Friday, March 4, 2011

Swimming to 31°47'N, 35°12'E - A Shabbat Homework Assignment

Howard Schwartz is a storyteller, a folklorist, a scholar, and a poet. He's collected many Jewish stories, my favorites being found in Lilith's Cave: Jewish Tales of the Supernatural, Elijah's Violin & Other Jewish Fairy Tales  and Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism.

He has a new collection of poems out: Breathing in the Dark. This is a sample (which is also posted on the publisher's website cited above. You can buy the book there.)  I love it because I feel like I am always on a quest. I'm also searching  for my Jerusalem.  I thought I'd share this as a Shabbat gift to you all.

It's also a Shabbat homework assignment. Where is your Jerusalem?  Can you always find it at 31°47'N, 35°12'E?  Shabbat Shalom.

The first time
I went on a quest
for forbidden fruit.

The second time
I built an ark
and tried to get there by sea.

The third time
I came in search of my ancestor,
Abraham.

If the sun was hidden
I let the stars
guide me.

If the tablets were broken
I carved
new ones.

In the future
my bones
will roll to that city.

Last night
I dreamed
I was swimming there.

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