This One’s For Moses – a poem for Vezot Hab’rchah

And the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days, and the days of weeping over the mourning for Moses came to an end. ~ Deuteronomy 34:8

I still weep for Moses.
The distant uncle I never knew
but know so much about,

whose words I can quote
and often sing, whose anger
I caught glimpses of

when we didn’t live up to what
he had hoped. I mourn his only glimpse
into our promised land.

Where would he have built
his tent had he been allowed in?
I want to visit his grave

and pay my respects, but it lays
across a river I have yet to cross
in a location undisclosed unto this day.

Who is unknowingly stepping on that spot?
What flocks have grazed upon where he
was laid to rest?

I want to lay stones wherever I go
in case that’s the spot. Does anyone say
Yizkor for Moses, or take out a memorial ad

in the bulletin? I’ve seen statues and
paintings, but his name rarely appears
on the leaves of the trees of life

on our synagogue walls.
I still weep for Moses
whose hand I never shook

whose eyes I never knew
whose efforts brought me to
where I am today.

Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 28 books including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.”