This poem is taken from PN Review 233, Volume 43 Number 3, January - February 2017.
Five Poems
The Binding of Isaac
Twenty minutes away, a young Muslim is dying of bone cancer
In an Israeli hospital. His sister refuses to donate her marrow
And the young man cries out in darkness, ‘Allah, Merciful One, I know
You are punishing me for all those naked women I visited.’
And under his rage is the sadness of tank-ploughed olive groves.
We read about it in our seminar and debate the pros and cons
Of hugging him. We refer to human touch as an intervention.
‘Who are you to love me?’ We hear our fantasies shout back at us.
And so it was that Abraham, having heard the angel’s voice
And felt her tears, untied his only son, saying, ‘God has provided
The offering for us.’ But Ishmael insisted Avraham had heard wrong
And said, ‘My place is here, on the altar.’ And Abraham said, ‘Isaac, Isaac.’
And Ishmael said, ‘Hineini.’
Seeker’s Psalm
And Dinah, daughter of Leah,
...
Twenty minutes away, a young Muslim is dying of bone cancer
In an Israeli hospital. His sister refuses to donate her marrow
And the young man cries out in darkness, ‘Allah, Merciful One, I know
You are punishing me for all those naked women I visited.’
And under his rage is the sadness of tank-ploughed olive groves.
We read about it in our seminar and debate the pros and cons
Of hugging him. We refer to human touch as an intervention.
‘Who are you to love me?’ We hear our fantasies shout back at us.
And so it was that Abraham, having heard the angel’s voice
And felt her tears, untied his only son, saying, ‘God has provided
The offering for us.’ But Ishmael insisted Avraham had heard wrong
And said, ‘My place is here, on the altar.’ And Abraham said, ‘Isaac, Isaac.’
And Ishmael said, ‘Hineini.’
Seeker’s Psalm
And Dinah, daughter of Leah,
...
The page you have requested is restricted to subscribers only. Please enter your username and password and click on 'Continue'.
If you have forgotten your username and password, please enter the email address you used when you joined. Your login details will then be emailed to the address specified.
If you are not a subscriber and would like to enjoy the 285 issues containing over 11,500 poems, articles, reports, interviews and reviews, why not subscribe to the website today?
If you have forgotten your username and password, please enter the email address you used when you joined. Your login details will then be emailed to the address specified.
If you are not a subscriber and would like to enjoy the 285 issues containing over 11,500 poems, articles, reports, interviews and reviews, why not subscribe to the website today?