years 
My soul sings and sings and sings: 
And the leaves' rustle makes clear 
Something tender's whisperings. 

***** 

I live in condition 
Of mood schizophrenia: 
As if there's no distance 
Between Russia and Israel. 

I live in two mentalities 
In two different spaces and times. 
In two "hard" realities, 
In noise of different tribes. 

In news political 
(From darkness where I can't see) 
About both Russia and Israel 
I say the word "We." 

And I watch TV programs 
Like fog that is full of blood: 
All is woeful and horrible 
Both here and there it's bad 

Like in a monster fairy tale, 
Like in a tale of horror - 
The Arabian terrorism 
And the Chechnya war 

And I live in condition 
Of split apart soul - 
As if there is no distance 
Between the two countries I know. 

***** 

Again - a lightning bug, or maybe a cicada 
Again - the moon and palms above my head... 
And in my dream, blockade of Leningrad, and 
The icy chill is blowing from the street. 

Though life has not been smooth in any manner, 
And flow of time has changed so much, I know, 
WIthin my soul - I'm still a Leningrader, 
And... lightning bug looks like the Metronome.