Everyone who knows me well knows that I have a special place for Israel in my heart and have spent many of my summers in recent memory in the Middle East. While I've wrestled with religion over the past few years (story, poem, novel for another time) I still hold a strong affinity for the culture, people and distinct 'ness' that is Israel. At the same time, I do see clear human rights and democratic issues in that land and am always looking for discourse on this issue (I mean, I work for the New Israel Fund!) I felt very polarized by the poet's comments that night, feeling nervous about performing this poem to a sea of liberals who cringe at the "I' word without really listening to the common thread of the poem.
On a happier note, it is worth noting that Buddy Wakefield came up to me that night to tell me how great he thought the poem was (and to ask what "goy" meant...!). My Israel poem (in a safe space..):
A few summers ago I took a group of college students on a tour through Israel
On our fifth day
On a happier note, it is worth noting that Buddy Wakefield came up to me that night to tell me how great he thought the poem was (and to ask what "goy" meant...!). My Israel poem (in a safe space..):
A few summers ago I took a group of college students on a tour through Israel
On our fifth day
We found ourselves in Yitzhak Rabin square
Eyes blinding me with the 112 degree shade of this Tel Aviv afternoon
Begging me to remember why I love his land
This land
The vacant quad that echoes songs turned to screams from the day
That day
When history defied itself to bring Jew against Jew
That day
When history defied itself to bring Jew against Jew
An event so rare, yet so poignant, in our lineage
The Israeli soldier accompanying our trip recounted the events of that day to the sea of co-ed ears
The Israeli soldier accompanying our trip recounted the events of that day to the sea of co-ed ears
Exchanging suntan lotion and invisible notes about how cute he was
I stood in the back so they could listen better
But his story eyes pierced me to the front of the class
This soldier was staring right into me as he told his story
Because he was certain that my 22 year old
I stood in the back so they could listen better
But his story eyes pierced me to the front of the class
This soldier was staring right into me as he told his story
Because he was certain that my 22 year old
Self-proclaiming Zionist heart had a clue what it was like to be him
What it was like to be Israeli
On that day
Because I was 11 when it happened,
And these students were barely 7
So sliding across the top of their sunburnt scalps
What it was like to be Israeli
On that day
Because I was 11 when it happened,
And these students were barely 7
So sliding across the top of their sunburnt scalps
Comes this look
This understanding he thinks I have
This call looking for a response
Only I don’t know what to tell him
His country crumbled that day
And even the forced picture of peace shattered
This understanding he thinks I have
This call looking for a response
Only I don’t know what to tell him
His country crumbled that day
And even the forced picture of peace shattered
Like light bulbs on wedding days
The image of our presidents hands playing tug of war with the hands of their two leaders
Was nothing more than a Superman boy hoping to get his parents to sleep in the same bed again.
I went to bed that night
The image of our presidents hands playing tug of war with the hands of their two leaders
Was nothing more than a Superman boy hoping to get his parents to sleep in the same bed again.
I went to bed that night
My 6th grade mind filling with more questions than answers
Felt my moms tears when my Dad said “hug your mother,"
And promised myself I’d learn all the words to Hatikvah in the morning.
Promises empty like regret
Like threats
Like bomb threats that ended an Israel event I went to that year
Like the bomb shelter this soldier would later write me emails from
when fighting escalated in the North
While I was back safely in Seattle throwing lassos around stars
Hoping to pluck luck out of the sky for him
He’s spit dirt for his country and never asked questions
I can’t conceive what its like to be born fighting
To be conceieved a pre-meditated soldier
To modern history’s seemingly endless war
To stand on not-quite firm
Promises empty like regret
Like threats
Like bomb threats that ended an Israel event I went to that year
Like the bomb shelter this soldier would later write me emails from
when fighting escalated in the North
While I was back safely in Seattle throwing lassos around stars
Hoping to pluck luck out of the sky for him
He’s spit dirt for his country and never asked questions
I can’t conceive what its like to be born fighting
To be conceieved a pre-meditated soldier
To modern history’s seemingly endless war
To stand on not-quite firm
Not quite solid
Not quite anyone’s soil
See I've never questioned the certainty of my own backyard
So this look he’s giving me
Can be repaid with nothing but an awkward glance
With hopes of peace measured in more than months between fighting
And maybe we connect on that basic level
But his eyes reflect the blue of the Kinneret
See I've never questioned the certainty of my own backyard
So this look he’s giving me
Can be repaid with nothing but an awkward glance
With hopes of peace measured in more than months between fighting
And maybe we connect on that basic level
But his eyes reflect the blue of the Kinneret
The ribbon tied around our fingers reminding us “never forget”
The flag shrouded over his friends buried on Har Herzl
Eyes blinding me with the 112 degree shade of this Tel Aviv afternoon
Begging me to remember why I love his land
This land
2 comments:
Loved this poem. Very powerful stuff, my friend!
XO,
Debbie
Thank you Debbie! How is election day there shaping up?
Post a Comment