Best Jewish Poems
Remember
Israel of three thousand years
expulsed at times
enslaved by the Romans
gassed by Europe
persecuted by Saudi-Arabia
murdered by Iran and Iraq
shackled by Egypt
attacked by Jordan
robbed by Syria
sold out by the UK
bombed by the IRA
slandered with spit by Turkish terrorists
sent to the Siberian gulags in Russia
comrades they are not
evicted from many many lands
Battles house by house
street by street
once friendly neighbors
each calling the other traitor
a bloody war where no side
would retreat
by prophecy they won
Wrestling God
the twelve tribes returned
to the land of the Israelites
to their promised land
from sand they made gardens
from the desert they grew grapes
where terror reigns they
made an oasis
Anti Zionism still slithers
belly dancers selling their deceptions
naked harlots forever spew latent hate
evil men whisper, dead jew, dead jew
sadly, uneducated views saturate
seductively selling their false peace
like a woman's second hand virginity
They only hate, and dream of blood
if only, if only we had another flood
Noah would leave them all at shore
harlots, by any other name are simply
the devils horses
Israel was
Israel is
Israel shall forever be
the Middle East's democracy
and graciously
the custodian of all of us
a religious trinity
Gods chosen
their glorious capital
Jerusalem!
Never had a Christmas tree
or some mistletoe
No wreath of holly on my door
just a mezuzah there, you know
No stockings stuffed with candy canes
or Christmas decorations
Never sang a hymn to Jesus
Torah's my inspiration
Yet just as Christians can appreciate
the flames of Chanukah lights
So too can a Jew like me
sense magic Christmas night
Ruth and her six year old daughter Annie, were moving along the countryside by Train. Ruth was reminiscing. She was staring deeply into her six year old daughter's beautiful brown eyes. Ruth was feeling emotional, and had a deep sorrow filling up her worried heart. The train proceeded. She clutched her daughter close to her with a special mother daughter bond. Anne, her daughter, looked up at her, innocently and asked, "Mommy why are you so sad?" She kept repeating, until her mom answered her. Not wanting to worry her, she replied, "Honey your Mommy is not sad." The six year old intelligently asked, " Mommy then why were you crying?" Her mom replied, " I'm OK sweetheart, now relax, and hold me." Ruth was experiencing a flood of thoughts of Annie growing up as a child. She was asking Annie if she remembered the first time she told her that she loved her. Annie said, " Yes Mommy I remember." Ruth kept a special Diary of times and dates, of special moments she and Annie shared. Ruth thought of Annie's first birthday, when she took her first steps, and was falling forward as she caught her, preventing her from hurting herself. Ruth reached in her jacket and said to Annie, " Honey, always have with you this diary. Annie took the diary and started looking through it. She said, "Mommy this is so special, thank you Mommy." Annies dad was imprisoned, and it added to Ruth's turmoil inside. She was trying to ascertain his whereabouts but was difficult to do so. Annie kept reminding Ruth of her father. She constantly was asking, " Where's Daddy Mommy?" " We will be with him soon." Was her repeated reply. The train made its way through and a Loud whistle blew. It started slowing down, and just before it stopped the whistle blew again. Ruth looked at Annie and said to her, " Always remember honey your Daddy and Mommy, will always love you. Promise me you will never forget." Annie replied, " I promise Mommy to remember." As the Caboose door opened Ruth held Annie's hand. Annie asked her Mom, "Mommy where are we?" Her Mom replied, " We are going to see Daddy and Grandpa, and Grandma." Ruth was shaking inside, and the journey was finally over. The SS Nazi Guards motioned them forward, and directed them into The Auschwitz Concentration Camp.
Michael Tor
I’m sorry, honey.
O.K. I accept your apology.
No, wait. Hold on.
What is it?
I mean it. I'm really sorry.
Are you?
Yes, I am.
How would I know?
I’ve thought about what I’ve done.
That’s it?
And I’m never going to do it again
Even if you find yourself in the same situation?
Yes, even then. … I'm determined to overcome my baser instincts!
Even if there's no one there to catch you transgressing?
