House of Refuge
Then the Lord said to Moses: "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, select some towns to be
your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so
that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly." Numbers 35:9-12
There were six of them then.
But wouldn't it be helpful now
to have just one,
or something, at least,
on a smaller scale?
A modest place,
a yurt, perhaps,
or modern menstrual hut,
where a woman could be
and not have to apologize for it,
a place to run to
when an accident,
spinning around like a demonized
roulette wheel,
picks her number,
an encompassing shelter
when the innocent mistake
becomes a bear with a club in his hand,
the forgotten detail
an ice chute to hell,
a safe site from the prefect
of perfection,
the avenger
of glaring goofs,
a domain of forgiveness,
a simple house of refuge.
Then the Lord said to Moses: "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, select some towns to be
your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so
that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly." Numbers 35:9-12
There were six of them then.
But wouldn't it be helpful now
to have just one,
or something, at least,
on a smaller scale?
A modest place,
a yurt, perhaps,
or modern menstrual hut,
where a woman could be
and not have to apologize for it,
a place to run to
when an accident,
spinning around like a demonized
roulette wheel,
picks her number,
an encompassing shelter
when the innocent mistake
becomes a bear with a club in his hand,
the forgotten detail
an ice chute to hell,
a safe site from the prefect
of perfection,
the avenger
of glaring goofs,
a domain of forgiveness,
a simple house of refuge.