Topic Tags: grief

The poet frames the loss of life in Israel and in Gaze with this powerful liturgy

An greeting for mourners orienting towards one another.

“We get to Kaddish, I just hit a wall…”

“A thousand funerals in / one day    a shortage of diggers / an excess of graves.”

“Once upon the time / last weekend, something changed the composition of my body, / my memories, / and the way that I breathe.”

“I pray for a swift end to this unwanted war.”

“We are all mourners now / Needing, wanting, giving comfort / For ourselves…” For each other.”

“We are in mourning; / our people are in mourning; / collectively we are sitting shiva.”

“what will ensure / that this will never happen again?”

“Reasons mean nothing in the harsh light of consequence / Reasons are but shadows of war”