MOSHE BENARROCH Moshe Benarroch was born in 1959 in Tetuan/Morocco, between Tangier and Gibraltar. He grew up in a mixture of cultures and languages, Spanish being his mother tongue, attending a French school, hearing the Arabic of the streets and praying in Hebrew. In 1972 He emigrated to Israel and lives since then in Jerusalem. Published books in Hebrew: The Immigrant's Lament (poetry) 1994. The Coming Book (prose) 1997. The Bread And The Dream (poetry) 1998, The Poetry Of The End Of The World (poetry), 1999. "Keys To Tetuan" (a novel), 1999. The books in hebrew can be purchased online from http://www.steimatzky.co.il http://www.mitos.co.il His poems and prose have been published in numerous publications in Israeli literary magazines, and international magazines, recently in: Ygdrasil, Ashville Poetry Review, Perihelion, Miller's Pond, Revue Europe, Etcetera, Jewish Currents, Emotions, Xero, The Poet's Guild Quarterly, Poetrymagazine.com . His works have been published in Hebrew, Spanish, French, Chinese and English. He writes in Hebrew, Spanish and English. He is contributing editor in Ygdrasil (http://www.synapse.net/~kgerken/). Esquio has published his first book of poetry in Spanish in April 2000 "Esquina En Tetuan". This book can be purchased online from http://www.licer.com http://members.spree.com/education/mosheben/ http://www.funkydogpublishing.com/moshe.htm http://members.es.tripod.de/Litterator/poesia/moshe.htm http://www.poetrymagazine.com Can Do Better ~~~~~~~~~~~ Always torturing myself for things I didn't do why didn't I write a long novel my novels are too short why not the long poem, why so many languages am I really good at any of them why my books don't sell maybe I am such a bad writer and poet why when I am not writing I feel like the village idiot or maybe I am I should leave all this and make some money for my family I should divorce and face my fate and write all day long I should and I could and I should and I know it's my mother behind all this and all these teachers always saying I could do better, all my friends always saying I could do better that's my image the man that could do better but if I could do better or write better I would have done it, wouldn't you, you lazy bastard! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Many Tongues ~~~~~~~~ (this poem comemorates the fact that I have only written 2 poems in Hebrew in the last two years). I left the Hebrew language as others leave a loved woman they have been trying to fuck for ten or fifteen years, saying woman I am a man, hear all the other women that want me and now I have to go and get what I need from them, I am a poet woman, and you can't be my fantasy forever, I am poet in search of a a language and many tongues have loved me and your door has been closed for so long, I had to open other knobs with other hands I can't behave like an amputee forever and now that so many doors have opened, now you open yours to see if I'm still there, I am not and when you see me near it's because I took a walk, a walk through my old habits I don't need your tongue, many tongues have loved me now and I don't miss your never existing carress anymore. ################################## Witches ~~~~~~ The witches look lovely tonight they are all dressed for the wedding of Lilith and Prince Charles Their noses are perfect and they walk to applaud the love they always had The witches they have names that burn the water that tighten their belly to the next oven and we all know the witches love you they love kings and princes they love poets and slaves they love everything for they are witches and their loves are ashes. ###################################### Slopes ~~~~~ I am wearing this uniform but I don't care for wars I am wearing this uniform to beat you and prostitute you to unchain your heart out of your flooded hat to destroy all that we built with our own horse I am going now to Bethlehem to build me a boat I will then fly through caves of death and fire and when I see you again I reckon you won't even think about looking at my shining face My face will become gold and fire out of my nose will arose the words you say and just when you think you understand What I am saying your tongue will be dryer than the desert, and your words will invade your ears, do you hear my slopes now? ###################################### Finally I thank my parents ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Everything I ever learned came from my parents' mistakes the solutions of one generation are the problems of the next Whatever they did to help me was against my nature Swimming against the waves I learned where my future was I shouted and cried until I silenced and there I could see my angels helping me to get through It happened in dreams where funny films were screened before me waking me up, my laughs from nowhere. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Ready ~~~~~~~~~~ Used to say I am ready to die but I was a coward I was not ready to live second hand lives lives of few seconds Used to say I was ready to die now I am willing to live to die anyday now ready to live ready to leave. Moshe Benarroch email: moben@barak-online.net |
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