a.
my life is here
in my house which I dug
in the mountain

b.
I would walk
my face against the wind
one of the hallowed winds
of Gush Etzion
all the stone houses are like
boulders growing out of the earth
raising rock fetuses
children of stone.
I am not of stone, in me
all is recorded

c.
when the column of smoke becomes too black
I escape to
the study hall
rub my eyes
with two thin webs of silver

d.
I came to the study hall
there
two flames
webs of thin silver are billowing
everyone is bound on the altar here, on the mountain
the flames of silver whisper
Shalom Karniel enters
approaches, sits next to me
wants us to write a poem jointly
and his hand hovers over mine
almost coercing it to write
optimistic things
it's impossible to write poems jointly
I tell him
and he dissipates

e.
in the dining room
at evening
I see a smiling mustache
say the blessing over the warm bread
"Blessed art Thou, O Lord,
who brings forth bread from the rock"
and the aging winds whistle after him:
amen selah, amen rock