Blow a Shofar in Zion

Blowing a shofar in Zion

MARCO SOUNDS THE SHOFAR

Israel Pilgrimage—2006

Marco bought a shofar in Galilee—

a long and spiraled Yemenite shofar

made from the horn

of a kudo antelope

With a deep and steady breath

Marco blasts its harrowing thunder

over the Mount of Olives

the Western Wall

the Jordan River

and just about every site

we visit in holy Zion

trumpeting its long distinctive wail

to jolt us from our complacency—

Wake up!

Warning all hearers:

Prepare! Repent!

Wake up! Oh Sleepers—

Wake up! and follow the Lord!

Anne brought her tambourine

from New Jersey—

It’s shaped like a Star of David

Colorful ribbons stream

from its six points

Like Miriam, Anne lifts it high

and dances with delight

praising Adonai with worshipful women

from all over the world

Their swirling skirts sweep the ground

It’s Shabbat, in Jerusalem

at the Western Wall

and I bought a tallit in Tiberius—

blue and white like the Israeli flag

with knotted fringes in the corners

to remind me God’s promises are true

a traditional prayer shawl

to wrap snuggly around my shoulders

like God’s strong and loving arms

enfolding me

as I pray

Maude Carolan Pych

Four to five hundred pilgrims from Beth Israel Worship Center in Wayne, NJ, continue to tour the Holy Land with Rabbi Jonathan. I'm sure they'll all be so mightily blessed that they'll never be the same.The above poem was written following my last pilgrimage and is one my series of poems of pilgrimage. If you'd like to read more, go to the Blog Archive on the right and click on September, October and November or scroll to the end for information about ordering my chapbook, "A Pilgrim's Quest".