The Zero Hour

Ḥaya Vered

1953

You,
blood stain of land on the map,
tired you, immersed in soot and ashes,
forever a small piece of land.
And the monuments are witnesses
at every junction and at the roadsides,
and far, far from the roads.
And when the smoke screen lifts,
you celebrate intoxication and victory,
until you are enraged, rotten and limp,
until you are blind
to the…
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Creator Bio

Ḥaya Vered

1922–1998

Born in Poland, Ḥaya Vered immigrated to Palestine with her family when she was two years old, growing up in Tel Aviv. In 1941, she moved to Kibbutz Gvar‘am, where she remained for almost ten years. On the kibbutz, she worked as a teacher and began publishing her poetry and stories for children. During the Israeli War of Independence, Vered took part in the defense effort. In addition to writing, she translated literature from Yiddish into Hebrew. A number of her poems are taught in Israeli schools and some have been set to music.

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1945–1973

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1945–1973

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