Not the 32
It is not the #32 bus,
Winding from shuk to pedestrian mall,
Nor the etrog sellers whom gather,
Connecting Rechov Bar Ilan with the world.
Highway One approaches, but never reaches,
Despite the road’s “Baruch Haba.”
Even Geula’s bucharim merely escort;
The way to Tzion is not of feet.
.
My butcher sports heschsherim of two rabbanim.
Still, his birds can not bring us.
Telstone chachamin entreat sweetly,
Torah and Gemara dripping,
Like our Lubavitch neighbors, dancing Mo’ed.
All usher, but not directly.
Moshiach’s coming!
The core of Tzion is not of hands.
.
Tour guides, multilingual shepherds,
Bring marvelously Kotel-bound, where
Quiet people, with open palms,
Plus frail boxes, impart mitzvot.
Har Nof’s shucking can’t
Nor can Romama’s kallots’ smiles.
The essence of Tzion is not of the mind.
.
Ramot Eshkol grandmothers welcome
Wayward guests’ delight,
Children raised in Talpiot choose,
Not to weave with traffic.
Seminary girls from Bayit Vegan visit
Extra perekim of Tehillim;
Tzion is in the heart.
.
Like
Katushas & qassams – of course you will never accept them. That makes total sense. But never accepting the legal representation in Knesset of Israeli Arabs? Never accepting the religious symbols of people who share the land with you? I don’t understand how that is poetry.
Sue, if “logic,” as we understand the axiology undergirding that term, per Western Civilization’s Enlightenment Era heritage, sufficed, then the nations would not try to bombard Israel with rhetorical or actual missiles, but would be flocking to support our holy land. We Jews need to deal with “what is,” not with “what if.” The status quo, in this case, is that our artful enemies are succeeding in turning our disenfranchised members against us. Why is it so frightening to take an actual stand for our nation and for our people?
Truth, whether in the case of governments or in the case of individuals, must always come before popularity. It’s harder, but cleaner to live accordingly.