Dreaming of Potential

“In the desert, you can remember your name
‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain.”

– A Horse With No Name, by America

In the desert of my life,

when all of the pain and strife,

drifted like dust, behind me on the path,

I began to see the light at last.

And, yet, it is not as you might think,

as if I was brought to the brink,

of my trials and tribulations,

only to find instant redemption.

Rather, the light exposes the darkness,

gradually, within the soul of the penitent with finesse,

bringing understanding in its wake,

to the disillusioned, yet, sated heart.

In my lowliness, I began to see

all of what has been plaguing me;

so, that each pathogen may be brought into the light

for scrutiny under the gaze of G-d’s brightness.

Instead of abandoning my past in denial,

I become transformed through all that is vile

in my personality, turning into its opposite,

like toxic negativity being replaced by virtue.

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Gazing Upon You

How can I steer a steady course,

toward Your benevolence and kindness?

Only by giving the helm

to Your guidance and direction.

How can I remain on the path

toward Your promises?

Only by fixing my gaze upon You,

rather than on this world.

—– —– —– —–

And, yet, if I am fortunate,

Your gaze also rests upon me.

For, how can I maintain

this grace bestowed upon me,

except to receive what You give?

And, how can I obtain peace of mind,

except to give of myself to others?

—– —– —– —–

For You have shown us the way,

through Your attributes of mercy,

that are freely given at Your discretion,

despite our lack of merit.

And, You are the first and the last,

Your presence will rest upon Israel.

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Seeking Him

Give thanks to His name,

despite everything that seems to be in disarray.

Proclaim His acts across the land,

and offer a helping hand,

to those in need.

Sing words of praise to Him,

even when things do not appear to be going well.

Play music in His honor,

and in the splendor of holiness,

worship Him.

Let your heart rejoice

in the provision of the L-RD,

for His grace abounds,

and the level of His mercy

cannot be found out.

Always search out the L-RD,

and seek His countenance,

a refuge in the storms of life,

a guide to all your challenges

along the way home.

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The Stone

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.

Evacuees

Airplanes,

in flight with souls,

seeking a safe refuge

from perils in war-torn Ukraine,

arrive

under the wings of Shechinah,

bringing precious jewels –

survivors of

Shoah.

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Tanka tuesday prompt

Our Hope

Ribon HaOlamim,

Master of the Worlds,

look down upon your children,

and hear our plea, for the sake of peace,

amongst Your diverse Creation.

You are One, and Your Name is One:

yet, not until the Day of Reckoning,

will this be realized in our hearts.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

In hope, in fulfillment of all

that is promised to Your people,

we cast our eyes above, towards You,

in recognition of Your awesome holiness,

and in acknowledgment of our

human weaknesses and pettiness.

Bestow Your light upon us,

and hearken to our prayers.

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Ukraine Blues

The surrounding countryside of Kiev, and other cities, such as Lviv, and even my own ancestral hometown, Bolekhiv, are quiet in the night, while the Russians prepare their next attempts to maneuver their positions, to be in alignment with their next forward march into the fray. By now, they know that they will continue to meet with resistance from the Ukrainian defenders. These are not nationalists, like the propaganda espoused by the Putin regime would have it known; rather, these are loyal citizens of a country that has been trying to gain its complete freedom for decades. True, it was Ukrainian nationalists in the midst of WW2, who were no friends of the Jewish population in Bolechov, Poland in 1939, when the Soviets retreated. However, the current generation of Ukrainians are not responsible for the sins of their ancestors.

After WW2, my ancestral hometown fell in under the new lines of demarcation, designating the city as Bolekhiv in the newly established boundaries of Soviet Ukraine. And, now, 58 years later, and, incidentally, fifty-eight miles south of Lviv, I wonder how far the smoldering torches of war have receded, or perhaps impeded upon the place where the graves of my ancestors rest. Of course, most of them, were actually buried in either one of two mass graves. The first, 7 km outside of Bolechov (now, Bolekhiv) in the Tanaiwa forest. The other, hastily made grave in the actual cemetery. This cemetery is the best preserved Jewish cemetery in Europe. I have always wanted to visit, since I “found” my ancestors through genealogical research. And, now, How am I to do so? Ultimately, if am able to do so in the future, will I be entering an independent Ukraine, or Soviet-controlled Ukraine?

My ancestors souls,

transcend earthly boundaries,

knowing only peace.

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dverse prompt

Beyond Oblivion

At the sound of the shofar,

we will respond to the call,

“Prepare the way for the King.”

The masquerade will be over,

when darkness will no longer fall

upon the face of the earth.

At the beginning of dawn,

when the first light will appear

on the new horizon,

we will be given vision and insight,

to see beyond the mirror of self,

into the eyes of the divine.

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dverse prompt

Butterflies

Amongst the fields of sunflowers,

dreaming in the winds of change,

butterflies roam, partaking of the nectar.

Sweet dreams interrupted by a shift

in the pleasant breezes,

accompanied by dark clouds.

Nectar runs dry, and petals wilt,

as the resting places

of the fragile two-winged creatures,

disappear from the fields.

How many Ukrainian refugees,

who have taken flight,

from the devastation,

will be blessed with a new beginning,

in faraway places, where safety resides,

miles away from their homes?

—– —– —– —–

My ancestors, with prescient insight,

migrated across the Atlantic Ocean,

before the flames of the Shoah

engulfed Bolechov, and took the lives

of those who remained in the shtetl.

Ghosts of the past cry out,

Release me, into the wind,

so that our memories

will not be forgotten.

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Reverberations

Poems for Ukraine

Cold railing on platform,

separates us, as tears flow,

behind window of train.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Debris, scattered everywhere,

as if a fanfare of wind and tempest

blew through the city, proclaiming

the acharis hayomim.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

No one is here to witness,

the empty streets, and silent buildings;

while we shelter beneath the earth,

huddled together in blankets.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

In the not-so-distant past,

we were deported for our faith,

endless tracks led nowhere.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

In the not-so-distant tomorrow,

we will be praying for the light of redemption,

when darkness covers the land.

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