מתוך גיליון 7 של כתב העת 'דחק'.
אליזבת ג'נינגס
תשובות
(עברית: צור ארליך)
הֵשַׁבְתִּי לִי תְּשׁוּבוֹת קְטַנּוֹת, קְרוֹבוֹת.
קֻשְׁיוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת צָלְפוּ בִּי, אַךְ הִצַּבְתִּי
תְּשׁוּבוֹת קְטַנּוֹת כְּמַחֲסֶה רַב-אוֹן.
הִשְׁאַרְתִּי הַפְשָׁטוֹת-עָנָק בַּצֵּל;
דְּבָרִים קְטַנִּים לִטַּפְתִּי וְאָהַבְתִּי.
הַכּוֹכָבִים הָיוּ לִי פְּנֵי הַלֵּיל.
אֲבָל תְּשׁוּבוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת הִתְלַהֲמוּ
לָנוּעַ אֶל חַיַּי. וְחֻצְפָּתָן
צָוְחָה לִי: הַאֲמִינִי בִּי, כִּי בָאתִי.
גַּם בַּעֲמוֹד כָּל הַקְּטַנּוֹת כֻּלָּן
לְהַצָּלַת רוּחִי – אֶשְׁמַע בִּרְבוֹת
תְּשׁוּקַת תְּשׁוּבוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת לְהַפִּילָן.
וּמַסְקָנוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת שֶׁמִּתְקָרְבוֹת.
Answers
I kept my answers small and kept
them near;
Big questions bruised my mind but still I let
Small answers be a bulwark to my fear.
The huge abstractions I kept from the light;
Small things I handled and caressed and loved.
I let the stars assume the whole of night.
But the big answers clamoured to be moved Into my life. Their great audacity
Shouted to be acknowledged and believed.
Even when all small answers build up to
Protection of my spirit, still I hear
Big answers striving for their overthrow.
Big questions bruised my mind but still I let
Small answers be a bulwark to my fear.
The huge abstractions I kept from the light;
Small things I handled and caressed and loved.
I let the stars assume the whole of night.
But the big answers clamoured to be moved Into my life. Their great audacity
Shouted to be acknowledged and believed.
Even when all small answers build up to
Protection of my spirit, still I hear
Big answers striving for their overthrow.
And all the great conclusions
coming near.