My poem, Jerusalem Forest, was recently published in the Deltona Howl Literary Magazine. You can read it, in full, here.
Category: Poems
I vote for Ilhan Omar (A post-election poem).
Like a wave, I woke and felt despair crashing down around me, filling my eyes and nose and my ears. 538 and the New York Times agreed: Our President had mutated into its future self. […]
In This New Year
May we keep trying to beat our swords into ploughshares Even though our hands our tired our fingers are frail Our bombs into sphygmomanometers Even though our hearts are grown heavy and sad. Because, I think, the act […]
Sunrise in Susiya – A Poem for the Global Shabbat Against Demolitions
Photo by A. Daniel Roth. This Shabbat, activists in 15 locations around the world will hold events, actions and Shabbat services under the framework of a Global Shabbat Against Demolition (New York City, London, Pittsburgh, Susiya, […]
Afternoon Mourning.
They worshipped: Like babies, maybe, vulnerable and hopeful God send us more goodness Or maybe they thought about sex Or taxes or or what snacks they would have next Doritos, maybe. Or their families. Maybe they […]
18 Mini-Prayers for This New Year
Originally posted on The Leftern Wall:
1. In this new year, may justice rain down like fish. Could also be a metaphor for activism… 2. In this new year, may we find reason to laugh…
Sunrise in Susiya (a poem)
Sunrise in Susiya (a poem) I woke in the middle of the night laughing from fear of a dog or a coyote or a ghoul that wandered by my head snuffling and grumbling and my god […]
Next year in a better Jerusalem (18 Mini-Prayers)
1. May our pharaohs’ hearts be unhardened.
(May we teach our pharaohs how to act by allowing the pharaonic that lives in each of our hearts to be replaced with softness).
2. May those seeking refuge find refuge.
(May those who came here from places like Sudan and Eritrea find hope, rather than scorn).
3. May this city be a city of shelter.
(May the Shamasneh family remain in their home. May the Sub Leban family remain in their home).
4. May we be blessed with real leadership.
(May we rejoice as Ayman Odeh marches up the hill).
5. May we defy the demonic biddings of false prophets.
(Those who intone scriptures of vengeance and bellicosity).
6. May we scorn the comfort of corrupt Kings.
(Those whose doctrines of indifference leave us all without real shelter).
7. May we honor the memory of the holy young man from Shuafat murdered in Jerusalem’s forest.
الله يرحمه
8. May we honor the memories of the beautiful worshippers slaughtered during their morning prayer in Har Nof.
יהי זכרונם לברכה
9. May we honor the memories of all of the others senselessly killed in this city.
Chaya Zissel Braun. Muhammad Sunqrut.
10. May we honor them by doing all that we can to ensure that no more are senselessly killed.
— all that we can, all that we can, all that we can —
11. May the practices of children’s arrests and home demolitions be abolished.
Surely we can see that this is nothing but cruel affliction. Surely we can hear their cries.
12. May the children studying at the bilingual school be allowed to study (peace) in peace.
(May the children studying at all schools be allowed to study in peace).
13. May the bilingual school turn into a trilingual school.
(?פארוואס נישט). Or make it hexalingual: Tigrinya and Russian and Ladino, too.
14. May we allow laughter in when it is possible to do so.
(Sometimes it is possible).
15. May we weep whenever necessary to do so.
(Often it is necessary; how often do we allow ourselves?)
16. May we make room for contradiction, for confusion, for unsureness, for unknown.
( )
17. May we love.
(May we be loved; May we be love)
18. Next year in a better Jerusalem.
(Jerusalem is exactly as holy or as profane as we make it)
***
What Yehuda Amichai and Samih al-Qassim have to say about Tuesday
Guest writer: Sarah Stern Poetry has a way of saying things backwards so that feelings make sense. Facebook has a way of saying things frontwards so that feelings turn to nonsense. I decided to post […]
“Nonviolence, Dissidence and the Occupation.” A Public Talk at Kehilla Community Synagogue
As the final event in my Bay Area speaking tour this past month, I had the privilege of talking at the amazing Kehilla Community Synagogue in Oakland, CA. I wanted to share the video of […]
The Leftern Wall 