Yes. Even if I'm by myself.
Then you really are sorry.
And ashamed of myself, before God, for letting you down, honey.
Thank you. I accept your apology now whole-heartedly.
Let's go to synagogue now. Let us praise God and ask for His forgiveness, that we may atone for all of our sins...
Ashes to Ashes
Smoke
rises in the distance.
The boxcar
rocks,
rocks,
rocks;
stones
are placed along the ties.
Were they placed by Chance
or left
as gently as Kaddish.
I lift my hands in the darkness;
the light of the knothole
lights the tips of my fingers like Shabbat candles,
and I cover my eyes.
I can smell them,
the names
put in the furnace.
Silence screams out of the smoke stacks
as vowels burn away
as consonants try to escape the fire, flee
up the concrete throat and out
into the sky
escaping the camp disguised in grey coats of ash,
at last,
as winter covers the mirrors
of the lakes with ice.
Contest: Last Train to Auschwitz
Sponsor: Kai Michael Neumann
The Star of David
I took a brisk hike on my street,
To meet with a few neighbors and
have eggnog and sumptuous treats.
What lovely lights sparkled in wine country,
everywhere!
Santa on Porches,reindeer galore,
Talking snowmen, said, "Hi, there!"
Wreaths on household doors.
I wrapped my wool scarf around my head..
Then I found something upon the
street, that upon which,I almost tread.
It was a red felt Star of David, lying
on the street.
Alone and cold, that starry night...
right in front of my feet!
I began to remember that Christ was a Jew.
So were Mary and Joseph, and
all the disciples, too.
I tried to remain tranquil and ponder.
Why these two great religions
seem so distant.
I simply hesistated and wondered,
It seemed terribly sad to me.
Because we all, indeed are family!
And to me Christ is Jewish,
Though many will get angry and
call me stupid and foolish.
When Jews got murdered as in
New Jersey lately,
Why all the hush to not see how
hateful, I pray thee!
I could not leave that lonely star
there, so of course it came home
with me.
I put the Star of David in a frame
in my home.
I remembered the flames of the
Holocaust.
And though, Christmas for us is
a time of peace
The attacks on Israel and Jews,
never cease.
December 16, 2019
O'er Jerusalem's hills the sun sinks
lower, lower
'til 'tis but a memory
Horizons dim 'til
the promise of today
is extinguished
by darkness' sway
Stars appear: twinkle, glisten
forming constellations
Israel deep in prayer
alone among the nations
Freitig nacht gekummen Yiddish for 'Friday night has come'
wrapped in mystery
A people of haunting emotions
preserving its history
Fear
It is a very small demon.
It is a tiny monster,
that never stops chewing on;
anything it can get.
It is the one that hides,
and comes home with you.
It hops on while you are;
at the market, the post office,
work, school and even and/or
at church.
Listening to gossip,
overthinking the unimportant,
and by being unfocused on the big...
picture!
God walks with all of us.
Right beside us in the storm.
Lien on Him.
Talk to Him.
He is listening.
Angels around you.
Angels around your family.
Stronger than all others,
soldiers for the King.
Love each other unrelentingly.
Hold each other high.
Give the names of all you love,
to God in the sky!
Rain down drops of hope,
eliminate all dispair.
Let the saints know,
in their hearts...
ever that You,
are THERE!
The cradle of three of the biggest faiths
Rocked by the claim one agenda stakes
Locked and loaded and ready for war
With righteous blessings for terror and gore
Sentiments civilities and landscapes pitted
All of human decency finally outwitted
There is a disturbing discrepancy
Between mortals and the spirit world,
Such as the eternal salvation of man
From the curse of sin and its hold.
The paradox of a meek virgin conceiving
After being by the Spirit overshadowed,
And then a perfect chap is born in a manger
Is a narrative of its own peculiar mode.
That in death life was made everlasting
And in suffering relief was won,
Is a creed that requires bravery to embrace,
And great conviction to believe in such a One.
Perhaps the reason why I believe in Him
Is because he only asks that I believe,
Perchance I would abandon my little faith
If was not a mortal so powerless and naïve.
