The Message in the Rain

I know I’m a bit of a fanatic but I decided to go out for my daily walk today, despite the pouring rain. I really love the rain (which we desperately need) and I needed the walk, so what could be better? It’s only water, after all. Yesterday I was caught in a downpour and came home drenched, but I had a great time in the process. Unusual things make me happy these days….

I ventured out with my boots, coat, scarf and an umbrella in hand. As I started walking, the rain intensified and began coming down in torrents.  Rather than return to the comfort of home, I kept plowing along, enjoying every second of it. I actually tried to begin some hitbodedut (personal prayer) but I couldn’t get past an idea which was taking form in my mind. The intense rain and the current news were so conjoined it was flashing before me like a beacon of light. To sum up the events of the past few days in a few sentences is not simple, but I will give my take on it in condensed form. Basically, Islamic radical groups, being egged on by Iran, have been stirring up trouble in all the Arab countries surrounding Israel. First, Lebanon was taken over by Hezbollah and now Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is being pushed from power by mobs of wild protesters, anxious to overthrow his government. As of today, he is still holding his own, but it’s only a matter of time. The same chaos it threatening Jordan, but so far it is just a taunt. From what I have read, there is a possibility that even Syria may be provoked by the same hooligans, controlled like puppets by Iran’s Ahmadinejad. Twitter, Facebook and Al Jazeera win prizes for spreading the word in record time to the maximum number of followers, all haters of Israel who pray for our destruction.

And then there is the rain; beautiful, torrential and miraculous rain. It is said that rain is a blessing from HaShem. He will only provide rains for our land “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give your rains in their season, and the land shall yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. I will give peace in the land (Leviticus 26: 3-6)

I know that a good majority of our People do not abide by what is written above, observing the commandments as we are required to do, but I also know that we do not understand the ways of HaShem, nor the balance of Justice in the Heavenly Courts. These rains that are saturating our parched land are a sure sign that G-d loves us. I believe that He is sending us this blessing as a message to those that can ‘see’ it. He is telling us not to worry. Our Father in Heaven will take care of us and provide for us, despite what is happening on all sides of our borders. No man, no nation nor any missile can hurt us as long as we trust in HaShem for He is our true Protector. The sooner everyone wakes up and sees this truth the better, for  it’s only a matter of time..... 

High School Poems

This is something a little different. I am going to write down some of my poems from high school.  I have them on fading paper so this is a good way to save them (unless cyberspace crashes one day).  Anyway, I am posting some of them, but please note that I was not as depressed as I sound in some of these poems. And especially now after so many years, thank G-d for emuna, Torah and HaShem! These poems no longer represent who I am. Here we go:

Sleep

Relaxation,

   rest,

      thoughts swirling around.

A jumble of memories,

   the future,

      and now.

Tossing,

   turning,

      again and again,

Sorting the "Where"

   the "Who" and

       and the "When"

Darkness,

   stillness,

       muscles relax.

Mind keeps on working,

            assembling

                    the facts.

Exhaustion,

   fatigue,

      drowsiness comes.

Gliding, the mind slides,

            murmurs,

                 hums.

Muscles,

  tendons,

         physically weak,

Brain always working,

             now records:

                     "Sleep"

The Depths of Darkness

The sky is dark,

The moon is grey,

But through the mist

I see the way.

A star beyond

Is coming near,

It shines quite bright 

To stop all fear.

Now I can't see 

The dark of night,

For I'm blinded by

The warming light.

Who is to Blame?

Once I had a little doll,

What was her name?

Amy? No. Sue? No.

Oh, what does it matter.

I was given her to look after.

She had no mind; 

I gave her mine.

She had no feelings or expressions;

Mine were hers.

She was bad,

      I spanked her.

She was good,

      I was happy.

I fed her,

But she never ate...

She grew up anyways,

     Or at least  

      I did!

Now she knew right from wrong.

She always listened.

She was an obedient child,

Always listened.

Finally, I set her up on her shelf to live

for herself.

I checked in on her,

Never changing her habits.

Then I changed.

I became more mature,

My wisdom grew with experience.

Then I noticed when I checked again -

She had not changed,

But she was

       doing

             wrong!

I had taught her.

She listened well.

The Elastic

An elastic,

So flexible yet so brittle.

My mind,

Same as this rubbery band.

So many forces,

     Stretching,

           Pulling,

                Exerting all their energy

Upon this mangled, jumble of life.

Opposing strengths

     Tugging

          Hopelessly

                In all directions,

Desperate to put the protrusion on their side.

But force is inhuman,

     How could it know,

            Or be expected to see

That it surrounds 

           and strangles

                 its purpose?

How could it know....

   Elastics break!

Tile

           

Ok, this next one was a project for school. We had to sit at our desks and look at something and write a poem about it.  This is what I came up with:

A tile on the floor,

Lonely and alone,

Within, lie numerous,

               multicolored,

                     multi-shapes.

All but one.... a three dimensional metal piece

of something!

A piece of what?

               Me!

               A representative of me;

Alone yet surrounded by everyone!

              Not me you say?

              You say there's a compatible shape beside

              piece of something? 

              The piece of me?

Oh I see it!

It's right there next to me - I mean next to the piece of something.

              Then when I reach out....

                        Why is it gone?

It was never really there.

Was it?

There are more, but these are enough.  I hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane.  We all change... G-d willing for the better. Baruch HaShem!