I wrote this poem to my son, Geist, and all chilldren living through difficult times. Written during the coronavirus pandemic that coincided with Passover, I read and sent the poem via email and text to the children participating in our Zoom seder as their remote gift to return the afikomen that the youngest had found hidden (by their parents) at their home.
To the Children
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Born to 9/11
Commencing into a plague
These are the children of
A Dark Age
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May you find joy and laughterÂ
Notwithstanding the tears
May you feel love and beauty
Notwithstanding the fear
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Hold hands and danceÂ
Swim with the whales
Believe in the future
As you unfurl your sails
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We love you so deeplyÂ
We thought we had tried
But our guts rattle with shameÂ
As we look deep inside
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We should have done moreÂ
We got lost in the fray
We did not stop the ravages
Polluting your days
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May the Earth wield her power
May the Spirits awake
May the bonds – togetherÂ
Weave, heal, cure the breaks
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You are more than you knowÂ
You are moonlight and song
You are wondrous and infiniteÂ
You are stardust and strong
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