This is my humble attempt to translate a poem written by Amnon Shamosh, an 80 year old Israeli poet and author, almost totally blind, yet holds a crystal clear vision.
This Century
In this century
clocks don't tick,
callers don't dial,
the shoemaker does not fix heels,
and the government does not fix injustice.
In this century
there are no seeds in watermelons,
no phone booths in the streets,
no equality in the Kibbutz,
and no ideology in politics.
In this century
our language enriched itself with expressions such as
Spontaneous Breathing,
Spearhead Failure, and Forced Incapacity.
...
In this century
the third generation excels with a cell phone and a family.
The grandchildren teach us how to use a computer and other gadgets of the third millennium.
In this century
nobody drinks pop soda, nectar, or tap water.
Fools are leading our country, and some other countries.
From Iran to Korea, from India to Bush.
In this century,
millions are dying in wars, and because of hunger and disease.
Except this time, it is all taped and communicated, in a tidy broadcast.
In this century
we grow tomatoes in pineapple flavor,
peppers in strawberry flavor, and entertainment in bad flavor. To say the least.
In this century
the typewriters, gas lamps, long johns, modesty and shame - are all extinct.
...
In this century
the poet will write: Messiah is not coming, nor texting.
In this century - my grandchildren's century - I would have liked to feel at home...
and I can't.
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