Shushan

Shushan

The City of Susa where Daniel lived
Daniel in his white T-Shirt and jeans
Near the swamp where the waterlillies grew
Some days he would go to the hilltop
Strip off his shirt and feel the heat of the sun

In the near cool of the night he would dance in Susa
Daniel would dance with no shoes, on the dusty ground
In a club called Shushan, called Shushan
For the City of Susa and the liberation of the people
Daniel danced for all people in his white T-Shirt

Statues of lions in relief on the wall watched him
They growled without words “Make us one, give us opportunity”
Ivri drunk with sanctuary, sang out in one word over and over
“Let, let, let, let.” the rich chant bounced around the den
Shushan. Shushan. There is safety, there is release in Susa today

“Thus saith” is far away echoeing from minds long closed
Ivri throws his hands up and shouts in triumph
Daniel stops his dance, looks over his shoulder and gives a wide smile
Someone yells “tonight there is no wall, tonight there is no wire”
The ground is stomped and rhythm and music grow as wild as the lions

The dizzying burst of freedom and acceptance continues 3 more hours
Soon the lawmakers and the nay-sayers will be opening their eyes
Prowling with their list of “Thus saith us” and their list of dissidents
For now there is love, there is kinship, there is Daniel in the arms of an unknown man

With his white T-Shirt in hand Daniel walks past the relief on the wall
Stepping out onto the dawning street towards the high grafitti wall
He pulls back a sheet of wire fencing and squeezes through the other side
In the distance Daniel can see the hilltop, his hilltop, the sun kisses it
He hesitates and falters and thinks to himself about the kindness of God