Biography:
Prof. Ernesto Kahan. Israeli - Argentine. Born in 1940, and educated in Argentina (University of Buenos Aires) and in USA (University of Washington). Medical doctor, university professor and poet. Vice President of the World Academy of Arts and Culture. Professor at universities in Argentina, Israel, Peru, Dominican Rep., Mexico, USA and Spain.
Dr. Ernesto Kahan served as Director General of the Ministry of Health in Argentina before migrating to Israel during the military coup in Argentina in 1976. In Israel was Deputy Director of Rabin Medical Center, Head of the Department of Epidemiology at the Institute for Occupational Health of Tel Aviv University, and Director of the Medical Academic Branch of the International Institute. In 1998 was nominated by the World Bank as head of the evaluation staff for primary health care programs for Ecuador. Dr Kahan is well known in numerous International Medical Associations related to Epidemiology, Cancer, Public Health and Human Rights. President of AIELC - Israel Association of Writers - Spanish Branch. Author 7 books and more than 200 articles in international Magazines. Poems of his book Paxaporte" were translated into 11 languages. His book "GENOCIDE" written with Taki Yuriko (in three languages), generated the prize "Golden Key of Literature Hanchon Culture, and was acclaimed in many festivals. Compiler of the Anthology "Los Escritores del Alba", Editorial Certeza, Spain. Selected for 20 editions of the book "Nueva Poesía hispanoamericana" of Lord Byròn editors, a publication in which the most noticeable exponents of our contemporary poetry in Spanish are included. Universal Anthology "POESIA IBEROAMERICANA SIGLO XXI"; 4 editions of the "Stand@rt World Anthology of Contemporary Poets"; "Contemporary Poetry" in Chinese and English, Hangchon Literature Complete Collection Vol. III and XII, and many other publications. Founder of the Association of Physicians for Peace in Israel, Uruguay, Chile and Bolivia; Vice-President of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War- IPPNW, (1985 Nobel Peace Laureate organization), President of the Literary Group "BRASEGO". Vice President of the International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace (IFLAC). Editor of Literature for Peace in "Palabras Diversas". Vice President of the XXV World Congress of Poets, Los Angeles 2005, Vice President of the XXVI World Congress of Poets Mongolia 2006. Vice President of the XXVI World Congress of Poets Mexico 2008.
Awards: Delegate to the Nobel Peace Prize Reception in Oslo to International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War- IPPNW (1985), Schweitzer Peace Award “for his courageous work for peace in the Middle East” (1991), “Peace Ambassador of the Youth of Uruguay” (1996), “Award in Public Health HECTOR ABAD GOMEZ”, “In recognition for his work in benefit of mankind” (1999), “Rector’s Medal” of University of Chile “For Dr Kahan distinguished merits and relevant human conditions” (2002), Honorary Degree of Doctor in Literature (2002), "Excellency in Health person of the year 2004" by the Global Organization for Excellency in Health (2004), World Congress of Poets Gold Medallion for "poetic excellence and great contribution to the Brotherhood and peace through Poetry", Ambassador of Poets of the World in Israel (2005), Ambassadeur de la Paix-Universal Peace Ambassador GENEVE CAPITALE MONDIALE de la PAIX (2006), "Golden Key of Literature Hanchon Culture, Korea (2006), "Ernesto Kahan awarded as Best Poet" by the International Writers Association (2006), Awarded "Ernesto Kahan, Best Internet Culture and Poetry – 2007" by International Association of Writers and Artists (2007).
1. Ceasefire at Eight O'clock: City Landscape
Nine minutes have gone by. On the horizon, silence
The tree that brushes my balcony sings with goldfinches and new hues
I hear them in my core, my deepest core
The source of the breeze presaging life
And I walk slowly not to awake the forces of sin
I keep on walking. Walking is the way I feel reality
Walking and watching TV.
No mushroom clouds in Haifa, no explosions in Tyre
And on the border... Oh, the border! Tension but Cease-fire.
I walk slowly. Dreaming of those two towns by the sea
Oh the sea rhythmically in love with them!
Walk to absorb the silences of The Pastoral
But man is man and does not forget
In the North each sings his belief in victory
In the South a missile, reminder of war lingering
I walk back in a roundabout way
And arrive at my cup of coffee
Oh coffee!
Aroma of mornings for those who awake with plans and projects
Smell of grief for those inconsolable in mourning
The parents who bury their soldier sons
Eight Thirty-three,
A chain of tanks wends its way home
An endless queue of strategists knocks on press doors
In offices of political parties, speeches are prepared
Workers transport spades and cement to reconstruct the city
New commissions, new evaluation committees
And preparation for the next war.
The city awakes to pursue its human evolution
Witness of gregariousness lacking in compassion
Asphalt
Soft winds of the Mediterranean
Soldiers embrace at Eight Forty
And me, I carry on walking
And David Grossman, writer of peace, will bury his son this afternoon
Yet not his writings
And I have another sociable coffee in town
And when I am convinced that the cease-fire is undeniable
I smile
With the bread fresh out of the oven
I will turn up the sound of The Pastoral.
Nine Thirty
The bombs remain silent. How good that is!
Yet are being stored in the city.
Landscape of gregarious man
21st century.
From yesterday we started to count.
Tel-Aviv, August 2006
2. Ashes
confused,
the stork felt
death
ashes…
Apocalypse,
rained on the birds
the routine of
millions of years
cycles of life
flowed in the stork...
the pigeons died...
the stork flew away.
the nest was ash-gray...
later, much later...
the birds of Auschwitz returned
to the crematorium of Jews.
they are,
in Auschwitz,
the grass the birds,
and my people...
3. Mushroom Of The A- Bomb
Oh Hibakushas!
Survivors of the A- bomb,
Tell us to tell them "See what man has done to man…"
Voices of the world's shame, mirrors against nuclear arms
Now and forever live on! Be my poetry:
Nagasaki, Hiroshima
Never
Again!
Stop
the bomb,the universal suicide!
4. Illusion
Tolerance
is a dove,
that came
from Oslo
to Jerusalem.
In summer
it laid
an egg
and then,
departed.
Now, I have it
in my hands,
oh illusion!
help me,
please, come!
January 2002
© Ernesto Kahan
