From His perspective,
everything begins to shift into place;
yet, all appears as chaos to our eyes.
We are granted only a fraction
of understanding of His master plan;
our comprehension, is like viewing
the back of a tapestry, obscure,
until all is revealed.
© 2023 all rights reserved
note t0 reader: poem by Tzvi Fievel
image by Craiyon A.I. image generator
“I will restore My people Israel from captivity.”
– Amos 9:4
Across the generations,
our spirit has been crushed in every nation.
Even now, the Mother of Exiles
is becoming a harlot, like unto Babylon,
leaving us to ponder upon the wisdom of Daniel,
in acknowledgment of our status,
as exiles from the Promised Land.
The dreams of our ancestors,
who looked in hope toward
the distant shoreline of the Goldene Medina,
have been mixed with the alchemy of culture
that threatens to replace the values,
instilled in them by our heritage,
that brought inspiration in the Old Country.
The shift from a common bond,
amongst our own brethren
occurred in front of our very eyes,
as we were disguised from ourselves,
by the lies and factions we upheld,
rather, than honoring our covenantal unity
within the fractured diversity of K’lal Yisrael.
The aftermath
of an overemphasis on gashmiyos,
and a decreasing allegiance to ruchniyos,
coupled with assimilation into the melting pot,
is made visible in the diminishment
of our religious identity,
until the time when our renewal
is at hand.
Rays of the sun follow the dawn
tinting the clouds, pink and blue.
A snapshot of eternity
as manifest in the reality
of an early morning scene
that renders emotions serene.
Tea from the cupboard of life
soothes my soul, minimizes the strife,
that swirls inside of my mind,
bringing comfort in due time.
Reflecting on people and places
missed opportunities and faces;
seems like a universal principle,
that room must be made for the new.
One door closes, and another opens;
as Pesach approaches, the old is removed,
exchanging chometz for matzoh,
bringing renewal to the depths of my soul.
As tears are sanctified by joy,
the troubled years recede into the past,
while the sun rises over Ir HaKodesh
wherein all prayers ascend to G-d.
A light shines across the centuries,
a single thread, weaves a tapestry.
G-d reckons the accounts of all souls,
balancing justice and judgment
with compassion and mercy.
—– —– —– —–
All are known to Him;
for, if each and every one
of the myriad of stars in the universe
is given a name, then how much moreso
is every soul on earth valued
in the eyes of the Creator?
—– —– —– —– —–
Despite assimilation
in a world gone awry,
our lives may be rebuilt
upon the ashes of the past.
Our souls may be redeemed,
by He whose arms are wide open
to receive us into His Sanctuary.
—– —– —– —–
For He is our refuge in times of darkness.
Israel has continuously cried out to Him,
even from the smoldering ruins of the Shoah.
And he will bear us upon the wings of angels,
for all the days of eternity.
in the wake of recent terror attacks:
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.
Livin’ life without a net,
who’s to catch me if I fall,
except the One, that I met,
to Whom I’ve given my all.
Renewal of the soul,
at the beginning of the day,
quieting of the mind,
as the light fades away.
Nighttime brings its own song,
in sync with the rhythm of the heart,
reflects upon all that we long for,
dreaming of a new start.
Livin’ life without a net,
who’s to catch me if I fall,
except the One, that I met,
to Whom I’ve given my all.
Every year, the world’s tears flow
like rain from unfamiliar clouds,
until, at the first light of dawn,
we hear Your voice call us home.
Upon the wings of eagles we glide,
in time with the prophetic cue,
brought to the place where we will reside,
in our hearts, singing a new tune.
Livin’ life without a net,
who’s to catch us if we fall,
except the One, Whom we’ve met,
and given to Him our all.
As nations gather together for war,
we will rise above all the flames,
in search of the world no man can char,
the Kingdom that fell is risen again.
One vision to guide us
through the darkness of the land,
One truth to abide in,
as we perceive His guiding hand.
Livin’ life without a net,
who’s to catch us if we fall,
except the One, Who calls out,
I request of you, your all.
© 2022 all rights reserved
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.
© 2022 all rights reserved
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.
© 2022 all rights reserved
Take note of my story, for future generations dear reader. Take heart at the uplifting tale that I will bring to your ears. For over the years, my words will fade into oblivion, as the boots march onward into history, trampling upon all that came before the inversion of truth. Woe unto them that call darkness light, and light darkness; blessed are they who seek restoration.
I wandered lonely as a cloud, my footsteps tracing upon the earth, what would otherwise have been the shadow of the cloud following me overhead. Across the generations, my people have endured, beyond the pale of jurisdiction, what may seem impossible to endure. The Source of our strength sustains us, beyond what we are able to sustain on our own. Only by divine decree, have we continued to flourish across the centuries, despite the intentions of our enemies.
© 2022 all rights reserved
When light is diminished in this world,
we seek the scroll of Esther unfurled,
to bring to light what remains hidden,
drawing close to G-d, even when not bidden.
When darkness seems to prevail,
we find hope in Mordechai’s tale,
of triumph, in the battle of us and them,
the tides were turned in our favor by H’Shem.
The light of truth shone bright,
when Haman’s plan was revealed in full site,
to King Ahasuerus at Esther’s feast,
when all the coincidences came into place.
Today, we celebrate yesterday’s victory,
steadfast in prayer in the morning early,
awaiting the light that appears at dawn,
when the L-RD will right all that is wrong.
Like colors in a mystical kaleidoscope,
blue and yellow blend with hope,
when all of the colors melt into one,
in expectation of the rising sun.
© 2022 all rights reserved
Breathing Inspiration 