Boston Requiem: She is no Hagar

1471

Boston Requiem: She is No Hagar

Banished, alone and left out in the desert to die, Hagar sat down far away from Ishmael, her son, and said ”Let me not look on the death of the child.” She lifted up her voice to God and wept.

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy drink.

And God said: As for Ishmael, your son, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. I will make him into a great nation.

(Genesis 21:16- 17-20)

 

She suckled her sons

On hatred,

Cut their teeth on terrorism

She is no Hagar.

 

She could have offered them

Freedom

To choose

Lives of honor

In America,

Far away from Kyrgyzstan’s

Fundamentalist flames.

 

Her legacy,

Her progeny:

Boston bombers—

Making her

Mother of the Marathon

Murderers.

 

For her sons:

No water, no blessings.

Only a great nation, wounded.

 

Mohammed hides

His face

From her.

Islam is ashamed.

 

She is no Hagar.

 

Lynne Appel

© 2013

This is a small representation of the high-quality writings you’ll find in every issue of TIFERET.

We receive no outside funding and rely on digital issues, workshop fees, and donations to publish. If you enjoy our journal’s verbal and visual offerings, we hope you’ll consider supporting us in one of these ways.

Click Here to Purchase Digital Issues
Previous articleon being a prophet
Next articleThe World Dances in Your Sabbath