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.

©2023 all rights reserved

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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

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.

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).

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

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.

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

The Gleam of Heaven

Like 100,000 suns,

Heaven gleams within

the eyes of the faithful –

it’s light refines the soul

of imperfections and sin,

on the way to Shomayim.

—– —– —–

Do we dare look straight

into the heavenly brilliance?

Only with earthly eyes

will we fail to see its grandeur;

rather, with a pure heart,

we may be granted a vision

within the depths of the mind,

where time and eternity blend.

© 2023 all rights reserved

dVerse prompt