You wake up
The pillow beside you is still warm
We all know it's a lie
She's been gone for years
But just like phantom pains
Sometimes the pillow is still warm
You practice sitting in the kitchen and other stuff
That people in your age do
There's no point in it
It passes the time, and many years have passed indeed
Don't become the sad man from the song
Give me a reason to believe
That sadness has an end1
You call her every day at the same time
It's like feeding fish in a bowl
There's no compensation in it
What's more, she hasn't lived here in years
So I answer the phone every day at the same time
I wouldn't want to ruin your routine
Yes, it's strange
But stranger things have happened
And there's comfort in it
You and I are like two satellites
In the lonely space
Waiting for a sign to come
Don't become the sad man from the song
Give me a reason to believe
That sadness has an end
You cut out and keep funny items from the newspaper
Things that you can do without
But it's nicer with them
They fill the house with marginality and insignificance
You watch
A coffee stain on the dining table
Suddenly it grows and fills up the room
Crawls on the walls
Reaches out long arms and strangles you slowly
So you call me, untypically late
We're silent and then you quote a poem by Avidan2
Either way,
The stain is still on the wall
1. a reference to "A Felicidade" by Tom Jobim and its Hebrew translation by Ehud Manor. The song begins with the line "sadness has no end, happiness does"2. David Avidan, an Israeli poet