When Abraham breathed his last,
at a good ripe age, his sons,
Isaac and Ishmael buried him
in the cave of Machpelah.
Not remarkable,
sons at a funeral,
if one can forget
Abraham banished Ishmael
and raised a knife to Isaac.
Or that Ishmael begot one nation
and Isaac another.
Two mistreated sons
in ancient times
set aside their anger
at the grave of their father.
Dare I imagine the scene?
The children of Abraham,
bowing their heads
to bury the past
and join hands in grief.
The Braided Way is a framework to see every faith tradition as a strand, braided into a larger whole of spiritual awareness. In the Braided Way, combining spiritual practice from various faiths allow us to explore sacred experience and wonder in forms that resonate with our personal spiritual needs and sacred intuitions. In today’s culture, many people shun religious dogma, but yearn for spiritual connection. The Braided Way allows the ceremonies and practices of multiple faiths to be available without the confinements of cultural dogma.
What a meaningful poem for our times, Jackie! Thank you.