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A Prayer for Seeing a Soldier

At the corner of Kaplan and Ibn Gvirol,

you stand next to me waiting to cross,

a tower of olive with dust on your boots,

and I barely subdue a primal urge

to wrap my arms around you.

Soldier,

what can I say to you?

For centuries, we had no defenders,

just amulets and allies,

and now your body is but one brick

in a massive wall of protection.

There is a prayer for seeing a rainbow,

but what is the prayer for seeing a soldier?

About the Author

Hanna Yerushalmi grew up in the Midwest, where kindness is a priority and listening is the first step in a relationship. And so relationships became the lens through which she views the world. Over the years, this lens further propelled her to the rabbinate and working in relational life. Hanna is an ordained rabbi and also a licensed professional counselor and currently works in a therapy practice with couples around issues of intimacy. Hanna lives in Annapolis and together with her husband is raising four children by teaching them about kindness and the value of listening. She is also the author of "Strip of Land: a Collection of Poetry about Israel."