Shiva

WHY RABBI WHY

A DAMAGED
UNUSABLE TORAH
IS BURIED IN THE EARTH
REVERENTLY
BEFITTING THE HOLY PURPOSE
IT ONCE SERVED

A DEAD BODY DESERVES THE SAME RESPECT
IT HOUSED THE SOUL
IT SHOULD BE GIVEN A RITUAL BATH
BECAUSE
CLEAN AND PURE
IT CAME INTO THIS WORLD
SO CLEAN AND PURE IT SHOULD LEAVE

WE SIT SHIVA
FOR SEVEN DAYS
BECAUSE JOSEPH
MOURNED HIS FATHER
SEVEN DAYS

AND JOB’S FRIENDS
IN THE FACE OF HIS GRIEF
WERE SILENT
FOR SEVEN DAYS

UNTIL HE SPOKE
OH THAT I MIGHT NEVER HAVE BEEN BORN
THAN TO SUFFER SUCH PAIN

WE SIT LOW
BECAUSE WE BEEN BROUGHT LOW BY DEATH
AND TO BE NEAR THE BODY
WHICH IS IN THE EARTH

WE ARE AN ANCIENT PEOPLE
MANY OF OUR FOLKWAYS
ARE BURIED IN HISTORY
MYSTERY
OR MYTH

WE BRING STONES
TO THE GRAVE SITE
BECAUSE THE TIME WAS
WHEN THE DEAD WERE COVERED WITH ROCK
TO PREVENT DESECRATION

OR MAYBE
JUST TO SHOW WE WERE THERE

MANY OF LIFE’S EVENTS
ARE COVERED WITH PRAYER
FROM OUR GOING OUT
AND COMING BACK
AND IN BETWEEN

LIFE IS SACRED
AND DEATH
IS THE SOLVER OF RIDDLES


FRANK A VOLLMER