65 - untitled

This Hannah’s story is told in Maccabees II, Chapter 7. It is a story of great sacrifice to prevent profaning the name of God. One of my correspondents wrote me that Sixty-Five had been read at Mass on the third anniversary of the murder of a friend’s son. Let there be no more Hannahs and no more sons of Hannah.

Sixty-Five

And Hannah watched,
As one by one the sweet boys perished,
Singing sh’ma, singing Your Name
To deny the oppressor.

Let there be no more sons of Hannah.
Let there be no need for death that honors.
Let life instead, sanctify the Living God;
Let loving deeds praise Your Name.

And Hannahs watch as sons are taken.
New oppressors threaten.
Modern scourges, crooked schemes,
Always turning away from God.

Let there be no more sons of Hannah.
Let there be no gunshots in darkness
To slay with random dishonor,
A universe removed from the Living God.

And sons watch as Hannah is buried.
Knotted with the ropes of tears unshed,
They recall boyhood lessons:
Kibud av v’aym, and turn back.

Recall us to life, O Living God, that we might live.

So shall our enemies perish,
And our brave works praise You;
So shall Hannahs’ sons sing
The transformation of their deeds.