Lee Diamond – Standing in Unity
It was 11 am
Yom ha Zikaron
The sirens blared
For two minutes
All over the Jewish State
Everyone; Everything
Stopped and
Stood at Attention
Not a word uttered
Not a sound to be heard
Utter thoughts filled the
Silence
Jewish boys and girls
Jewish men and women
Bankers and laborers
All bonded as one
Remembering the loss
That gave us continued
Life.
Our Memorial Day is
Alive with memory
Of Jewish kids; our Jewish husbands;
And Jewish wives—who fell
So that we could stand
Erect, vital yet tearful and
Soul deprived
Every living Jew
Must mourn
Every living Jew
Wherever
Must remember
That Jews live today
Because of them
Diaspora Jews
Israeli Jews
Haredi Jews
Secular Jews
Reform &
Conservative Jews
And Atheist Jews
Because Of them
We must stand together
In silence
All Jews everywhere
All of us
On Yom Ha Zikaron
Of the Jews
Without them
We would not be.
For this day is a Yom
Like Yom Kippur
Without memory
We are not.
