I Shall Sing to the Lord a New Song
Ruth H. Sohn

I, Miriam, stand at the sea 
and turn
to face the desert
stretching endless and
still.
My eyes are dazzled
The sky brilliant blue
Sunburnt sands unyielding white.
My hands turn to dove wings.
My arms
reach for the sky
and I want to sing
the song rising inside me.
My mouth open
I stop.
Where are the words?
Where the melody?

In a moment of panic
My eyes go blind.
Can I take a step
Without knowing a 
Destination?
Will I falter
Will I fall
Will the ground sink away from under me?

The song still unformed -
How can I sing?

To take the first step - 
To sing a new song - 
Is to close one's eyes
and dive
into unknown waters.
For a moment knowing nothing risking all -
But then to discover

The waters are friendly
The ground is firm.
And the song - 
the song rises again.
Out of my mouth
come words lifting the wind.
And I hear
for the first
the song
that has been in my heart
silent
unknown
even to me."