Nurit Zarchi is a poet, author, and writing instructor. She was born in Jerusalem, raised at Kibbutz Geva, and currently lives in Tel Aviv. Zarchi has written poetry and prose for children and adults, and teaches creative writing at Ben-Gurion University and Tel Aviv University. She has received an Andersen Honor Citation and the Amichai Prize.
They present me with the bill
For not having been satisfied,
And they always surprise me with the wealth of their lexicon.
They ask me for a receipt for my fate,
And they make me think,
That…
Black ants crawl over nicotine-stained fingertips
dipping a mint leaf into the glass.
The alcohol dismantles Abd al-Wahab’s
“Cleopatra.”
Now all is clear
solo violin
solo flute
solo oud
we’re…
Cigarettes! Cigarettes!
My voice rings through the streets
With eyes overcast, cloudy—
Buy! Buy! Buy!
Hunting foxes—Cossacks ride—
With horseshoes like scythes—
And cut down sounds like sheaves:
Buy…