ו נ ו נ ע י
ו And they afflicted us
Egypt
Alex Lazarus-Klein
Leaving is not our choice. Neither is staying.
The upright pyramids gleam like sand. The sand gleams like fallen pyramids.
We gather belongings. Count heads. Approach the door. We curse, bless, cough.
Taskmasters steady whips. The eyes of our neighbors stare.
Pharaoh may catch us. Elijah cannot save us.
We walk through the threshold. There is no returning.
Leaving is not our choice.
Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein serves as the rabbi of Congregation Shir Shalom in Buffalo, NY.
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