Yom Ha’Zikaron – Yom Ha’Atzmaut 5778
There is a place with ancient streets and old stone walls,
And there the forces of History and Wonder are meeting once again
In that Home once lost, revived in our Bones by the Hope of shadowed millions,
At last a Land reclaimed by the descendants of a Nation that always kept the faith-
Take me there to live again
I know a place where the air is sweet,
Where the winds along the coast whisper as they do atop the Central City’s hills
Revealing secrets of a forgotten wisdom,
From every direction you are reminded of an age gone by,
And when the wind blows back your hair it feels familiar.
On this ground your fathers searched for answers
And now your longing heart compels you home…
City of Peace, who can ever forget your name?
This is the Land where the West began
Standing now as the Eastern-most outpost of a hopeful World’s defenses
Here again the Guardian rises day and night to stand watch upon the Walls,
Even when he’s tired, even when others forget why he must stand there- ready always-
Continuing in truth, and upright without fear.
For the Fallen a Shofar sounds,
Parents weep by hallowed graves
For the generals and the soldiers the headstones look the same
A reminder that in mourning we are equal in our pain
Their memories are a blessing,
Their purpose now our own,
To my Brothers still embattled, your long life is my prayer
Ours is a place where homebound soldiers hear the words of the Prophets put to melodies in the open markets,
And the sound of children laughing mixes together with the music of the streets.
It is for this he rises- Heaven’s promise of past and future-
Prepared each day to fight, his heart cries out for Peace knowing one day it will come,
Knowing one day without doubt the two Cousins must choose Love
Meanwhile he stands strong along the borders of his Home
He knows his obligation towards his People’s living dreams…
A Miracle in our time, is this not worth protecting?
This is the place where his People have returned once more
And Here we will aspire to the multitudes and meaning of the stars in the night sky
Suddenly all is clear
As he begins to understand the difference between reflecting light and shining
It’s true that Darkness abounds
But there is no grace in unearned guilt
Take pride now in the contrast of how light permits the shadow
And understand at last that one is cause- the other consequence
So we must find the Angels in the angles of our rays
In this, our only hope, we’ll turn shadows into shade
Seventy years have passed
And now we’ve reached the age of our favorite imperfect Hero
From him we learned there is a king in every shepherd
“Mizmor L’David”
the legacy lives on
In this nation of warriors
In my country of poets
Our song endures eternal
And today a new verse is written
But the chorus remains the same
Hallelujah
Here we must shine onward
Here we will be light
The Brotherman Blog 