Posted on

poetry: Renewal

B”H

Photo by Frans Van Heerden from Pexels

With arms wide open,
I embrace the Source of creation,
seeking His renewal for my soul,
my highest calling.

Yet, if I am only for my own tikkun,
then of what avail am I to anyone?

And, unless I seek to reach out
to family, friends, and strangers,
then, who will share words of wisdom with me,
when my soul needs to be refreshed?

Care in the heart of a man boweth it down;
But a good word maketh it glad.

Proverbs 12:25

And, if I wait patiently, to hear with my own ear,
the right word spoken to me from mankind,
or the enlightening passage on a page,
turned to the most opportune spot,

then, I will wait in hope and expectation,
until my heart learns what is needed to know.

Bringing forth joy in the moment,
to have my spirits uplifted,
and my soul restored,
through divine coincidence.

Posted on

poetry: Concealment

B”H

Listen to other people’s truth, with a lower case “t;”
yet, abide in the Truth that was taught to thee.

From the revelation at Sinai, to the Temple in Yerushalayim;
from ancient Israel, to the diaspora throughout the world.

We will survive in a world inharmonious with the words of Torah,
because our sanctity is reishis – from the beginning of G-d’s creation.

A spark of truth can be found everywhere,
to remind us of the the promises of H’Shem.

Revealed in antiquity through the prophets,
and carried into effect throughout history.

Even today, we are witnessing the footsteps
that will pave the way towards redemption.

Posted on

poetry: On Board

I imagine that you were conflicted,
when your brother left for America,
leaving behind more than could be understood,
by anyone, who already stood on the shores
of the land of opportunity, and assimilation.

When his family was finally able to join him,
what could be envisioned as their future,
amidst the multitude of countless faces,
indifferent to the truth that binds the lives
of the faithful together over centuries?

Your brother – my great-grandfather –
his decision, the only reason, that I am alive today.
How can I complain? Yet, I am also conflicted,
knowing I should be grateful, to have even been born.
Despite the fact that I still yearn, to live
like my ancestors did in Bolechov.

Posted on

Jerusalem Day

B”H

May 22, 2020

A poem: Perhaps

Perhaps someone knows,
where the fire still glows.

Perhaps, the stars still shine
over the lives of distant relatives.

Somewhere, in the darkness of the past,
perhaps, they returned home at last.

Today, I continuously search,
within the ashes of the Shoah.

Searching for my lost family members,
whose fate is unknown.

Yet, the light from Shomayim
will always protect their souls.

Wrapped up in the Bundle of Life,
they are preserved forever.

by Tzvi Fievel Schnee