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Of a Vanished Kingdom–Yehuda Amichai

Put your face to the wind

For I do not know when again

We have too little time left to forget.

We cannot rely on forgetting.

The wind pasted an old newspaper to the olive tree.

Put your face.

Once we stood together

As a symbol of a vanished kingdom:

wild beasts, banners, and obsolete weapons

In one bundle, tied with a band of soothing words

In an ancient language.

A phrase from the prayerbook of history

In your voice a tune still remains

of Talmudic students.

“Do you love me?”

If we don’t remain together, we won’t remain at all.

Let alone live.

Photo by Flor Saurina on Unsplash