He stuffed it in a corner
Where it would gather dust
And chained the box and locked it
To just sit there and rust
But soon it is
Just days away
And he is filled with fear
“Need I open up the box
To say Kinnos this year?
“And what, My friend
Might I just find
Now locked inside that box
Together with the Kinnos
That’s sealed with tape and locks?
“I’ll find the Kinnos
Wet again
With tears that drip anew
Another layer of tzaros
The pains of every Jew”
Together with those Kinnos
He thought he wouldn’t say
He’ll find a box of tzaros
A new one every day
Buried amongst the pages
The blood of Itamar
And children killed in accidents
The pain, the tears, the tzaar
Of buses hitting kinderlach
Or trucks that did not see
The boys who drowned
On tiyulim
So young, so pure, carefree
With terror never ceasing
His Kinnos box is filled
With worn-out lamentations
And new blood that is spilled
The gedolim who have left us
That pain is packed in there
From Cleveland to Bnei Brak
And so many right here
He thought that he
Would never need
Those Kinnos for this year
From young men
In their prime of life
All marbitzei Torah
And now on top of
Those pages
He’ll find Abuchatzeirah
And he’ll find
Sholom ben Rivka
Who’s languishing in jail
Awaiting miracles to come
That answer his appeal
And freshly packed
Inside the box
With Yirmiyahu’s tears
Sitting there
With days to go
He ponders as he fears
That box that’s
Filled with Kinnos
Will it somehow empty?
And as he thought
Perhaps this year
It now contains dear Leiby
And in his mind
He still has hope
The shofar blast will blow
And with it all the answers
The things he prays to know
For there is time
To open it
And find nothing there inside
The Kinnos and the tragedies
Will all manage to hide
And any question that he had
Is answered beautifully
For he shall see the glory of
The One Who’ll set us free
