Pyramid

By Zvi A. Sesling

 There among flat sands

the color of a cat

the grey pyramid rises

pointing to heaven

a single finger speaking

to a god forgotten

built by slaves forgotten

their names buried

with them forever

while the pharaoh

nameless for three thousand

years is found and

revered, his fame

in the pyramid that rises

supported by

crushed Hebrew bonesbeneath him

Zvi A. Sesling has been published in more than 100 magazines including Midstream, Poetica, Saranac Review, Asphodel,

New Delta Review, Ibbetson Street, Istanbul Literary Review, Chiron Review, Main Street Rag and Haz Mat. In 2004

he won Third Prize in the Reuben Rose International Poetry Competition (2004) and First Prize (2007). In 2008 he was selected

to read his poetry at New England/PEN "Discovery" by Sam Cornish, First Poet Laureate of Boston. In 2009 he was a finalist

in the Cervena Barva Chapbook Contest and his volume of poetry, King of the Jungle  was published recently by Ibbetson Street Press. He edits the Muddy River Poetry Review.

Happy Ending

By Mindy Aber Barad

 

Silent hallway,

Only my ears ring.

No emergency screams pass,

Just soft whispers of the children -

Their noses in Tehillim.

 

This long comma,

 

Separates their bickering

From good-night whining -

To be expected within the hour.

Feet will stamp

They will push each other.

I will pour every ounce of my patience into them

Gently

Lovingly

As I send them home.

 

When my older son returns,

Alone,

We quietly make Kiddush.

Eat small portions.

No, this is not the way

I had planned dinner -

Alone,

With one child,

In the waiting room.

 

We are filled by so little,

Spent with prayer.

My son begins to hum a favorite Nigun,

I join in automatically.

Only after,

Do we look at each other

Questioningly

Is this the right thing to do?

 

We sing as if at table,

As if no one is lying anesthetized,

Breathing aparatus covering face,

Behind many doors.

We sing his favorite songs -

And they are ours.

 

The hallway is now not so silent.

Other children bicker,

People sing.

Others in pain -

The tired

The visiting -

All enveloped in His peace,

Waiting,

Praying

For a happy ending.

Mindy Aber Barad moved to Israel in 1977, has a BA from Washington University (St. Louis), and an LLB from Hebrew University. She practiced law, but writing is her first career choice. In 1997 she won second prize in the Jewish Librarians' Choice competition, for a children's story. Her poetry, stories, book reviews and essays have been published in Poetica, Wild Plum, Current Accounts, the Jerusalem Post, the Jewish Press, CyclamensandSwords.com and other publications both on and off line. Most recently Mindy has become the Israeli co-editor of The Deronda Review.