Sancturary of the Soul

Lest troubles pervade,

and ghosts from my past cause me to be afraid,

I shall enter that quiet space within me,

where all is blessed by the L-RD’s presence.

—– —– —–

If doubts assail me,

and worries about my future plague me,

I will call upon the One, who grants me protection,

and shelters the people Israel in Galus (Exile).

—– —– —–

Ad mosai? (How long?)

While I am waiting, I seek refuge from the storms

currently on the horizon, and the spreading darkness,

encroaching upon the once free world.

How many can clearly see?

—– —– —–

There is no exterior peace

to be found in this world of calamity,

except within the sanctuary of the soul,

where the din of the world cannot take its toll

upon the refiner’s fire that glows,

like the spirit that rests within.

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Shadow Weaver

Only a twenty-minute ferry ride

from Nanaimo, British Columbia,

across the bay to Gabriola Island

– my place of refuge for two months,

2,000 miles away from my former home.

There, amidst the solace of my retreat,

from the challenges of a wayward life,

I sheltered, during the winter,

while my soul had time to rest,

in safety, solitude, and quietude.

—– —– —– —–

Outside the perimeter of Gabriola,

the borders of the world could not infringe

upon my sense of time and place,

far away from the confusion of my past,

in expectation of a new life on the horizon.

And, the tides upon the beach,

watched with the silent eyes

of a New Age refugee,

rolled quietly upon the sands of time,

like my thoughts, amidst the ebb and flow

of my memories, some real, others not –

yet, unknown to me at the time,

that my personal past had been usurped

by a dark web of uncertainty,

spun by the weaver of sheker (falsity),

whose spell had now been broken.

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dVerse prompt

Thoughts Coalesce

Being aware

of separating the essential

from the nonessential,

making the right choices for myself,

and recommendations for others,

when I am able to do so –

this should compel me

to also guard my thoughts,

and watch my behavior –

an outward reminder

of the inner struggle.

—– —– —–

Perhaps, this panoply

of food allergies that plague

millions of people, like myself,

and the current disarray of society

are indications of the sickness within,

the disengagement of ancient truths,

no longer held within us

as a foundation to build upon;

the mild-mannered way

the good-natured person,

succumbing to the rants and raves

of a wild contagion

manifest in cancel culture,

and tearing society

apart at the seams.

—– —– —–

And, who will stitch and sew

together the remnant

of our tattered psyches,

except for the One

who can mend broken hearts,

and heal the wounds

that plague the soul?

—– —– —–

All of these externalities –

chaos, division, a lack of compassion,

an overall tendency toward

an underlying pervasive nihilism –

an outer manifestation

of the inner malaise

that corrodes from within,

unless we begin to search ourselves

for the solace inside of us

that can only be found

where we make space

for He who dwells within us,

and invite Him in.

Obliged to Try

Out of necessity,

eating unkosher chicken,

not out of rebellion,

nor indifference.

Rather, out of a sense of gratitude,

yet, begrudgingly accepting

the prepackaged fillets,

soaked in a spicy sauce,

that I should not have,

with two types of preservatives

that I normally avoid.

After a few bites,

my stomach is unsettled;

and, I think how much I would like

to eat kosher chicken fillets again,

as an occasional supplement

to my vegetarian diet.

Yet, alas, there is nowhere

here to find them,

unless I take a 2 hour trek

to the closest metropolis.

Challenged, we are,

to a lesser or greater degree

by secular society.

I wax philosophical,

feel spacy, and my stomach growls.

The curse of making a dispensation,

at the cost of my integrity

for one meal,

like Esau.

Renewal of the Soul

All is not lost,
there is always renewal in the moment,
freely available, beyond our expectations.
There is a hope
above the hope of my imagination,
that will bring renewal of the soul.
And, when all seems impossible,
placing my trust in G-d is the only way,
to combat this angst & anxiety.
No matter how dark the night,
He can see what I cannot,
and bring peace of mind.

© 2023 all rights reserved

Love Conquers All

1.

All of the firebrands that you have thrown at us,

have been deflected, landed in fertile soil, and,

transformed into pillars of truth to guide our lives.

The blazing torches of lies, brandished in our faces,

have been quenched by the streams of sanctity,

and extinguished by waters from the well of salvation.

We have been inoculated against future deception,

and strengthened against the cunning of the Great Deceiver.

We have regained our sanity within a world of chaos.

2.

We put one foot forward each and every day,

on the road towards freedom from the wreckage,

of the past, our country under duress

at the hands of our arch nemesis.

When the light appeared, our bonds were loosened,

our nightmares diminished, and new horizons emerged.

Carried away upon the wings of eagles to new vistas,

we have tread upon the tail of the serpent,

and danced amongst our people reborn.

© 2022 all rights reserved