The Bookmark Poem by Marc Mannheimer

The Bookmark

Rating: 5.0


One day, I happened by 10’000 Villages,
a non-profit store of magical crafts,
and arts of love, dedication and humble skill,
created by impoverished peoples from throughout the world
to profit those people

At the time, I’d been running
from my one Love,
from my Hindu spiritual practice
of 18 years;
I’d been running from my Self

I would think of Jesus
and of Adonai –
You really can’t go wrong there;
Judeo-Christianity was my homeless shelter

But it never really was the same

At the store that day,
I found,
or was found by
a bookmark

Blue and white stitched
on a woven white background;
the colors of Israel,
of the Jews –
in the form of
a cross, symbol of Jesus’ final sacrifice

Both of my religions, I thought,
represented in one prayer talisman

I picked it up,
examined it

On the back, was the price tag
and the words,
Made in India

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Ben Gieske 14 December 2007

Like the name of the store. Good selection of images and ideas to weave all of this together into the final line. Englightening ending of 'Made in _____? of which we are so conscious and critical these days.

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