And perhaps the reason why you believe in Him
Is because you only want to look fashionable enough,
Or are simply totally unsure of your afterlife
And fear finding the Judgment Panel so solemn tough.
And maybe your preacher finds it even harder to believe
The tall story he has been telling strangers day by day,
And he maybe he would quit being a peddler of funny tales
Had he another way to earn his keep and his expenses pay.
Perhaps the reason why pagans and agnostics refuse to accept
The story of this Immortal Chap who is reportedly the way and truth,
Is because they find it a bit safer to believe in nothing at all
Than to place such great stakes on the escapades of a Jewish Youth.
Now there’s the little matter of the Helper,
The benign Spirit who descended on the Pentecost
To prove without doubt that the Chap indeed was God,
But then He’s still unseen, and any may claim his presence.
I do not write to spurn the endless graces of the sky
Nor to quash my eligibility to eternal breath,
I without blasphemy observe the uncertainties facing man
And his innocent inquiry into life after death.
To believe in this Jewish Chap who forgave also the unborn
Is a risky business, and one of the greatest tragedies by the way;
The only bigger tragedy being your refusal to believe in Him
And yet find Him at the gates of Paradise on the Judgment Day.
Pen to paper
So no tears today
Monday back to slavery
I cast my out my lline
Hoping for a bite from a female fish
Do you not see what is meant by love ?
Do you not see what is meant by peace?
Shalom is where its at, friends
SHALOM IS WHERE IT IS AT!
There is a little land that's built on sand in the Middle East
To listen to the world complain, you'd think it was a beast
Yet it's more diverse, and dynamic, than the USA
100+ countries immigrants' flourish there today
As for democracy, why there's nothing to compare
Fully 20 parties over there vie for electoral shares
Freedom of--not from--religion is absolutely guaranteed
And no one's made to recite a pledge
To a flag he can't believe
Minorities ARE protected there; they make a real impact
Arab statesman constitute 10% of Parliament, in fact...
By now you've surely guessed the country that I've yet to name
For to even say the word today can get you killed or maimed
But eventually the truth will out, as it always does:
Those who bang the drums today for tiny Israel's death
Will come tomorrow to recant their misguided shibboleths
The soldiers said
That the boy threw a grenade.
The parents of the boy said
That the soldiers planned to kill him.
This is what happens
When one person
Believes that another person
Is but an animal,
And not human.
People will self-fulfill as animal
And it’s much easier to kill
An animal,
Especially when you are an animal.
So, this is what really happened that day-
Both sides were right.
The boy walked down the street,
Before dawn, and saw the soldiers,
Who were walking on egg shells
With fear and expectation,
(Of course, they were mere boys themselves).
When the boy saw them look his way,
He reached into his basket
And threw a fresh egg
In their direction.
The boy’s face had just a split second
To crack a small smile
Before the bullet
Shattered his face
And skull
And the soldier
Was left with egg on his face
As well, but unfortunately,
Just a split second after he fired the shot.
So, eggs are grenades.
Boys are killers.
And that is when the cock crows
Between boys
In a Jerusalem morning.
YESHUA BEN DAVID
There was a man named Yeshua Ben David, sent by Heaven, to set free captive souls,
to redeem you and me, to take our stripes, and die upon a tree.
There was a man named Yeshua Ben David
a man he was, and God He is, and forever will He be, our LORD, our Savior, our
Messiah, from the curse of sin He set us free.
There was a man named Yeshua Ben David
who guides us all in Torah's way, whose glory to gaze on we will someday, who took
from us, sin's great weight.
There is a man named Yeshua Ben David
who was, is, and always will be, KING of kings, and LORD of lords, a man, our God
forever more.
"Time to take the Soup off the stove,"
a little birdie whispered in my ear:
'Tis the Sabbath Queen that's drawing near."
But the Soup's not done, I dared to say
in an unpoetic, defiant way
The little birdie just looked at me
with pity, but not with sympathy
Shook his head and moved his beak:
"Sabbath's come; the Soup is done.
~ So's all your work for this week!"