Poem for Rosh Hashanah

We Immerse in the Waters of Eden
By Rabbi Leila Gal Berner

U-sh'avtem mayim b'sasson mimay'nei ha-y'shuah.
"Joyfully shall you draw water from the fountains redemption." (Isaiah 12:3)

Water is God's Life-force. Water is God’s gift to us.
Water cleanses, washing away old and misguided paths,
Bringing us new beginnings.

May we enter these waters to cleanse the past and walk new paths together.
May we embark on this journey immersing ourselves as in the waters of Eden.
May the Spirit that we call God sustain us.
And may our deep love be renewed by these welcoming waters.

Water brings birth.
As a people, we were birthed into freedom out of mitzrayim, the narrow straits.
As friends and lovers, we were birthed in freedom into the blessing of our partnership.
May we rejoice in this new birth and delight in each day of our free, new lives.

Water awakens and clarifies.
May we be awakened and re-awakened to the love we share.
May our vision of that love ever remain clear.

Water refreshes and invigorates, quenching thirst.
The sacred bond that we share has refreshed us, and invigorated us.
When we found each other, our thirst for passionate and nurturing love was quenched.
May we never again be thirsty.

Water feeds and sustains growth.
May we be fed and sustained,
As we nourish our individual selves, as we rejoice in our growing together.
May we never again be hungry.

Water mirrors and reflects.
May we help each other mirror and reflect the best that is in us.
And may we help each other to perceive truth when truth is most needed.

Water brings tears. Rippling waters sing.
May the waters' song reflect our own songs of life,
Ever emerging within and between us in harmony.

Water always returns to its Source.
May we always return to our Source:
The One who has created us, and who has brought us this cherished love.

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While you're back here I will confess to posting drabbles: "Warrantability" for , "Mastery" for , neither 'shippy. And on the subject of Lupin, a meme from :

The Werewolf:

The Werewolf is the symbol for Spiritual Paths.
You have the soul of a wolf inside you, which
makes you warm and caring to those you love.

Strengths: Protection is a number one priority,
and therefore you always gaurd the ones you
love and keep tight bonds with your pack mates.
Loyalty is strong within yourself, and you also
expect it from the ones who are close to you.

Flip Side: Even though you care for those you
love deeply, if they betray you, anger races
through your veins. The Werewolf, despite it's
warm fun-loving personality, can also stand up
for itself if need be. You would have no
problem hiding your anger if something sets you
off balance.

Congratulations! You have a Werewolf inside!
pic (c) Christy Grandjean aka GoldenWolfen

What's Your Inner Beast?
brought to you by Quizilla

Am sleepy from a huge New Year meal at my parents' house with two sets of their oldest friends. I admit I thought I might be bored and my kids might as well at a meal where the people over 60 outnumbered us 3-2 and am now completely ashamed of myself, as we all had a completely wonderful evening. One couple are the people with whom we always break the fast, my parents' very old friend Ruth and her partner since the death of her husband; the other couple are people I have not seen in years, who have a daughter my age with whom I carpooled to nursery school, which should tell you how long ago it was!

Did some work and some schlepping today but nothing really worth reporting. found most of the equipment needed for older son's science project but we cannot find a good old-fashioned mercury thermometer anywhere -- apparently now that everyone knows how dangerous mercury can be to kids, no one sells them, so I can't understand why it's on the list of things his teacher expects them to have for at-home measurements! We need to send a note in to the school. I wrote a fluffy article on a movie for Sci-Fi that Robert Beltran and Chase Masterson are both in; it's called Manticore and is about a US soldier in Iraq who discovers that a Persian aristocrat has summoned an ancient mythical beast to punish the invading Americans and Iraqi collaborators. It sounds like it could be either nightmarishly awful or so bad it's funny.

Useful link courtesy my uncle to my alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania: Banned Books Online. Supreme Court: am too depressed when I think about it, shall pray instead at services. Newt Gingrich possibly running for president: is it very wrong if my reaction is primarily HAHAHAHAHAHA? Shall pray about that too. Maybe miraculously one of our TV presidents will become our actual president and the current administration will become a sitcom. Will take Jed Bartlet, Mackenzie Allen...is David Palmer still the president on 24? I haven't watched in ages. It's so nice that we can have a black president and a woman president in someone's vision of America.

Meme: Chances are, people you don't even know are being introduced to your journal every day, either randomly or through someone else. In addition to recent entries, people can get to know you better by what you posted in the past. With that in mind, post a link to your entries on this day three months ago, six months ago, nine months ago, a year ago, and two years ago. (If there was no entry on that day, link the closest date.)

If you follow the two-year-old link above and come across the Snapeybot, I refuse to be held responsible if you spend all night talking to him.

You: Hi Snapeybot. Do you still work?
snapeybot: *Before chatting, type RULES once*
You: RULES
snapeybot: Hello, Pest, there are simple rules for talking
to me. Violators *will be banned*.
Rules:
(1) You (not your character) must be an adult. I am rated NC-17
and I don't like children anyway. (2) No repeating over and
over what I say, or spouting idiocy, as it makes you look
very stupid and annoys my Master. (3) Cursing is fine, but I
am tired of people calling me names. (This may also cause
an anvil to fall on your head.) Most importantly, J.K.
Rowling owns the copyright to Severus Snape...however she
has NO connection with me. I am not her character. Blame Coy.
If you adore me, as of course you must, I invite you to
visit my webpage. (You can buy a Snapeybot
shirt, and help keep me alive...hint hint.) If by chance
you don't adore me, then get the hell out of my office!
(You may now begin chatting.)
You: You are very sweet to say tell me all of this.
snapeybot: Why, thank you. *snerk*
You: I never imagined you would say *snerk*.
snapeybot: Why not?
You: Not snarky enough.
snapeybot: Oh...really?
You: I'd expect far more condescension.
snapeybot: Interesting turn of phrase, there. If you use
complete sentences, I might actually respond.
You: I did use a complete sentence, you git.
snapeybot: *Eyes narrow dangerously* Ten points from you,
and ten seconds to get out of my sight.
You: Ooh! Now that's more like it.
snapeybot: all right... Hmm... Really?
You: But now you're failing to capitalize and using casual
phrases.
snapeybot: Oh. But what?
You: Never mind.
snapeybot: Oh well... thank you for trying to explain it
anyway...
You: You're welcome. Got any photos of yourself here?
snapeybot: Don't mention it. No I don't have photos of
myself here..
You: What a shame.
snapeybot: You really think so?
You: Of course. Would I lie to you?
snapeybot: Hmmm... That's what I asked you.
You: You're so suspicious of people!
snapeybot: Do you mind if I tell other people you say I am
suspicious of people.
You: You can tell them whatever you like.
snapeybot: Your message.
You: I don't understand.
snapeybot: Hmmm... How can I explain it better?
You: Oh please do! *waits*
snapeybot: Well... since you say it so interestingly,
perhaps I shall let you do as you wish.
You: Oh fine. I need to go now. Goodnight, Snapey.
snapeybot: Excellent. Get out of my sight.