The Quality of Life

Life is sanctioned by G-d,

for the sake of mankind:

to create harmony amongst us,

and the rest of His creation.

Life is disrupted by the neglect

of attention to the myriad details of its complexity,

lack of respect to the values of others,

and disavowal of responsibility to the voiceless.

Life does not repeat itself

by way of reincarnation,

nor can it be preserved by downloading

your essence onto a mainframe computer

or uploading your memories

into the artificial brain of an android.

Life only gives us one chance

to make the most of every day,

as we journey along the path to fruition

of all of our efforts, both material and spiritual,

culminating in an eternal reward.

Life regards kindness, compassion,

and helping others as assets

in our spiritual bank account;

and meanness, hatred,

and harming others as deficits

that will accumulate against us.

Life holds all things in balance,

as the Creator looks on with keen awareness

of the plight of mankind,

inclusive of every individual

on the face of the planet.

dVerse prompt

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Invisible Heritage

Our heritage is like the wind,

moving unseen through the trees;

yet, leaving an impression

amongst the sands of time,

along the beaches of distant shores,

and the deserts of the world.

Are we amongst the souls

whom may make the claim to be

children of G-d, under the heavens

that He created, before the dawn of history?

If so, the fruit of our efforts

to change ourselves for the better,

and lend a helping hand to others

must prevail over and against

the selfish urges within ourselves,

that have the capacity to sweep

away our best intentions,

while we create a house of cards

to please our own ego.

Tomorrow’s Hope

We are strangers to ourselves,

when our past has been lost,

amongst the tumult of generations,

swayed by assimilation at what cost?

While progress rolls forward,

like a steam roller, it paves the way

toward a brave new world,

flattening the truths of yesterday.

For the digital technocracy to succeed,

it must suppress individual identity,

and borrow nothing from yesteryear,

that would undermine its own supremacy.

Yet, the truth will never become subservient

to the lies of the narrative norm,

for the sake of global convenience,

nor forgotten in the hearts of the reborn.

Our past will redeem us,

our traditions will revive our spirit;

in faith we will reclaim our trust;

our conscience will guide the lyrics.

A new song in our hearts will abide,

a remembrance of our history;

our genuine selves will override

the collective approach to mentality.

Seek nourishment of the soul,

that will not permit the new normal

to take its final insidious toll

upon our belief in what is moral.

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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.

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

Zoom’n

CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 90

Zoom in, step back,

Reconnoiter, reflect.

Stop. Look.

Don’t miss that.

(FOMO).

Isn’t it sad

how life can seem to pass us by,

when we are feeling down and out?

Yet, on cruise control,

running on automatic,

our life passes by

without our presence.

Bare Earth

This barren landscape of the mind,

where time renews only those who have hope

in the ways of the ancient past

treaded by the sages of ages that still last

for the sake of the preservation of our heritage;

this bare earth, devoid of nourishment

soil, depleted by the wars that have wasted the land,

and the shores of distant beaches,

where the sands of time drift into the sea;

even the biosphere cries out on behalf of the world,

to renew the manifold aspects of creation –

mankind, the task begins with us,

through the renewal of the soul.

A Time of Renewal

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.

dVerse prompt

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.

Guiding Light

If you turn toward the deserts

that have been deprived of rain;

if you step outside of the garden,

instead of singing the divine refrain;

if you cast off the yoke of heaven,

and enter the highways and byways;

if you stray from the narrow path of life,

and travel along the broad way;

following the herd along the beaten road,

instead of taking the road less travelled;

if you give in to the demands of the yetzer hara,

rather than following the promptings of the godly soul;

where will you be led by your own desires,

when you do not seek out what is good?

—– —– —– —– —– —–

If you do not avoid evil, and do what is right,

then what destiny will await you ahead?

Rather, turn toward G-d through teshuvah,

foster a change of heart that will encompass

all that you think, say and do in life;

Then, your world will appear anew,

and return to its original state.

For the things of this world shall not lead us askew,

they are meant to be used in tandem

with the guidelines of moderation,

and the devotion due to Elokim;

lifted up to a place of no regrets,

our hearts are meant to be focused on Him,

so that we may walk in His footsteps.