Words For Those We Remember

To the soldiers who died bravely for their country

And the soldiers who died in the fog of war 

To the civilians who died as collateral damage

And the civilians who died resisting cruelty 

To the helpers who died feeding the hungry 

And the helpers who died tending to wounds

To the young who died to fight old men’s wars

And the young who died while protesting 

To the women who died from weaponized rape

And the women who raised children alone

To the exploiters who profited from fear and ignorance 

And the exploiters who profited from the sale of weapons  and  death

To those who used war to enslave

And those who used war to liberate 

To all of these

We say

We remember you.  

We remember you.  

We remember you.  

Amen

Endurance: counting the Omer (Netzach)

 

Counting On The Long Haul

Blessed Mystery,

In it for the long haul, 

We begin the count. 

We count centuries from Joseph to Moses,

Count years from the burning bush to the Song of the Sea. 

Count weeks from manna to Sinai ,

Count days from the blare of the horn to the Golden calf. 

Count the five books of Moses,

Count the 24 books of the Tanakh. 

Count the 49 days of the Omer 

Count the seven sefirot,

Count and take us to Shavuot and

Count the cheese blintzes. 

Maybe it’s a myth,

Maybe it’s current events. 

But Torah is only the beginning,

We’re in it for the long haul. 

And everyone has a Sea of Reeds to cross,

Everyone has a story 

Blessed Holy Wholeness,

Everyone counts. 

Amen