Longing for Rain “Bestow dew and rain for blessing” —from Winter Amidah I stand at the corner, resting in the shade of a locust tree, at the height of summer, longing for rain. A breeze blowing in from the Negev doesn't cool but rather chafes my sunburnt skin—sweat rolls down my face, stings my eyes, tastes of salt. My splotched shirt sticks to my wet back. It's merely time, and only time, I know, that stands between now and then, when glorious rains will fall in bucketfuls. And the rain-soaked soil will send earthworms up for air.
Gershon Ben-Avraham’s writing has appeared in journals and magazines, including Amethyst Review, Big Muddy, Gravel, Image, Jewish Literary Journal, Poetica, Psaltery & Lyre, Rappahannock Review, and Tipton Poetry Journal. His short story, “Yoineh Bodek,” (Image) earned “Special Mention” in the Pushcart Prize XLlV: Best of the Small Presses 2020 Edition.
Amethyst Review 