Tag: faith

Manifest Presence

“Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest?” – Proverbs 30:4, JPS 1917 Tanach

Rising above, falling below

the waves of emotions, tossing to and fro.

If I ascend to the heights,

my spirit will be greeted by Your grace;

and if I descend into the abyss,

there, You may be found in the darkness.

Before I came into existence,

You knew the depths of my soul;

so, I will take comfort,

even when the storms assail,

and the waters rise, threatening to engulf me.

For You have reckoned the four corners of the world,

in a single glance, taking all into account;

and, graced me with Your presence,

through the manifestation of Your son.

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Springtime Reconciliation

Summer fades into the autumn greys,

and soon winter will arrive with the decay

of the leaves on trees, and blooming things.

The prairie dogs retreat into their dens,

to hibernate until the beginning of Spring.

We watch with anxious anticipation

for the redemption of the creation,

marked by the month of Aviv,

when all mankind is made free.

Without anywhere to hide,

our sins are brought to light,

and like a prairie dog standing,

by his hole, in imitation of prayer,

we are called to ward off the doldrums

of our mind, and reconcile ourselves

to the Creator of all things peaceable

within His Kingdom.

dVerse prompt

Chorus of Praise

A musical enterprise,

spanning out across the cosmos,

the ethereal songs of the stars,

unwavering in their praise

of the Creator.

We mimic their tribute

to the Almighty,

serving to uplift souls on earth,

who aspire to draw close

to the One True G-d.

dVerse prompt

(And sometimes we’re left speechless, with only the silent prayers of the heart).

In the beginning, My servant Job

In the beginning

he would rise early in the morning

now the earth was chaos and waste

from roaming the earth and walking on it

darkness was on the surface of the deep

but now, stretch out Your hand

Then G-d said, Let there be light

only do not extend your hand against him

Then G-d made the two great lights

so the adversary departed from the presence of the L-RD.

—– —– —– —– —– —–

over the day and over the night

a messenger came to Job

to separate the light from the darkness

the fire of G-d has fallen from heaven

and G-d saw that it was good

I alone escaped to tell you

So there was evening and there was morning

while this one was still speaking.

—– —– —– —– —–

above the land across the expanse

suddenly a mighty wind came

over the whole earth

and struck the four corners

the flying creatures of the sky,

fell to the ground and worshipped

And it happened so.

I will return there

G-d saw everything

blessed is the name of the L-RD.

dVerse prompt

note to reader: This poem alternates between phrases from the Book of Genesis, chapter 1 (in italics); and the Book of Job, chapter 1 (plain text). Hopefully, the poem appears as a seamless whole, despite some of the juxtapositions, that might seem awkward.

Hope Avails Much

One small act of kindness

can send waves of compassion;

one great act of courage,

can lift up the hearts of many.

Hope prevails amongst us

when we see with eyes of faith,

and hear with the ears of mercy,

turning the darkness into light.

The redemption of our souls,

by way of a guiding light,

reconciles our heart to G-d,

restoring the peace of mind

that we yearn for, throughout our lives.

When a spark is lit inside of us,

by the torch of the eternal flame,

we become the guardians of our own faith,

 and the path to the Kingdom.

Then, we will sing the refrain

of the song of the Redeemer.

The Shoreline

Setting aside selfish sentiments,

to focus attention on the divine,

unearthing hidden resentments –

compelling the soul to transcend over time.

Like the waters on the beach,

receding into the blue ocean,

I would swim as far as I could to reach

a distant shore, where ancient memories blend

with a future envisioned by the prophets,

who saw the distant hope on the horizon,

and directed us to seek, as wisdom saw fit,

the entrance into the kingdom.

—– —– —– —– —–

The currents challenge us to navigate,

while the waves crest high with foam;

and, our arrival can only be estimated

by the tears that fall as we roam.

The promise of a place reserved,

beckons to us from that golden shore,

as we are called to rely on our faith,

to guide us through the door.

Our lives, akin to all who hear the call,

to enter into the ark of refuge,

provided by the One who created all,

to transcend the dystopian deluge.

The Master Artisan

Everything I do is stitched with colors that blend into the tapestry designed by the master artisan, Who weaves, day and night, the dreams that make up our lives. To be in accord with His ways, by adding to the beauty, character, and dimension of the journey, that unfolds in tandem with His plan, the divine blueprint of my life – this takes a listening heart, a humble soul, and an obedience to His will, above and beyond my own.

Yet, dare I let the threads untangle, or willfully take out the stitches already in place, the effort is in vain, and the glory will diminish, rather than remain. Once, at a museum, I stood upon a spiral staircase in awe and wonder at a medieval tapestry on display in a room with a high ceiling, like the scenes of our lives displayed in Heaven.

prosery line in bold: W.S. Merwin, from “Separation”

dVerse prompt

Hope Surfaces (revision)

When will I be free

from these shadows of the past?

When will I sing

of my freedom at last?

All that You have done for me,

is enthroned in my memory.

All that You are doing for your people,

will be enthroned for eternity.

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

Hope, is the mainstay of my life,

and the fruition of my thoughts.

Hope, will outweigh the strife,

that weighs heavily upon, my heart.

Hope, the champion of the future,

a prelude to ultimate victory.

Hope, is enough to suture,

the wounds, inflicted by misery.

Hope, will mend the broken fragments

of a life unduly shattered.

—– —– —– —–

Hope, will diminish the lament,

of those whose clothes are tattered.

Hope, designed to stich each patch,

and sew together the unraveled strands.

Hope, will help to gather all who are lost,

like collecting so many grains of sand.

Hope, will meld with faith,

bridging the gap in between.

Hope obtained, will never fade,

always contributing to the dream.

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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.

© 2023 all rights reserved