the middle east erupts in war

 This poem was inspired by the haftorah for shabbat chol ha'moed which describes the final war before the coming of the messiah. i used the text of the haftorah as a model and then added modern details. i used some songs from the play les mis for inspiration 

When the King, The Mashiach arrives

I saw the tanks roll along the road into the wilderness.
the soldiers went to their bases, and toward war went the soldiers.
to the ships and into battle went the sailors.
to their airbases, went the pilots, to the airbases to stand guard against an attack went the airmen.
to the airbases went the airmen- ready to sortie and strike the enemy.

to the hospitals went the medics and doctors to the hospitals to prepare for the flood of the wounded.
to the hospitals went the nurses to tend to the wounded and to the hospitals with the nurses went the soldiers to defend the wounded from attack.

To their targets flew the missiles, to their targets to prevent the enemy’s strike sped the missiles and to war went the troops who stand guard over the state of Israel- the first flowering of our redemption.

to war went the soldiers, sailors and airmen who stand guard over the state, the State of Israel.

to war went the soldiers, sailors and airmen who returned forever altered, damaged and scarred by the beast, by the beast which  consumes all; by the beast which damages, scars and mian; by the beast which is called war.
to war went the soldiers; the soldiers of the enemy; to destroy their enemy- and thus in war- soldiers head to war to defeat their perceived enemy.

to war went Hamas; to war went Hizbollah, to war went Fatah, to war went the remnants of al- Queda, and to war went the ones who seek to destroy the people of Israel; to war went Iran, to war went syria.

    as i walked through Tzfat, i could hear the people sing; singing a song of angry men, i could hear the music of a people who would not be attacked again. when the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drum; a new dawn will begin. In the streets, i heard the cries of “One Day More”; one day more till the geulah, we will destroy the enemies of israel, they will wet themselves with blood. and in the bomb shelters, i heard them singing about their dream; a dream for a day when the red glare of the rockets will be no more. i heard them sing, “I dreamed a dream in days of terror. when hope was  high yet life not worth living. i dreamed that Hashem would be forgiving. but the missiles come at night, with the the wail of the air raid sirens. with the sirens soft as thunder. as they tear your hope apart. as they turn your faith to doubt.”

and in Yerushaliyaim, they sang a different song. at the kotel, thousands gathered for selechos beseeching HaShem to protect and defend his firstborn nation from the red one; from the iranian threat.  and at the kotel, you could hear them singing, singing a song of angry men. when the fervor of your tefilot echoes the beating of the drums, there is a new day about to arrive. and at the kotel, you could hear the whispered prayer, the prayer from the depths of despair.

and at the military bases, a different song was sung. I believe with complete faith in the  coming of the Moshiach and even though he may tarry, i do still believe.  and as the order to deploy was heard, a song burst forth; a song of Maalot- I lift my eyes to the hills, from where shall my help come? My help shall come from Hashem, maker of heaven and earth. Behold, The guardian of Yisrael neither sleeps nor slumbers.