Dawn

Shavuos 4:30am
Surging mass through narrow stone..
brothers and sisters hurrying
Hushed murmur..scurrying
Pre dawn darkness...
magnetic pull
the holiest spot on earth.
exhausting night
Adrenaline pumping
excited birds overhead
fluttering Taleisim
Swaying...
Praying..
A white bird..
Circles up above..
around and around..
....and around
In the painted sky..
Awestruck
thousands of voices
Sephardi
Ashkenazi
Chassidish
Litvish
Dati
Yemenite
Reaching a crescendo..
Shma..Yisrael
Heart beating..
Impatiently..
looking around..
Where is he?
Tzur Yisrael Kumah B’ezras Yisrael..
Ufdei K’numecha..Yehuda V’Yisrael...
Then...
Decible level drops from LOUD to...
Absolute silence...


Collective sigh
sun fights its way over the wall
Lights up the sky..
Colors the city..
Gold
Brilliant
In the fervent silence.
No different accents
One People...
as the bird dissapears over the hills

I look around one more time...
So...sure he’d come...




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