When I led you out, the earth spurted blood and terror
with every step we took,
the greatest good was sudden death,
and a mother’s blessing-the sure mercy of a bullet for her child.
The flowering acacias went the heavy way of exile
with the sky and us,
the air was burdened with their scent,
breathless, sweet, stifling in tears.
I wasn’t brave enough to look back,
and when I saw my home and my mother’s face in dreams,
I went grey.
My eyes are dry, but all my steps are tears.
How many lives are left to pray for?
How many graves am I closer to the earth?
What door will take me in
and where am I destined to fall?
You and I- the only two left of all our kin,
and I entrusted your young life to a star,
as my mother entrusted her quiet prayer,
my grandmother, her burning tears, to God.
Only you and I-and if I don’t make it through,
my mother’s prayer is crying in your blood.
The call of all those generations is ripening in you,
our village path is waiting for your step.
(Rachel Korn)
More Poetry from Rachel Korn:
Rachel Korn Poems based on Topics: Dreams, Mothers, God, Death & Dying, Prayers, Generation- Job (Rachel Korn Poems)
- The Housemaid (Rachel Korn Poems)
- Crazy Levi (Rachel Korn Poems)
- Generations (For My Daughter) (Rachel Korn Poems)
- Passover Eve (Rachel Korn Poems)
- Arthur Ziegelboim (Rachel Korn Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: God Poems, Death & Dying Poems, Dreams Poems, Prayers Poems, Mothers Poems, Generation PoemsBased on Keywords: spurted, acacias, i-and, blessing-the