Monday, April 26, 2004

Yom HaZikaron. Today is Memorial Day for Israel's fallen soldiers. I leave you my small contribution, from the pen of Amir Gilboa:

And My Brother Was Silent

My brother returned from the field
In gray clothes.
And I feared that my dream would prove untrue
And I began at once to count his wounds.
And my brother was silent.

Then I dug in the pockets of his trenchcoat
And found a bandage, dry and stained.
And on a frayed postcard her name
Beneath a picture of poppies
And my brother was silent.

So I undid the pack
And took out his belongings, memory after memory.
Hooray, my brother, my brother the hero
Here I found your decorations!
Hooray, my brother, my brother the hero
I will sing your name proudly!
And my brother was silent.
And my brother was silent.

And his blood cried out from the ground.