May 9, 2016
Got caught in a traffic jam tonight on the way to a rehearsal in south Tel Aviv. Took me almost an hour. But as soon as I got there I forgot everything. Panic Ensemble has the makings of a super-disk. it just has to be recorded. And I have to write some new lyrics. Strangely enough the lyrics are mostly biblical - Jezebel and Eve star. Some of my classics like "You Always Loved Me Wrong" and "Why I can't write formal verse," and "Having one eye" are in there.
I always leave as soon as the music stops and don't wait for the musicians to pack up. So tonight I found myself in the deserted dark alley alone. I always think it should be scary but it never really is. It seems fine. But I'm usually totally ignorant of the reality of the situation.
May 11, 2016
I let the television play in the other room last night - couldn't watch the Memorial ceremony - first because it was in front of the kotel and has therefore officially mixed church and state. second because there were no women. the voices of women were silenced from mourning the thousands of dead soldiers and civilians killed because of the State. What of the widows and children? What of the women and girls whose lives were lost because they were Israeli? From here on I will not be party to any government ceremony that does not recognize half of the population
As we move from Memorial Day to Independence Day my anger subsides, although my resolve remains the same. I found myself pulling from the closet a t-shirt i wrote with a poem, here. It says: It is still possible to envision a true Jewish state but only if it is large enough to include the rest of the world and generous enough to acknowledge and try to right the wrongs committed even unwillingly in its creation. This is o u r hope
May 12, 2016
We had no picnic today, were not invited to a barbecue, and spent the morning recovering from the night before. Our quiet evenings last night and tonight were with friends and our conversation avoided Israeli politics. It was a perfect independence day.
May 13, 2016
I'm putting in a film Dorit Weissman did of poets reading. I didn't know it had been filmed but it was on tv last month and now Dorit put it on her channel.
The other poets reading are Rafi Weichert and Ronny Sommek. If you like it tell her.