In The Forest
Together
The four of us
Enter the forest
In search of the Tree of Life
On every side, the high trees
Whisper their song
In the morning breeze.
On one of the tall branches
An eagle flaps its massive wings.
Gila looks up.
Stunned by its beauty,
She recalls how this king of birds
Shelters its young
With its nurturing wings,
And how
The Children of Israel
Return to their Land
On eagles' wings.
Transfixed, she notices not
That we leave her
As we move forward
Through the forest.
Rina stops to gaze
At a daisy.
Enthralled by
its thin white petals,
And by the
delicacy of its wholeness,
She crouches,
in holy conversation
With God's
creation.
Transfixed, she notices not
That we leave her
As we move forward
Through the
forest.
We pause at a
pond in a clearing.
Ditza looks
down in its waters.
Beside her
reflection she sees a cherub.
Awed by its
purity,
Like the two cherubs above the Holy Ark
Reflecting the love
Between the
Children of Israel
And their
Creator,
She recalls
how the Divine Voice spoke
From between
those two cherubs
Above the
broken tablets.
Transfixed,
she notices not
That I leave
her
As I move
forward alone
Through the
forest
On my search
for the Tree of Life.
And I
understand,
To each her
own journey
Back to the
unique imprint of her soul.
This poem was first published in Yated Ne'eman, 14 February 2003