Tag: refugees

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.

© 2023 all rights reserved

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In Sympatico

Oh L-rd,

only wisdom,

bright as your countenance,

will shed light on my wayward path,

tonight.

Tonight,

every night…

during the days of gloom,

when there is no room for this hope

to bloom.

To bloom,

like a flower,

transplanted from soil,

depleted by war’s cruelty,

and dearth.

And dearth,

leaves us scant food,

unable to nourish

our souls with everlasting hope,

and dreams.

And dreams,

vanish in sync

with the early morning

air raids, that signal a new day,

oh L-rd.

© 2022 all rights reserved

dverse prompt

Past Memories, Current Events

My heart is overflowing,

teeming with complex emotions,

and my pen, figuratively speaking,

is writing (typing out) words again,

in response to the internal reservoir,

of all that remains to be said.

My muse? Ineffable, for He Knows all,

and is above and beyond all muses.

So, redeemed, is each word that I reckon,

as not my own, rather, from deep within,

a pool of reflection, tinged with a conscience,

and a consciousness, stemming

from the part of mankind’s soul,

that is connected to the Divine.

Additionally, I do not even know

how I can factor into the equation,

that Bolekhiv, my ancestral hometown,

is fifty-eight miles south of Lviv,

where several dozen of my relatives

were buried in mass graves,

during the Shoah.

© 2022 all rights reserved

Faithful Pledge

In peace, I rest my soul at twilight,

my heart satiated with your word.

Israel’s flag of blue and white,

and Ukraine’s blue and yellow unfurled.

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

A profound solidarity, exemplified;

all of the nations contribute support,

hoping all wounds will be remedied,

amongst the people in body, mind, and heart.

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

All who seek to be a blessing to others

must give from the depths of the soul,

so as to transcend our selfishness

for the sake of nurturing all.

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

Some have pledged their lives,

others have reignited their faith,

still more have seen the light,

a reason to stand against wrath.

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

Even more of us give what we can,

and refrain from ignoring the pain,

of the voiceless and downtrodden,

all of us humans at heart the same.

© 2022 all rights reserved

In Prayerful Solidarity

“In thee, O L-RD, have I taken refuge; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Thy righteousness. Incline Thine ear unto me, deliver me speedily; be Thou to me a rock of refuge, even a fortress of defence, to save me. For Thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for Thy name’s sake lead me and guide me. Bring me forth out of the net that they have hidden for me; for Thou art my stronghold. Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O L-RD, Thou G-d of truth. I hate them that regard lying vanities; but I trust in the L-RD. I will be glad and rejoice in Thy lovingkindness; for Thou hast seen mine affliction, Thou hast taken cognizance of the troubles of my soul, And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy; Thou hast set my feet in a broad place. Be gracious unto me, O L-RD, for I am in distress; mine eye wasteth away with vexation, yea, my soul and my body. For my life is spent in sorrow, and my years in sighing; my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are wasted away. Because of all mine adversaries I am become a reproach, yea, unto my neighbours exceedingly, and a dread to mine acquaintance; they that see me without flee from me. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind; I am like a useless vessel. For I have heard the whispering of many, terror on every side; while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life. But as for me, I have trusted in Thee, O L-RD; I have said: ‘Thou art my G-d.’ My times are in Thy hand; deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; save me in Thy lovingkindness. O L-RD, let me not be ashamed, for I have called upon Thee; let the wicked be ashamed, let them be put to silence in the nether-world. Let the lying lips be dumb, which speak arrogantly against the righteous, with pride and contempt. Oh how abundant is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that take their refuge in Thee, in the sight of the sons of men! Thou hidest them in the covert of Thy presence from the plottings of man; Thou concealest them in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the L-RD; for He hath shown me His wondrous lovingkindness in an entrenched city. As for me, I said in my haste: ‘I am cut off from before Thine eyes’; nevertheless Thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto Thee. O love the L-RD, all ye His godly ones; The L-RD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully repayeth him that acteth haughtily. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all ye that wait for the L-RD.” – Psalm 31, JPS 1917 Tanach

The Call of Silence

As the tanks roll into the cities,

blue and yellow flags are waved high,

in defiance of the occupier’s atrocities,

while many finally flee with a sigh.

As the drama continues to unfold,

within the layers of recent history,

the territorial defenses stand bold

in the face of the assault and misery.

Echoes of past flights from death,

and narrow evasions of an untimely fate,

are interwoven with our every breath,

and surface in our own memories of late.

Our brothers and sisters who have fled

to the checkpoints, are now able to impart

a message of hope, despite all who have bled

silent tears within the confines of their heart.

Having travelled through many regions,

lives are reshaped, homes found for new arrivals,

across the boundaries of neighboring nations,

that were in flux, during past upheavals.

© 2022 all rights reserved

dVerse prompt

Inner Grief

The eyes make no disguise

or pretense for the lies,

that fall vacant upon the ears,

that hear the explosions that sear.

As we serve to witness

the duress and stresses

of a people silently torn between

their homes and the need to flee.

© 2022 all rights reserved

dVerse prompt

Seeking Solace

“As we step forward, they attempt to surround us; they intend to spread out across the country.” – Psalms 17:11

May the right arm of Your majesty, in all its effectiveness, assure victory for us over the challenges that we face each and every day of our lives. During this time of peril, whether starting our lives over elsewhere, or trying to remain hopeful in the midst of uncertainty, as we hunker down below the city streets, let us see the light of dawn breaking through our sorrows.

The prayers of the faithful will be sent to shomayim upon the wings of angels. We send even our most seemingly trivial concerns to Heaven; for, it is the small details of our lives, and the relatively inconsequential choices of our lives that appear to matter most at times. Once the important decisions have been made, the smaller ones appear in clear relief.

Like a picture-perfect day, not a cloud in the sky, may the realization of our dreams exceed our expectations. May our cities be rebuilt, and our lives resume, only stronger for having been through these traumatic experiences, and overall devastation that has pummeled our cities. May we live to see the day when the seeds planted across the nation will bloom into tall sunflowers, always facing the light.

Note (FYI and Disclaimer): This a dramatic monologue. A dramatic monologue gives voice to those whom the poet chooses to give expression through the poem. Although I am a poet, and not a Ukrainian, I feel an affinity with the Ukrainian people, especially my Jewish brethren. Additionally, this is also a prose poem, and not a typical poem that has verses, stanzas or rhymes.

© 2022 all rights reserved

Hidden Remnant

The time draws near,

as opportunity knocks,

only until the door closes with a tear

for every soulful look.

Those who remain

in the basement of this shul,

will wait out the battle, constrained,

as the siege in the city fails to improve.

This congregation, now divided,

between Kharkov and Dnipro,

where several dozen from the kehillah have fled,

will survive with G-d’s berachah.

Blessings, descending from heaven,

more potent than bombs and missiles,

will sustain them until they can ascend

and mend the fissures in their lives.

Those who have already taken flight,

and reached the border’s protection,

hope to see their final destination in sight –

a foreshadowing of the final redemption.

© 2022 all rights reserved

dVerse