And Miriam Sang

And MiriamMiriam is the sister of Moses and Aaron. As Moses' and Aaron's sister she, according to midrash, prophesies Moses' role and helps secure it by watching over the young baby, seeing to it that Pharaoh's daughter takes him and that the baby is returned to his mother for nursing. During the Israelites' trek through the desert, a magical well given on her behalf travels with the Israelites, providing water, healing, and sustenance. sang 
God’s song.
It flowed 
rising like smoke
like a pillar of fire.
   And Miriam sang 
   her brothers’ song
   wild 
   jubilant
   Free at last, free at last!
      And she sang
      her mothers song, 
      crooned 
      in velvet darkness and liquid as day
      lullaby
      love song.
         And Miriam sang 
         the people’s song:
         soft and loud at once
         and liquid still, and edged in smoke
         and wild.
            A babble of song
            that lifted her feet 
            and rang out
            sang out
            with cymbal and lyre.
               Her voice rose
               like smoke,
               like air.
                  It soared. 
                  And she sang the people’s song
               sang her mother’s song
            sang her brother’s song
         sang God’s song.

      They poured forth from her
   as she danced.
The sea bed was rock-strewn
and dust
and blood now,
mixed with the dust.
Emet.
And Miriam danced 

on sharp edged stone
and she sang,

her arms lifted, with cymbals

and timbrels

and ribbons of fire that caught the light,

caught the eyes of the people

as she danced them across the dry desert sea.

 

And she sang God

   Singing faith

And she sang MosheThe quintessential Jewish leader who spoke face to face with God, unlike any other prophet, and who freed the people from Egypt, led them through the desert for forty years, and received the Torah on Mt. Sinai. His Hebrew name is Moshe.

   Singing freedom

And she sang her Mother

   Singing love

And she sang the people

   Singing celebration, singing fear.

And she danced

on feet that bled,

with arms raised in 

jubilation

supplication

surrender.

Weary and raw,

she danced

to a distant shore,

green and cool with a light that shimmered.

 

Miriam danced and raised her bloodied feet 

to stand upon the cool and green.

No song, no cymbal

just silence:

A final offering.

And into that stunning, that glorious silence,

she gave her weary body
   her bloodied body,

      her ribbons and cymbals,

         her vision,

            her voice.

 

            And God sang 

         Miriam’s song

      and it lifted her, like fire

   and it filled her, like love

Selah