Yom Ha’Zikaron
Remembering Israel’s Fallen Soldiers: Selected Readings
And My Brother Said Nothing | Amir Gilboa
My brother came back from the field
Dressed in gray. And I was afraid that
My dream might prove false, so at once
I began to count his wounds.
And my brother said nothing.
Then I rummaged in the pockets of the trenchcoat
And found a field-dressing, stained and dry.
And on frayed postcard, her name –
Beneath a picture of poppies.
And my brother said nothing.
Then I undid the pack
And took out his belongings, memory by memory.
Hurrah, my brother, my brother, the hero,
Now I’ve found your decorations!
Hurrah, my brother, my brother, the hero,
I shall proudly hymn your name!
And my brother said nothing.
And my brother said nothing.
And his blood was crying out from the ground.