a woman
was born in Vienna
raised in Jerusalem
Worked as a teacher
A Physics Teacher
An Only child to her parents
She bought an apartment
not far from her parents house
Filled the apartment with books,
and hundreds of slides taken during trips around the world
and fabulous years of teaching Physics in far places
Her mother got ill
the woman left her apartment and books
moved to live with her mother
not far from her place
she locked her apartment
with the books inside
dusting
the piano
the spices on the kitchen shelf
the clothes in the clozet
the bed clothes in their case
she covered the sofas
to keep them clean
fifteen years
the door was locked
after her mother died she
stayed close to her mom's belongings
her own
behind the closed door
The years pass in Rehavia
the women is getting old
she brings a student, to come to clean her house
a few hours every week
Mazal is cleaning, Ruth is siting in the kitchen, they talk
politics, Jerusalem, Mazal's big family, her mother, her father
in the middle of the dialog
she stops
telling her to clean in other ways
Do not drag furniture!
She sits
getting old
and realize
her locked belongings can come back to life in a Retirement Home
The locked door, is being opened
Long hot nights in August & September 2006
the student and he woman taking off layer by layer
revealing a world that once was abounded
the dust was moved away
and the doubt as well:
what will donate, what will be thrown and what will be kept
get new life in the Parent's Home
long hours
a lesson for life
the true time tunnel in Jerusalem
Houres of happines
with one woman from Jerusalem
who was born in Vienna
In her kitchen cupboard
we have found
a grater
with lemon rind on it
it is mine now
a present from Ruth
my magnificent grater
The woman lover visits
young faces in a Retirement Home's dining room
make the host and spectators
happy
The woman lived there two years
she died
suddenly
in "Bikur Holim"
at night between saturday to Sunday
in the middle of August
her privet chest's door was locked
leaving behind remains of Strudel
last thing she tasted
She called me
"My good luck"
and knew
Our time tunnel is locked from now
and not Ruth niter Mazal will be able to go back in time
I will always have the hours with Ruth Harel
Ruth Harel 9 September 1930- 23 August 2009
-----
At the first day of the new year
I wish
the sick will become healthy and strong,
the healthy will be happy
and the dead will rest in peace
Shana Tova
