This piece is part of our Witnessing series, which shares pieces from Israeli authors and authors in Israel, as well as the experiences of Jewish writers around the globe in the aftermath of October 7th.
It is critical to understand history not just through the books that will be written later, but also through the first-hand testimonies and real-time accounting of events as they occur. At Jewish Book Council, we understand the value of these written testimonials and of sharing these individual experiences. It’s more important now than ever to give space to these voices and narratives.
Help Me Remember, Hafiz, When All I Can See Is Nir Oz
–after “Sacred Dance for Life”
How do I stop my heart from choking on stone?
I want to smile, to lift and be lifted. Yes—
even to dance. But how
to untangle my feet, dear Hafiz? How
to unsnarl my arms so I may reach God?
Oh, Sacred Dance for Life,
you’ve come to me when I need you
most. My fingers scroll,
my grief swells. I am not
alone in forgetting
we were created for joy. Please,
oh poem, oh poet!
Tell me. How
to unsee
this once child’s sheet, tucked
neatly around four corners?
The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author, based on their observations and experiences.
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Diane Gottlieb is the editor of Awakenings: Stories of Body and Consciousness (ELJ Editions). Her words appear in 2023 Best Microfiction, River Teeth, The Florida Review, HuffPost, Jewish Literary Journal, SmokeLong Quarterly, and The Rumpus, among many other lovely places. She is the winner of Tiferet Journal’s 2021 Writing Contest in nonfiction, longlisted at 2023’s Wigleaf Top 50, a finalist of The Florida Review’s Editor’s Prize for Creative Nonfiction, and the Prose/CNF Editor of Emerge Literary Journal. Find her at https://dianegottlieb.com and on social media @DianeGotAuthor.