Sorrow and Joy

by Vladimir Gandelsman
  translated by Anna Halberstadt 

from the book “Reading the Schedule”
Sorrow and Joy

On Monday the work week starts,
meaning, that the five-headed creature
tries to ruin our story,
as well as it would
any other…
What sorrow!

I have no memory left of Tuesday,
nor of Wednesday or Thursday,
but on Friday no one should dare
tell me, so to say, that I am
drowning my mind in vodka!
I am nothing more, than a zero,
practically a corpse.

But on Saturday life takes a turn
to be calmer, without agitation.
As if chained together
by the song
Lida and I are dancing to
Leonard Cohen.

And to top that (on Sunday!)
on the seventh day of creation
we are blessed by the autumn foliage
on the garden paths
saving us,
leaves quietly falling}
in the dusk.
How joyful!