Two Poems After Memy Ish-Shalom, by Dalia Ardon

Away She Goes, by Memy Ish-Shalom (USA) 2025

Away
 
“A Wicked Hand.”
 Dahlia Ravikovitch
 
Up and away I go, I sway away,
far from your hand, far from your wicked hand.
Away I go, right now, I will not wait. 
 
She’s there, I know, I see her every day.
I’ll get to her and only then I’ll land.
Up and away I go, I sway away.
 
I always dream of her, I dream awake.
I know she is not far, she is at hand.
Away I go, right now, I will not wait. 
 
As surely as a shore awaits a wave,
she’s there for me, she’s there, my promised land.
Up and away I go, I sway away.
 
You will implore, you’ll ask for one more day,
you’ll vow to change yourself, you’ll vow you can,
but I will go, right now, I will not wait –
 
My Freedom calls me, so I cannot stay. 
I will break free and never fear your hand. 
Up and away I go, I sway away.
Away I go, right now, I will not wait. 

Higher! by Memy Ish-Shalom (USA) 2026

Swinging in the Park
  
“Much higher, higher!” you so clearly call. 
“Just push me hard, like Grandma does,” you cry.
“Don’t worry, not at all, I will not fall.”
 
You raise your hand up high as if to try
and reach the floating clouds to feel their fluff.
“I want to get there, see them close, all right?” 
 
You close your eyes to conjure up the sight.
You open them: “You don’t push hard enough!
oh Mom, you can’t, you really can’t,” you sigh.
 
“No one but Grandma can,” you add. You laugh.

Dalia Ardon

Dalia Ardon: "After living most of my life in Israel, I emigrated some years ago to the U.S. I have published two books of Hebrew poetry: Dazzled (2020, New World Press, Tel Aviv, Israel); Suddenly, Over the Blue (2022, Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishing House Ltd., Bnei-Brak, Israel), the latter is a collection of ekphrastic poems, relating to paintings, photo-collages and sculptures by six artists."