On top of your fear

התגברת על הפחד שלך

?התגברת על הפחד שלך Did you overcome your fear? Asked the 5-year-old big sister

brushing away two black curls, from her shiny dark eyes,

to the  3-year-old little sister, with matching curls and eyes,

about swinging from the bar,

as they left the gymnastics class,

at the make-shift community center,

a year after they ran from their home up north.

התגברת? Their strength gets lost in translation; one doesn’t “overcome” some things.

התגברת? Did you make yourself courageous, my little sister, on top of your fear?

Did you make yourself courageous, when there were booms from the sky, and fire, and we had to run from our home, without our shoes?

Mother, did you make yourself courageous, when you carried us running, to keep us safe?

Father, did you make yourself courageous, when you risked your life to cook stew of carrots and cardamon, for the brave soldiers, who missed their Ima, especially erev Shabbat?

Daughter, did you make yourself courageous, when you asked to help your brave father, and learned to peel a big carrot with your tiny hands?

Teacher, did you make yourself courageous, when you taught the scared children to sing a song, about the booms and the fire, the running from home, about taking shelter in the holy city, about thank you for kind people and brave soldiers, and please for peace and safety and going home?

Beloved, you make yourself courageous, when I put on my uniform and left that morning, and was gone for so long, and you kept the community safe, our children okay;

Son, how you made yourself so courageous, on top of such fear, when they stole you from your life, into the deepest dark, and you stayed strong, and survived so long, and knew how much we love you;

Mother, how did you make yourself so courageous, on top of such fear, when you never gave up hope, when you never gave up love,

When you taught the world, what it means to be courageous, on top of fear,

What it means to see light, on top of darkness,

To hold closeness, on top of longing,

To say our hope is not lost, on top of loss,

To make yourself courageous on top of your fear.