Sunday, July 10, 2016

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

2 comments:

  1. Maude, this is so touching. I want to build a wailing wall!

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  2. Thanks, Barbara. Actually, the walls at Beth Israel remind me of Jerusalem and the Western (Wailing) Wall.

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