war – Breathing Inspiration

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.

Our Brethren

“There shall no evil come to thee: nor shall the scourge come near thy dwelling.” – Psalm 91:10

No longer driven this way and that,

because we are given the blessing of adaptability

in times of war, when all appears lost.

And, in times of peace as well,

in our homes, and when all alone,

to remember our brethren and kin,

when we have no one to tell

our troubles to except for G-d.

The memories of ashes, everywhere,

like dust in the currents of wind,

that shift across the ages.

Yet, renewal is at hand,

across this war-torn land,

when we turn to the One above,

Who can reconcile our lives to Himself,

and absolve our sins of indifference

to both G-d and mankind.

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.

dverse prompt

The surrounding countryside of Kiev, and other cities, such as Lviv, and even my own ancestral hometown, Bolekhiv, are quiet in the night, while the Russians prepare their next attempts to maneuver their positions, to be in alignment with their next forward march into the fray. By now, they know that they will continue to meet with resistance from the Ukrainian defenders. These are not nationalists, like the propaganda espoused by the Putin regime would have it known; rather, these are loyal citizens of a country that has been trying to gain its complete freedom for decades. True, it was Ukrainian nationalists in the midst of WW2, who were no friends of the Jewish population in Bolechov, Poland in 1939, when the Soviets retreated. However, the current generation of Ukrainians are not responsible for the sins of their ancestors.

After WW2, my ancestral hometown fell in under the new lines of demarcation, designating the city as Bolekhiv in the newly established boundaries of Soviet Ukraine. And, now, 58 years later, and, incidentally, fifty-eight miles south of Lviv, I wonder how far the smoldering torches of war have receded, or perhaps impeded upon the place where the graves of my ancestors rest. Of course, most of them, were actually buried in either one of two mass graves. The first, 7 km outside of Bolechov (now, Bolekhiv) in the Tanaiwa forest. The other, hastily made grave in the actual cemetery. This cemetery is the best preserved Jewish cemetery in Europe. I have always wanted to visit, since I “found” my ancestors through genealogical research. And, now, How am I to do so? Ultimately, if am able to do so in the future, will I be entering an independent Ukraine, or Soviet-controlled Ukraine?

My ancestors souls,

transcend earthly boundaries,

knowing only peace.

dverse prompt

Hidden Lives

From deep within a heart of stone,

lies the essence of a kernel, soon to bloom.

Behind these stony faces, tears run dry,

emotions hidden inside the outer shell,

where hope mixes with fear, and a suppressed cry.

The seedling will soon sprout,

when watered by tears of joy;

then, this plant will blossom in the sunshine,

of a new day, when faith reigns,

in the hearts of once lifeless ruins.

The stones from where the seedlings thrived,

will break away to reveal what was hidden inside –

people stepping out from beneath the earth,

to greet the sunrise with all that they are worth.

No more concealed in the basements below;

now, blessed to watch the sun’s glow.

prompt: the sunday muse

Reverberations

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.

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

Send Peace

(**Oseh shalom poetic form, created by ben Alexander**)

How great is Your majesty;
Your countenance shines upon mankind,
both the just and unjust.
Send Your peace,
Your peace, amein.

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.

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.

Tag: war

Hope Surfaces (revision)

Our Brethren

In Sympatico

Ukraine Blues

Hidden Lives

Reverberations

In Prayerful Solidarity

Send Peace

Inner Grief

Seeking Solace