Dorit Reads Her Poems The Burning & Allenby Street

The poems Allenby Street and The Burning are inspired by my years in Israel and were be published in Voices from the Attic Volume XV by Carlow University. 

We held the book launch party and the reading at WYEP in Pittsburgh. You are invited to listen to the reading. 

 

The Burning                                                                          

Books silently waited in darkness.

Books of Judaica,

Martin Buber, Kabbalah, the Tree of Life.

 

Hidden deep in a cellar in the Holy City .

Forgotten, as if they never were.

Saved by a German artist in 1993.

 

In my search for meaning I burnt these treasures,

again, again and again.

I fail to understand.

 

My people,

first they burnt books,

then they burnt people.

 

A slight glimpse into the working of a mad mind.

The power of fire, a country rises from the ashes.

The question to ask. The perished ones, where did they go?

 

Dismembered remains were glued onto the canvas.

Thick layers of oil paint dried instantly in Israel’s unbearable heat.

No warmth, only frozen layers of ice.

 

Allenby Street

Seven o’clock in the morning

jolted out of a dreamless sleep.

 

Ambulances chase to South Tel Aviv.

The sound of countless sirens.

 

Later

the radio broadcaster announces

half a dozen killed,

butchered with one sharp kitchen knife.

The terrorist hacked them down

as they waited for the bus.

 

The next day I walk down my street.

The blood all gone,

cleaned up by the Chevrat Kaddisha.

 

A shrine of flowers, candles lit,

photographs of the ones lost.

 

The pizzeria I work at

employs Habib.

A Palestinian.

He handles the sharp kitchen knives

cuts the vegetables.

 

Each time I turn my back

I see the knife stab into my flesh.

 

Habib only talks about his pregnant wife.

He radiates love

prays for a first born son.

I am ashamed of my suspicion.

The fear of knives though stays,

as well as the fear of being in crowded places.

 

My friend Ruven has a memory, too.

His stomach turns

each time he smells barbequed meat.

He survived the Lebanon War.

His best friends Yehuda, David and Ben

did not escape the burning tank.

 

 

Related Articles:

A Sunny Day in Tel Aviv

Timelessness in the Labyrinth – Moments of Beauty in Israel

Every Journey is a Spiritual Journey

Join a nature walk on Meditation Mount in Ojai, California and listen to the prologue poem ONE of the award winning autobiography Girls Don’t Ride Motorbikes – A Spiritual Adventure Into Life’s Labyrinth.

Please check out the Tribute to my Dad. ‘A true reminder to always be conscious of the fragility of life, to not hold back on saying how much you love someone and to be grateful for every moment you share together.’ Learn why I am so grateful for my father, and how he shaped me into the woman I am today.

One Powerful Experience – watch Dorit as she shares the most significant turning point in her life.

Please enjoy this article in Wise Women: Meditation & Motorcycles

Meet Dorit Brauer:

You are invited to view the Guided Imagery Videos, Spiritual Teachings and Spiritual Journeys on Dorit’s YouTube Channel. 

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