I check in with her every day,
and am terrified when she doesn’t respond.
Each moment, I think of her there,
thousands of miles away, in uniform,
fighting for her country and her people.
I miss walking through the streets of JerusalemLit. City of peace From the time of David to the Roman destruction, Jerusalem was the capital of Israel and the spiritual and governmental center of the Jewish people. During the long exile, Jews longed to return to Jerusalem and wrote poems, prayers, and songs about the beloved city. In 1967, with the capture of the Old City, Jerusalem was reunited, becoming "the eternal capital of Israel." Still, the longing for peace is unfulfilled.
by her side, talking about stupid jokes
we saw on the internet the night before.
I miss the tea-filled nights, and conversations
in my hotel room when the others were out drinking.
I miss the talks about boys we had,
And all the struggles we bonded over every day.
We only spent a week together before I left.
We had little time together before I went away.
And now she is there, left behind,
fighting for her life and her family.
Fighting for every person she ever knew,
Because their lives are truly at stake in this.
I check in with her every day,
and am terrified when she doesn’t respond.
If she takes too long to text me back,
I fear the worst, and when she misses a day,
I descend into chaos in my mind, fearing she is gone.
She fights for her life, while I panic in my room,
thousands of miles away, in plain clothes,
safe in a country where I don’t worry about war.
I miss the sun in the desert, and the expanses,
the River Jordan, and the Port of Haifa.
I miss the days in IsraelLit. ''the one who struggles with God.'' Israel means many things. It is first used with reference to Jacob, whose name is changed to Israel (Genesis 32:29), the one who struggles with God. Jacob's children, the Jewish people, become B'nai Israel, the children of Israel. The name also refers to the land of Israel and the State of Israel. before the gates opened up,
and everyone descended into chaos and misery.
The streets of Tiberius call to me, even now.
The gentle breeze in Be’er Sheva beckons me.
I miss the talks, and presentations, the hikes,
the swims, and the long bus rides across the country.
Traversing from the desert to the sea in an hour.
Feeding camels, and floating in the Dead Sea.
I miss everything about Israel that called me there,
And now I, like the wall, am wailing in agony.
Like the call of Lamentations, I am left to wonder
Why?
I check in with her every day,
and I am terrified, even when she does respond…
I am terrified…
Why?
