For Naomi
Published
Topic
Sadness
Pesach 2011 and 2012
The Angel of Death passed over
because they had smeared fresh blood on the lintels
And so they fled the land of slavery
and the seas parted.
She fled the cold north lands to a country where
white pebbles nestled in the warm white sand
where the language was like her music
and people drank wine and there was laughter in the streets
and children played in the sunlight.
Waking in the dark, terrified
from dreams, from memories of killings
echoes of murderous words
and pounding hearts and stamping boots
She tried not to remember
But to hope
Deep into the present
enough for going on
Wendie Shaffer, Italy, Greece, Turkey, 2011-2012