Posts
.
Happy birthday to you,
The bus stops, the driver smiles at you, the windows are gleaming, and there’s plenty of small change. In the row of single seats on the left, the last one is vacant as if it has your name on it, your favorite one. The bus pulls out, the lights turn green as it approaches and the guy cracking sunflower seeds gathers up the peels in a brown paper bag.
The elderly inspector doesn’t ask to see your ticket, just tips his hat and in a very pelasant voice, wishes you a nice day.
And it will be a nice day. Because it’s your birthday. You’re bright, you’re pretty, and you have your whole life ahead of you. For more stops and you’ll pull the cord, and the driver will stop, just for you.
You’ll get off the bus, no one will jostle you, and the door won’t close till you’ve stepped away. And the bus will leave, the passengers will be happy for you, and the guy with the sunflower seeds will keep waving goodbye till he’s out of sight for no reason at all.
Who needs a reason, it’s a birthday, and on birthdays nice things happen. And the puppy running towards you now will wag its tail when you touch it. When there’s a special date, even dogs can tell.
In your apartment, people will be waiting in the dark, behind the beautiful furniture the two of you chose yourselves. When you open the door, they’ll jump out and surprise you. Just the way it should be at surprise parties.
They’ll all be there, the people you’ve loved. Those closest to you, and the ones who mean the most. And they’ll bring presents that they bought or dreamt up themselves. Inspired presents, and useful things, too.
The funny ones will entertain, the smart ones will enlighten, even the melancholy ones will give a genuine smile. The food will be amazing, then they’ll serve stawberries and top it off with a vanilla milkshake from the best place in town.
They’ll play a Keith Jarrett disc and everyone will listen, they’ll play a Satie record and nobody will feel sad. And the ones who are on their own won’t feel alone tonight, and nobody will ask ‘Milk or cream?’ because they all know one another by now.
In the end they’ll leave, and the ones you wanted to kiss you will kiss you, and the ones you didn’t will just shake your hand. And he’ll be the only one who’ll stay behind, the man you live with, kinder and gentler than ever.
If you want , youll make love or he’ll massage your body with oil, specially bought in an old bedouin shop. You only have to ask and he’ll dim the halogen light, and you’ll sit there embraced, waiting for dawn.
And on that magical night, I’ll be there too, drinking my vanilla milkshake, and smiling a genuine smile. And before I go, if you want --I’ll kiss you. And if not, I’ll just shake your hand.
From: Four Letter Words; Entry by Etgar Keret (translated by Miriam Shlesinger)
PS: For Nip.
Happy birthday to you,
The bus stops, the driver smiles at you, the windows are gleaming, and there’s plenty of small change. In the row of single seats on the left, the last one is vacant as if it has your name on it, your favorite one. The bus pulls out, the lights turn green as it approaches and the guy cracking sunflower seeds gathers up the peels in a brown paper bag.
The elderly inspector doesn’t ask to see your ticket, just tips his hat and in a very pelasant voice, wishes you a nice day.
And it will be a nice day. Because it’s your birthday. You’re bright, you’re pretty, and you have your whole life ahead of you. For more stops and you’ll pull the cord, and the driver will stop, just for you.
You’ll get off the bus, no one will jostle you, and the door won’t close till you’ve stepped away. And the bus will leave, the passengers will be happy for you, and the guy with the sunflower seeds will keep waving goodbye till he’s out of sight for no reason at all.
Who needs a reason, it’s a birthday, and on birthdays nice things happen. And the puppy running towards you now will wag its tail when you touch it. When there’s a special date, even dogs can tell.
In your apartment, people will be waiting in the dark, behind the beautiful furniture the two of you chose yourselves. When you open the door, they’ll jump out and surprise you. Just the way it should be at surprise parties.
They’ll all be there, the people you’ve loved. Those closest to you, and the ones who mean the most. And they’ll bring presents that they bought or dreamt up themselves. Inspired presents, and useful things, too.
The funny ones will entertain, the smart ones will enlighten, even the melancholy ones will give a genuine smile. The food will be amazing, then they’ll serve stawberries and top it off with a vanilla milkshake from the best place in town.
They’ll play a Keith Jarrett disc and everyone will listen, they’ll play a Satie record and nobody will feel sad. And the ones who are on their own won’t feel alone tonight, and nobody will ask ‘Milk or cream?’ because they all know one another by now.
In the end they’ll leave, and the ones you wanted to kiss you will kiss you, and the ones you didn’t will just shake your hand. And he’ll be the only one who’ll stay behind, the man you live with, kinder and gentler than ever.
If you want , youll make love or he’ll massage your body with oil, specially bought in an old bedouin shop. You only have to ask and he’ll dim the halogen light, and you’ll sit there embraced, waiting for dawn.
And on that magical night, I’ll be there too, drinking my vanilla milkshake, and smiling a genuine smile. And before I go, if you want --I’ll kiss you. And if not, I’ll just shake your hand.
From: Four Letter Words; Entry by Etgar Keret (translated by Miriam Shlesinger)
PS: For Nip.
No comments:
Post a Comment