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Tashlich
I gaze at the water
Of the placid lake
As I empty my pockets
Already empty, but also filled
To the brim
With the people
I looked down upon
Because they lacked my education,
The people I feared
Because of the color of their skin,
The homeless on the street
I walked past and ignored;
Filled with the lies
I’ve told my family and friends
Too ashamed to tell the truth.
When my pockets
Are finally empty,
Truly empty,
I walk home.
As I near the man
Standing on the corner
With a cardboard sign,
I say, “good morning,”
Smile,
But before I get too pleased
I remind myself
I’ll be back at the lake
In a year
My pockets full once more
Ready to be emptied.
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inferiority complex
Hannah’s seven sons sacrificed their lives
refusing to bow down
to King Antiochus.
Surrounded by the Romans nine hundred and sixty
men women and children ended their own lives
on Mount Masada.
I meanwhile have difficulty getting to the synagogue
more than two or three times a year and the dietary laws
are inconvenient.
Golem
On the slip of paper
The child writes “Aardvark”
Folds it in half and inserts
into the mouth
of the clay creature
his parents brought back from Prague.
Nothing happens.
He removes the paper,
looks for the next word in the dictionary
and begins the process anew.
If there exists a word in English
that will work the magic
he will find it.
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exodus
ever since escaping egypt
i’ve been wandering a vast desert.
every time i’ve seen a mountain
i’ve climbed to the top
and asked the god i found
what the purpose was
what i was commanded to do
i’ve found no consistent answers.
i’ve been told to seek pleasure
and no pain no gain.
i’ve been told to love my neighbor
and do unto him before he does unto me.
i’ve been advised to eat everything on my plate
and to diet and exercise.
i’ve been told to worship allah, yahweh, and jesus, buddha, zeus and thor.
i’ve been told to respect my parents
but also to rebel and question authority
everything i’ve discovered on one mountain
has been contradicted at the next.
and i fear i won’t learn the truth
until i die
and the one true god
whoever he or she is
takes me to heaven,
valhalla, nirvana, or whatever they call it.
then and only then will i learn the truth.
it makes me mad
god gave the bible to moses in the desert
but i fear i won’t know why i’ve been wandering this desert
until I leave the desert
and reach Canaan.
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The Separation
Genesis 22:19 / 23:2
“Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.”
Beersheba is where Abraham dwelt
After coming down
Coming down from the mountain
The mountain where he had almost sacrificed Isaac
Isaac, Abraham’s Son.
“Sarah died in Kiriatharba,” also known as Hebron.
Sarah, Abraham’s wife
Sarah, who gave birth to Isaac at age 90
Sarah, who was childless until age 90
When she gave birth to her only son, Isaac
Isaac, who Abraham almost sacrificed.
Sarah died at Hebron
Abraham dwelt at Beersheba
Had to come to Hebron to mourn for Sarah
Sarah his wife who died in Hebron
While Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
I have but one question
One question the text does not answer:
Who got custody?
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