Poetry

And I Act Accordingly

There are these Trees
I see, I feel , I sense
And become accustomed to the Life they Breathe In
To the Wonder that Beholds All of
One bearing fruit of which I wish to eat
To receive The Tree of Life
Of roots and branches reaching out for me

And I act accordingly

If I could just manifest the henceforth Divine Providence
Inherent Within of These
And the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Knowing that It Is Love and Adversarial
Things become
Benevolent
Believable

And I act accordingly

To sustain, protect, nurture, a Mother's Love and Father's Grace
Evermore to please
To appease, to give
The Whisper of the Tree's Leaves
Sacred Breath
Heaven on Earth of Mind and Heart
I treasure and hold dearly

And I act accordingly

I smile and laugh
This child inside
At what Hashem has given
And I know through these Trees of Life
He is here
To hold, to believe, to become All we can be
It is more than we can see

And I act accordingly

Trees of Eden – Shabbat reflection on the Tree of Life and Divine Providence

This poem arose during Shabbat as a meditation on Gan Eden and the living presence of Hashem in our midst. In the garden of my heart, I encountered these Four Trees—rooted in the Torah’s Tree of Life and Tree of Knowledge, yet opening into something more: the wonder of divine breath in every leaf, the balance of love and challenge, and the gentle call of Mother’s Love and Father’s Grace.

May these words invite you, too, to see, to feel, to sense the sacred trees around and within you—and, in your own way, to act accordingly. In a world that moves so quickly, may we treasure the Heaven on Earth of mind and heart, smiling with the child inside at all that Hashem has given.

With kindness and blessing, Shira

Circle Inside

Concentric

With this heart of awe

Divine eminence

These, the water of purity

Flowing, moving slowly

See humility at the core

Walking this line

The bridge of creativity

The just discovery of reflections

Unlimited in design

Introspection past the surface

Of the wellspring beneath you

Wisdom equal truth

Falsehood our pain

Arrogant by default

Desire anew

Symmetry

Unity in strength

Parallel axiom

Sustain the circle

Understanding evermore

Drunk from the spring

Of the way of creation

Desire complete

Waters of deep flow

The Ripple Effect

**These verses flow from concentric circles of awe, purity, and the bridge between human creativity and Divine wisdom. They invite introspection: Where do you find your wellspring of truth and humility?

Simple Innocence: Tamim (Wholehearted)

The joy of laughter

For the child within

The never-losing-of-purity

The compassion of simply

Being in love

Mine through my eyes

Each discovery

Profound and safe

Focused emunah (Faith)

Treasured calm

Prose and Musings

The below entry was written on a snowy day during the festival of Sukkot—a joyful Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ journey through the desert after leaving Egypt, marked by dwelling in temporary booths (sukkahs) to remember fragility, gratitude, and Divine protection. It is also a time of spiritual reflection and the final days of judgment for the new year. These words poured out amid deep soul-searching—a raw expression of grief, longing for comfort after profound loss, prayer for meaning, and hope for Divine mercy and revelation.

21 Tishrei 5770/ 3 October 2009

Today officially was the first day for snow. I loved it. It wasn't really that cold but enough for me to put on a hat and gloves. It was a serene day, although I felt busy - perhaps because, in between patient reports at work, I got up and made strawberry muffins for Sukkot's 7th day now. It actually ends on tomorrow's Shabbat. Tomorrow is Hoshana Rabbah, the final day of the Divine judgment in which the fate of the new year is determined. I would like to think God will have mercy on me. I pray for some type of salvation, some form of peace, for my soul is agonized now more so than ever in my life.

I try to remember, in fact, that is what I am doing: writing in "dream journal" to give my life, spirit, and soul some meaning upon these latter days. Sometimes I wonder how futile the effort is… I don't know what I am doing, but it is the only thing I can do. These words somehow give me more meaning. How does one truly encompass life - this existence that can feel so relative, mediocre, and cumbersome, especially when contrasted with those whose awareness seems to hold answers? Here in these little words do I try to find comfort.

Every day I bring myself to this point, and in all actuality, I am lost. On paper it looks very bad; no family, no child, no spouse, no clear past, present, or future - an orphan's life rejected time and again, and the ultimate tragedy of losing a child. What kind of life am I supposed to lead?

Right now, at this precise moment, I want to be comforted - truly comforted - with arms to hold the weight of my sorrow, to catch the tears rolling down my face, who will never go away and will love me unconditionally. This brings me to my knees, for I have nothing that will give me comfort. My Ari is far away. She was my love and will forevermore be, but her essence isn't here anymore, and I am left blind, bereft, and hollow, continuing this strange and alienated existence. For what purpose?

I try to find my Father/Mother everywhere, and there are times when I feel the beauty. I am aware, but I have no talent in which to fully relate at all. I ask, I plead without end, and I feel I am still lost and weak - always crying and never finding answers. I always thought my poetry would manifest as something profound, something I can give to the world, but more than that, I hoped it would bring solace and love to me - and perhaps even to Hashem/Shechinah, my daughter in Heaven, and the angels who wanted a voice. I longed for the Great Mystery to be revealed mystically, through some form of communication that could bring an essence of the Divine into our crazy world.

I should stop now and pray for revelation:

Cover my eyes with the sigh of your breath

Give to me the peace of death

Fancy the symphony of composed love

In my twilight of these days as below, so above

Blessing to all

Gifts the fall

Beacon of light shining in mine eye

Illuminating some relative form of heaven and sky

Gathering the comfort

Of Divine's heavenly court

Sitting beneath the Tree of Life

Acknowledging the strife

Hoping and praying for truth's inner sight

Sharing with all my might

This, my revelation

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