This poem I wrote about my Birthright trip to Israel. I went to Israel over winter break 2017-2018, and the trip had a profound impact on me. I don’t always write poetry, but sometimes I find it to be a wonderful way to get my thoughts on a page. This poem will be published in the Agnes Scott Literary Magazine, The Aurora.

G-d was found in the desert
We wander
Our souls weary and broken
Salt flats cutting into our soles

G-d was found in the desert
Our tongues dry
Our lips cracked, our stomachs empty
Aching, crying

G-d was found in the desert
Of a different kind
The cold winds of a Polish winter
Snow stretching for miles

G-d was found in the desert
In so many deserts
For so many people
For so many years

G-d was found in the desert
Maybe Moses walked here
Where I lay on the pale dirt
A rock pressing into my back

G-d was found in the desert
The night is freezing
I gaze into the stars
A million more than I’ve ever seen before

G-d was found in the desert
Religions are found in the desert
Heritage is found in the desert
And maybe I find myself

G-d was found in the desert, they say, and here, in the desert, I know.