From the Skin of Mermaids (Tetzaveh 5785)

God says,
For Aaron and his sons
do this:
Dress them up
Make them Holy
Give them rules
Give them purpose and
     Power
Anoint the father
Anoint the sons

But where are the women?
Where are the mothers and daughters
the wives
the sisters
     Where is Miriam?

She had influence, we know
Wisdom, we’ve heard
She could lead women
She could inspire men
Speak to princesses 
Find water
       Was she too threatening
somehow?

Don’t anoint her
Don’t give her garments with pomegranate 
     bells
Better if we don’t hear her coming
Better if we don’t empower her further
Keep her quiet
     Keep her down

Build me a sanctuary where I might dwell among you
     You
the men
But not the women
They 
must stay
     Outside

I want to celebrate my history
but I am      missing
From the story
I was dancing with the women and found myself
     Erased 
along with them as well

Where am I in this system?
In these laws?
In this Torah?
Where are my sisters?

Perhaps if we lift the curtained walls,
fabricated from the skin of mermaids,
Perhaps 
we might find them
     There