The Wall
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed (2 Kings 20:2-6). God heard his lamentations and added 15 years to his life. Sometimes, what seems to be hemming us in, in fact, the key to our rescue. When we run out of room to run, we might find ourselves hemmed in on all sides by God and pressed right into His bosom.
So we turned
our faces
to the wall
of wailing
with our backs
to each other
and our faces
to heaven
with the tears
seeping from our eyes
We locked hands together
and used our heads
as rams and buttresses
against the indestructible wall
of our grief
and wailed for our lost home
and wailed for our dispersion.
We wailed for Meshiach
to come
We wailed for the wall
to fall down
and the tiny fragments
like small white birds
fluttered wings.
As the wall shook
with our agony
the prayers fluttered
and rose on angel wings.
And we knew
we were saved
for this week
For like this wall
we would continue
to stand
Despite the mountains
of oppression.
Despite the Pharaohs
bent on destroying us
Despite Ourselves
and everything lost to us
as we bent to scrape
the masters’ shoes
We like this wall
would stand
and wail till
everything precious
and meek like justice
heard our pleas
and sent us to rest
with our fathers.