The Smudged Name on the Book (Jewish style Poem)

4


The Smudged
Name on the Book


Old age tried to smudge the name from the book.
But the smudge was too dark (and left a mark).
By and large—the smudged name remained on the book.

So I sent the book to be repaired, the name darkened.
But the smudge was too perforated.
I had hired the book binder, to put a new jacket on it.
But the jacket was too torn.
By and large—the smudged name remained on the book.

So I took a dark ink pen to write over the name.
And the pen was utterly liquefied.
Only yesterday they filled it with ink.
And I knew if I did, the book would never be the same.

So I grabbed the pen to hit the book, but pulled back in time
And oddly enough it suddenly occurred to me
The book was old, and it would look odd repaired.
By and large, the smudge remained the same.

And I believe I’m much the same as that old book
And I believe the blood in me is smudged
If only I could have read from the back to the front,
Who knows: maybe then, I would have done things different.
By and large—the smudge remains the same.

No: 2688 (5-14-2010) a Jewish style, or form of poetry/inspired by DAVID AVIDAN