TESHUVAH TO ANIMALS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

 

 

Today, as we celebrate Rosh Hodesh Elul, the New Year of the Animals, we can consider what we have done or what we should have done for our planet. 

Consider your environment and go sit outside. 

Close your eyes and listen to the ambient sounds. 

Note what you hear: Birds? Insects ?  Dogs?

Touch the earth. Feel the vibrations within:

Note what you feel: Worms?  Ants? Moles?

Consider our love of animals.

Consider the devastation we have brought upon our planet.

Consider all the beasts who will die,

Consider all the beasts who will manage to adapt,

Consider the few beasts who will flourish. 

For all the beasts who will die off,

We acknowledge that we blew it. 

We failed to act in time to save your beautiful species. 

We mourn the loss of biodiversity and

We mourn the loss of the individual lives you did not get to lead. 

We apologize and hope that you can pardon us, forgive us, let us atone for our sins against you.

For all the beasts and species who will manage to adapt to the damage,

I guess we could say this is just the natural process of evolution 

But that would be a lie.  Humans did this very bad thing. 

We have forced you to forage for food in our suburbs  

And punished you with death or imprisonment just for trying to live. 

We apologize and hope that you can pardon us, forgive us, let us atone for our sins against you.

For the few beasts and species who will flourish through the crises

Our beloved dogs and cats and other pets

And also domestic beasts like cattle and chickens,

You will survive because we need you for love and food. 

Happy New Year!

We apologize and hope that you can pardon us, forgive us, let us atone for our sins against you.

Consider the animals. 

We must return and do teshuvah, 

But it’s not enough to apologize. 

We must promise to try to save our home, our planet,

And the future for everybody.

For the selfish devastation we have brought upon our planet

For all the beasts who will die

For all the beasts who will manage to adapt

For the few beasts who will flourish

We apologize and hope that you can pardon us, forgive us, let us atone for our sins against you.

And let us say, 

Amen 

Mourning Our Losses

 

Art by Mike Cockrill

Blessed One-ness,

Nuance is abandoned 

In this era of existential threats. 

Perhaps it was always a middle class luxury. 

Now everybody seems to think

The survival of who they are

Is on the line. 

But we miss it

And mourn our loss

And pray for its return

Empathy is superfluous 

In this time of extreme right and wrong

Perhaps it was just a pretense. 

Isn’t it fun to be cruel?

Anyone else’s feelings 

Are a bore. 

But we miss it

And mourn our loss

And pray for its return

Kindness is for suckers

In this new time of trolls and happy attackers. 

Perhaps we just awaited the internet

To show our creepiest sides. 

When no one knows your name, 

Why care?

But we miss it

And mourn our loss 

And pray for its return

Grief is the outcome 

So let us sit on the ground

In this time of communal sorrow 

And pound the passive floor. 

Let us be angry 

At the unnecessary pain. 

We do miss who we thought we were. 

We shall mourn all the murdered. 

We must pray we improve.  

Amen