Praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

Photo credit: smith.edu

BURIAL OF THE PRAYERS

Israel Pilgrimage—2006

We fold bits of paper

on which are written

our secrets before God

our yearnings

the deepest desires

of our hearts

and tuck them

in crevices of the stones

of the Western Wall

We lay hands

upon the cool stones

and pray earnestly

where others have prayed

their prayers

over the years

The woman next to me

is sobbing, clenching

a slip of paper

in her hand

clearly demonstrating

why some call this

the Wailing Wall

The wind blows

some of the papers

out of the crevices

They sail through the air

and skitter and scatter

along the ground

I ask Etay, our guide

what becomes of them—

He says they are swept up

and placed into bags

then they are buried

…with respect

Maude Carolan Pych

Photo credit: epperlytravel.com