by Evonne Marzouk (Maryland)
Tell me
I’ll feel better
when my body heals
when jet lag subsides
tell me I’ll sleep normally
when the war ends
when the hostages return home
when my son comes back
and (please G-d) goes to college
as planned.
Tell me
I’ll rise from this
confusion and fear
this time
of antisemitic attacks
and biased reporting
that slam against me
unexpected
(but now, more expected)
flinching
every time I turn on the news
or walk by graffiti
in my neighborhood and my city
or pass the police car
guarding
in front of my shul.
Tell me
I won’t need to fear
what I say
or what I wear,
where I go
or what comes next
that a time will come
when I’ll feel safe again
to be who I am.
Tell me
I’ll again wake
in the morning
with prayers of gratitude
(and not fear)
and my mind will be clear
for possibilities
empowering others
healing our planet
and living our biggest dreams.
After
the war ends
and my body heals
and jet lag fades
and the world moves on
(although some will never
be able to move on)
tell me, please,
we’ll use all this
darkness
to find clarity,
to be a shining light,
to heal the world.
Tell me, please
(though right now
it feels impossible)
we will find a way
together
to create lasting peace.
Evonne Marzouk’s writings have appeared in Newsweek, the Jewish News Syndicate, JTA, RitualWell, the Washington Post, and The Wisdom Daily, and her novel, “The Prophetess,” came out in paperback edition last fall. To learn more about Evonne and her work, visit her website: https://www.evonnemarzouk.com
The Jewish Writing Project 