Poem for the Wood Gatherer – A poem for Parsha Sh’lach

So the entire community took him outside the camp, and they pelted him to death with stones, as God had commanded Moses. God spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the Israelites and say to them that they must make for themselves a tassel on the corners of their garments. ~ Numbers 15:36-38

It goes quickly –

right from stoning a man to death
for gathering wood on the Sabbath to

being told to wear threads to remind
us to not gather wood on the Sabbath and

six hundred and twelve other things, lest
we get commanded to stone someone to death

for gathering wood on the Sabbath
or all those other things.

This happens in the space of four verses.
There is no mourning or funeral –

none worth mentioning in our sacred text.
There is no warning or pre-information

telling the wood gatherer what the
punishment might be.

The threads were turquoise
if that makes any difference.

It probably didn’t to the
wood gatherer.

Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 29 books including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.” Visit him at www.JewishPoetry.net