The Place Where We Are Right
From the place where we are right
flowers will never grow
in the spring.
The place where we are right
is hard and trampled
like a yard.
But doubts and loves
dig up the world
like a mole, a plough.
And a whisper will be heard in the place
where the ruined
house once stood.
***************
I came across this poem in the anthology How Lovely the Ruins, which I’ve been dipping into for weeks. As spring (finally) arrives here in Cambridge, I am seeing new growth firsthand, in flowerbeds and yards, and even in patches of bare ground.
We are living in contentious times, and there is so much shouting and trampling everywhere I look. Amichai knew something about this: he was an Israeli poet who served in two wars and lived in a hotly contested region.
I get attached to being right, sometimes. But ultimately I’d rather be part of the “doubts and loves” that dig up the world, and make room for hope and flourishing, even among the ruins.
April is National Poetry Month, and I am sharing poetry here on Fridays this month.
cakes, tea and dreams 
Beautiful post and beautiful poem. I’ve always liked his work. Thank you for sharing this and the lovely photo. We still have an unusual amount of snow on the ground in Minnesota, but temps are climbing to 60 degrees soon and winter is finally over. We look forward to seeing flowers.
Oh my. Yes, we had flurries this week. Spring is on the way…I hope!
I, too, struggle with a need to be right sometimes, especially at work. Am trying to let the little things go and not respond to every perceived slight. It’s hard. But I don’t want to end up ‘hard and trampled’. Thanks for sharing these poems every week – I’ve really enjoyed it!
It is hard. But necessary, I think. Glad you’ve enjoyed the poems!
Beautiful words! Mesmerizing!