This poem is supposed to draw a stark contrast between William Blake’s visionary ideal of Jerusalem as a symbol of peace and spiritual renewal, and the harsh realities of today’s Jerusalem, Israeli policies, and the ongoing suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. It confronts the devastation wrought by political decisions and military actions, refusing to cloak these tragedies with ancient m...

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You saw me, even then
you knew me
back when no one saw me
I kept no one around
who knew me
I, too, was in my infancy
twenty-something
and far from knowing much
in any real way at all

Still, somehow, you found me
brought books of Blake
to the shop we worked
we’d sit and read together
on the varnished wooden counter
your summer dress 
hanging from you like a sail
we’d admire the cr...

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