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November 4, 2020
Photo by Jose Luis Agudo / EyeEm/Getty Images

I

A child is born.

They name him laughter.

Another child is sent away

as if blood doesn’t exist.

The original seeds

of a divided Jerusalem

are sown right here.

Hardly anyone laughs there now.

II

Every day Sodom and Gomorrah

happen in front of my house.

I’m taking a census of the righteous

in my neighborhood.

I’m having trouble getting to the number one.

I want the police to take them away

their trash too.

We could use a localized gentrification.

A pillar of salt.

III

Despite my son’s worst behavior

I don’t think I could take him to the rock

no matter Who asked.

Abraham should have argued.

He was already famous for that.

Nothing to prove.

Let us make a covenant with life.

Reserve salt, only for our tongues.

Open the tent to all our children.


Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 23 books including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.”

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