Jerusalem, I Long for You

-Dr. Mel Waldman

November 13, 2010

My Jewish soul belongs to G-d, Hashem,

nestled in the mystical center,

the holy sphere of my

being, and there,

is my

Jerusalem.

At dawn, the holy city awakens and

dances up and down, across and

around the Tree of Life,

hidden in my

sacred

spirit.

At noon, Jerusalem sings to me,

sweet songs of love and

peace.

In mid-afternoon, Jerusalem

speaks softly to me, and

beckons me to

discover its

holy

landscape and

secrets.

After sunset, the holy city

rests and sleeps within

my Jewish soul.

Oh, sweet Jerusalem,

I long for you! 

One day I

will pray at the

Western

Wall.

Now, you sleep and

dance in the center

of my Jewish

soul.

Dr. Mel Waldman, a psychologist, is also a poet and writer whose stories and poems have appeared in dozens of magazines including HARDBOILED DETECTIVE, ESPIONAGE, THE SAINT, POETICA, and AUDIENCE. He is a past winner of the literary GRADIVA AWARD in Psychoanalysis and was nominated for a PUSHCART PRIZE in literature.  He is the author of 11 books including I AM A JEW, a collection of essays, memoir, short stories, poems, and plays about his exploration of his Jewish identity published by World Audience.  Recently, he became the Director of the Williamsburg Clinic of the Interborough Developmental and Consultation Center, one of four Brooklyn mental health clinics of IDCC, as well as a school based program, serving a diverse client population that includes the Orthodox and Modern Orthodox Jewish community.