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Eve of Kol Nidrei

two hands holding tallit fringes

For the unfulfilled innate vow

to be ourselves

a vow deftly stolen from some

as Abraham, obedient, nearly took

the life of Isaac, a still broken

vow unto himself,

as Esau’s birthright was by Jacob

a parent’s inclination determined one

blind and blazing event after another.

And history’s mothers, wily or with silent

tears interceding, and fathers, awesome

and mild, too present or unseeing, absent

introduce us to our future.

Until today bowed, humble

white tents about our heads

we seek

forgiveness

for the words

of our lives

we did not utter

that only our keepsake hearts

were free to speak.

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