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Pearl of Great Price

The Pearl came back just today,
that I had sent, full of light,
let's say a journalist,
let's say a modest and a wise man,
let's say he came to you
to understand, speak for you.

This Pearl you sent to me, so early.
The dream man, cultured heart,
educated, a laughing soul.
This is why I made all peoples,
for a Pearl like this.

And yet you send him back.
So soon. You made him say,
"I am a jew, my mother is a jew."

But where this Pearl comes from,
to be a Jew is a celebration
of intelligence, of humor,
of cultural and artistic values.

To be a Jew is the happiest thing,
because you know,
if your friend is Jewish,
that he is in love with art and books
and theatre and blintzes
and the occasional Yiddish phrase.

And to be a Jewish mother, well,
that is to be a fortress
of wit, and standards
and deeply grown compassion.

This Pearl was a quiet man,
an observer. A handsome,
romantic, dream man,
who went to France
and brought home a beauty.
And with that beauty soon
will be born another Pearl.

This Pearl was the best
that they do
over there in America,
raise children like this one,
and have them get educated
and professional and concerned
and passionate and kind.

And yet you send him back to me.
What a silly people.
You think that you speak for me
as Allah. You think that you
act for me.

When a child picks up his father's sword,
there is a sadness building.
You are that child,
or else why are you hiding?
What will happen
when you stand before your father,
with all the dead things in your hand?

Daniel, the Pearl is free,
and beautiful.
but you will never escape
from the shadow of this day,
because there is no freedom
for the heart that cuts a rose,
just to crush it.

You have sent me back my Pearl,
and yet it's you that will pay, forever.

-pjs

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