And these are the names of the children of Israel who were coming to Egypt . . .
I love a good list poem
Seventy souls came from the land
we were shown down to Egypt –
The sons, a daughter or two –
Egypt was never a good idea
but, when climate dries the land
it’s time to move.
The plight of the Colorado river
must sound so familiar to
our ancestors.
Everybody and their mother
makes the trip, though, as is
the custom of the patriarchy
the mothers aren’t mentioned.
It’s okay, you migrate to Egypt
I’ll sit here in the dust.
Wear a sweater.
I love a good list poem and
everyone is mentioned by name
(except the wives.) Even Muppim
is there, I assume he was the
forebear of Kermit.
I’d like to tell you more, but it’s
really just a roster. Which, if you’ve
ever been on tour bus in Israel
makes sense as before the
gas pedal gets pressed, after
you’ve set foot on rocks the
Romans kicked around, you
need to count off, make sure
all your souls are present before
you head off to the Naot factory
or to crawl through a cave or touch
your fingers to a retaining wall.
Every soul must be accounted for.
Even the ladies, if for some reason
you don’t want to mention their names.
Remember, it’s always a good idea
to go to Israel. But never to leave.
Especially not to Egypt.
You’ll see.