Heading Home One Step At A Time

Shamati L’Libi: I Listened To My Heart

Sep 25, 2026, 11:48 PM

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Grave of author's great-grandfather in Machpelah cemetary. Photo by Zarachti Nur, July 2026.

Shamati L’Libi

The air is thin up here
It’s too far to see Israel
No matter how clear

Still my heart knows
East is the way home
That my dreams show

Staying put is dismal
Only one place to be
Endless stories to tell

I’ve held back too long
Now I reject Pharaoh
To sing my own song

My path rejects Rome
Derech apart to the land
Promised in our tome

Before I die I must see
Golan, Negev, every Tel
Where I long to be free

If that is all I understand
Then I can face my fears
Listening, dusk in hand

Shabbat shalom,
Chag Sukkot sameach,
May all find their homes

About the Author

Zarachti Nur (they/he) is a writer based in Michigan's Upper Peninsula on the shores of Lake Superior. They write and are a contributor to the sustainability news site Green Prophet. They are a reconnecting October 8th Jew from a relatively secular and isolated upbringing, finding joy in community and seeking peace in a world of division. Their favorite services, cantors, and thinkers tend to be Conservative while still appreciating Chassidic spirituality, Reconstructionist innovation, Reform consideration, atheist skepticism, JewBu presence, and every Jew. They care about the environment, human rights, democracy for all, food security, human agency, animal rights, and different paths to healing. Coming home to Israel remains a work in progress.