Mikveh Mayim: Becoming A Jew
Poem
By Ona Siporin
Where the island divides the river
you decide to forget to remember
You dive into the glacial current
and, coming up,
lift your eyes, now unmarred,
to the clear heavens
mapped by the bare branches of spring.
When you dive deeply
and spread your fingers so far
no grasp is possible
you know what you own.
You waited all your life
for single moments
like this one
when you catch your breath,
shudder, when your body is
a trembling stalk, your mind
close, close
to the knowledge beyond you.
Used by permission of the author
