The chasm opens wide,
as we drift further apart,
knowing that the distance
between us can only decrease,
by a reconciliation that neither of us
can imagine for now.
My Guide will lead me to Gan Eden,
while you remain distant,
unable to hear the call.
Yet, I pray every day
for your redemption –
the renewal of your soul.
Connect the dots
between your values and emotions,
making a string of your deeds,
in alignment with the seeds
of renewal and rebirth,
storing gems in heaven,
for all to see, like the stars
that light up the nighttime sky.
© 2023 all rights reserved
note to reader: poem by a human being
image by Craiyon A.I. image generator
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.
© 2023 all rights reserved
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.
Oh, tempestuous soul,
shall you sort things out on your own,
without even acknowledging your own failures,
shortcomings, challenges, and proclivity to sin?
Shall you disregard your own negative impact,
and only cast blame upon the other?
Bow down in your heart toward G-d,
the One hope to spark renewal
of mind, body, and spirit,
and bring peace to a restless soul.
© 2023 all rights reserved
Oh, ruinous soul,
shall you continue in your negativity?
The threads are bare, exposing your despair,
consuming even the sparks of hope,
that need time to be fanned into flames
of promise for renewal in your life.
—– —– —– —– —–
What of strife? It serves no purpose,
unless transcended when the challenge is met.
What of worldly comfort? (Never to be of avail
to the uncomfortability of a restless soul).
What of love? That can only flourish
in a heart transformed by G-d alone.
© 2023 all rights reserved
Many places, arrived at by life’s choices,
concretized in time, once a decision’s made.
A multitude of possibilities, cast aside,
in favor of the one, that changes everything.
—– —– —–
A blanket of snow in winter, covers
all growth, that has since decayed.
Spring brings renewal to the heart and mind;
consolation to the cobwebs of the past.
Summer bears the burden of responsibility,
when all is brought to the light of truth.
In preparation for the autumn leaves,
that will fall gently to the ground.
—– —– —–
These natural cycles are determined
by more factors than our own choices.
I was once given a polished stone,
a constant reminder of silence.
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
Breathing Inspiration 