The King of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom
is Miriam—she is Moses’ sister.
A declaration of
capital punishment
upon the innocents.
The instiller of faith, enabler of redemption,
she rose up.
Standing up against
the massacre of the children,
Risking her life
to save countless others.

Amid the ashes and the flames burns the future of tomorrow.
A baby born into a garden of thorns,
a savior is born.
But he can’t run from
Pharaoh’s decree upon
him and his brothers.
Yochebed Moses’ mother
Building a small boat
And placing it in
the treacherous river.
Down by the bay,
his sister stood from a distance
To save the savior
to know what would happen to him.
The Egyptian princess
came down to bathe in the river
and found treasure
amongst the reeds of the Nile.
Miriam the prophetess
Her brother’s keeper,
She smiles.

And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea
and the waters were a wall unto them
on their right and on their left.
They crossed the ocean
The water covered their enemies.
Crossing to safety
Miriam the prophetess
Took a tambourine in her hand
And her sisters
sang her song;
the most marvelous that the world
has ever heard.
All the women went out with her, with tambourines and with dances.
The words of this song,
“Oh, my God!”
Let us sing you the song of our people
You found me
You saved me
The horse and the rider have you thrown into the sea.
In the merit of righteous women we were redeemed from Egypt.

God may it be your will,
To learn, to do, to be
Like those before me
Who can sing and dance
And be bold as well as strong
So that I may
Use my head alongside my heart
In those days...in our time.
Because these women
And Miriam the prophetess
The sister
The protector
The poet
The dancer
The Jewish mother
Reflect my values.
Teach your daughters well.