We stand two feet apart in the terminal at Ben Gurion, his yarmulke off center, looking as if any gust of wind from the Mediterranean would turn its course on his head. “My time to go son, I hate goodbyes”. He stands there, lanky, the breadth and measurement of Moshiach, the eyes of redemption, his brown eyes entertaining lessons from some distant land. “I don’t know Dad, Goodbyes hold the sound of love, hello’s the timidity of happiness”. “I’ll take the goodbyes”.

“It’s a little bolt of lightning spat across the sky, while my daddy holds me, it sounds just like goodbye. Split the air that’s sat there, then it said goodbye, mixed a lot of color, what a joy filled ride. You have always told me, truth is when you leave, G-D it sounds like rapture, my heart cannot beat. When I feel those tears start, rational and true, sound of salt that’s dripping, that is love not new. In your thoughts my daddy you have sounded out my years, made my current value, fought off all my fears. G-D has held me nearer, close that I don’t see, all the points of danger that bring harm to me. What comes from my senses is all that I hear, and it sounds like psalms sung, love within my ears”.

Son I held you breathing, curls against my chest, and the sound of life song, gave my soul some rest. When I laid you backwards and I said goodnight, your breathing got much louder, your love within goodbye. There are open pockets, within the air I fly, each time the plane goes downward, I’ll know exactly why. When it comes to living, reminders of just why, G-D will say he loves me, a reminder for when I die. Just a little further son, I say goodbye, my love is more than memory, its faith upon goodbye!

The yarmulke, looks centered now, weaving through the crowd. Goodbye tearing its way into the roots of my soul. I don’t know if I can ever remember a hello! – 12.22.2014 – דָּנִיֵּאל