Cleared for Publication

Cleared for publication:
That our hearts are broken
And in hidden places
In empty rooms
Thousands of sobs
Are choking silently.
Cleared for publication:
That open season was declared on us
We were plundered in the dark
Of the most precious of the precious
It is already cleared for publication:
That the magical shining light
Of our beloved’s face is extinguished.
However, beneath the same soil
A stubborn plant is sprouting
Sending roots without end
Tightly grasped with love

From Hineni (Here I Am), a collection of poetry from the front line and the home front, created jointly in the spring of 2024 by the religious literary journal Mashiv HaRuach and the IDF Chief Education Officer's headquarters.

Translated by Michael Bohnen, Heather Silverman, and Rachel Korazim.

* “Cleared for publication” is a term used by the Israeli media to announce that the names of soldiers who have fallen in battle can now be made public. This only happens after their families and close relatives have been personally informed. Throughout the war, for many weeks the news frequently began with these words.