A CUP OF WATER FROM JACOB’S WELL
Israel Pilgrimage—1986
We arrive at Shechem
and make our way
to Jacob’s Well
It surprises me to find
this ancient water source
that I first read about in Genesis
still operating
and I’m astonished
to be offered
a refreshing cupful
drawn deeply
from a bucket
on a rope
The water is clear and cool
and tastes ordinary, but
what can be ordinary
about water drawn
from the very well
of the old patriarch
built 4000 years ago?
I purchase a small ceramic urn
filled with an ounce or so
of life’s most basic sustenance
It is sealed with a plug of wax
I’ll place it on a shelf at home
not because of any
mystical or magical powers
(It is ordinary water, after all)
but to remind me
of how far back in time
God’s amazing story goes
Maude Carolan Pych
The above poem is from my chapbook, "A Pilgrim's Quest--A Poet Visits the Holy Land". Scroll to the bottom of this website for ordering information.
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