A Passover Poem
Reflections on Passover by Deborah Leipziger
Published Apr 8, 2024
Passover seder plate
COURTESY LAURA MANDEL
Altar
Begin with stillness. Summon
Courage. Kavanah.
Deliverance.
Essence.
Forsythia and purple iris, tulips so pink edge into blue.
Gather your dearest, the lonely within and without. Bring your
Hunger, your fast.
Indeed, there is so much to hold here, to heal.
Just about everything calls out to you to be done and you must choose
Kindness, stay kind. Bring your
Love of storytelling.
Matzah. Maror. All this is
Necessary.
Open to the sacred, the simple.
Pass over the trifling annoyances. Make room for
Quiet places.
Reveal the past.
Sacrifice the things that no longer serve you. Remember the
Temples lost and burning. In Paris. In Jerusalem. In yourself. Listen, the
Universe calls to you.
Verify, purify.
Wake up your ancestors around the table.
EXonerate those that have not partaken, not delivered, not arrived.
Yearn for justice and freedom, bring your
Zeal. Bring your self, your deep desire to connect
the past, the possible, time no longer linear.
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