The first man was not afraid from the tempting snake
Adam did not shrink from the Angel with the sword
Banishing him out of Garden of Eden
He did not even fear the voice of the Lord
Who chased him out of his perfect world
Only when Adam's first child was born
The first man felt fear
For the first time
He was really scared and confused
Suddenly ----
Adam realized he had something to lose.
Blood Brothers
If only Cain would not have killed Abel
They would forever remain
The best of brothers
Two perfect friends
Now till the Bible ends.
If only Cain would have said
Forgive me
Down on his knees
He would bury his stone
Replace his fury with grace
The world would be such a different place.
A Stranger in my Land
Don't go with me Ruth,
By myself I'll cross the border
Alone I will go
Let us part now, before it's too late
I must leave, but you can still regret.
On the other side a foreign land awaits
There - they'll point their fingers,
Call you by names
Wherever you walk
You'll be tarnished by shame
A stranger in my land
I'm worried and scared
I know how hard it is to forget and forgive
On your wall they will write
"Here a Foreign Woman lives".
Do not join me, Ruth
You are a widow, not a bride anymore
And my people are engulfed in their fears
Banging their doors
There - Sara banished her rival Hagar
There - they do not welcome those who come from afar
When you walk on the street
You will always be marked
"The Other" - that's what they'll call you
From morning to dark.
Though they call themselves "The Chosen People"
They are suspicious, hostile and hard
Out of fear of the unknown
Go back, Ruth, stay with your own.
Night falls, Ruth
Moabite sky is old
My people are not yours
Nor is my God!
Turn around, wife of my son
My beloved daughter in Law,
Stay where your own sun shines
For my home is not yours
Nor yours is mine.
Don't go with me, Ruth
Don't go with me, Ruth!
Lullaby to Adam the First Man
Sleep tight Adam, First Man
Your bed is the earth
From which you are made
I sculpted your image
Crafted by dust
This I did
With my own bear hand.
At last, our Eden is quiet
Keep still, until darkness will grow
Remember, Adam the First
I am above
And your are always below.
Naked you lie
Under the tree of life
In its shade you must remain
But beware of the other fruit
And you'll never know any pain.
You don't have a mother or father
Both of us are alone in this world
You are a human, made out of dust
And I am forever your Lord.
That's the right order
Don't ever dare cross the border.
Soon I'll create a mate
From your rib Eve will spring
Like a star in your heart she will glitter
Now close your eyes
Sweet dreams
For I won't be your baby sitter
Sleep tight, Adam the first
I am the strong one, you are the weak
Tomorrow our journey together begins
Enough with your questions
Hush, Hush in the mud
"If I'm made of earth, why is there blood?"
For six days I labored
Why? So you ask.
Creating a world,
What a tiring task
Separating darkness from light
Keeping the wrong from the right
Now you must sleep tight
Adam the First Man
No one yet cries
And I too will close my eyes.
Sara, Sara
I'd like to sneak into the bible
The book of Genesis; chapter twenty one
Just for second
And soon I'll be gone.
I must tell Sara before it's too late
Don't banish Hagar, the woman you hate.
She and her boy, the two must be saved
Though you are the mistress
And she's but a slave.
So they won't cross the desert
Angry and lost
Hold all your horses
Please, at all costs.
Let Isaac and Ishmael be
Happy brothers, great friends
From now on, till the Bible ends.
Let them play and rejoice
For the rest of their lives
Allow them to grow
With no hatred
No knives.
Sara, Sara
Let Hagar's son be like yours
Don't lock up your doors
And you will spare us
The blood and the wars.
The poems are from the books "Awake in my Sleep" (2000) and "The Courage to be Afraid" (2004).
Ella Milch-Sheriff and Nava Semel, 2005