Od Yavo, a poem written for Shabbat Matot, 5774

od yavo

what will it take

shalom

for the rockets to stop

salaam

for the world to see

aleinu

we are so capable

od

of remaining

blind

yavo

deaf

shalom

to others

salaam

voices

on the

other side

od yavo

so near

shalom

so distant

salaam

what will it take

od

to see

yavo

the common thread

od

of our humanity

yavo

what will it take

shalom

to hear

salaam

to change

aleinu

to discard the hate

od yavo

now

od yavo shalom

no other way

salaam aleinu

what will it take

v'al kol ha'olam, salaam

(based on the popular Israeli-Arabic folksong, Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu by Mosh ben Ari)