Poem for Rosh Hashanah

Shofar
By Rabbi Avraham Itzchak HaCohen Kook
Translated by Rabbi Itzchak Marmorstein

Rise up to the top of the mountain,
And take the large shofar.
Raise your eyes and see
The affliction of the oppressed nation.

Blow the large shofar.
With blasts, shouts and moans
Stamp your feet,
And rouse the graves.

The calls will rise up and reach
The very roots of the souls,
The reincarnations will recycle
And rebuild the ruins.

The sleeping lion cubs
Will be aroused,
Playing in the streams,
Retreating in delusions.

The dormant will awaken
From the trance of the exile,
Stirred up will be the sinners,
Masters of the uncircumcised ear.

And they will rise and go up to the land
That their parents reigned within,
And put end and completion
To the exile into which they were thrust.

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Not an overly eventful Wednesday...I had working internet all morning and afternoon, which these days is a blessing in itself! And I only had to write one article (Rod Roddenberry thinks a prequel Star Trek movie is a bad idea, is irritated that Paramount doesn't have to clear it with him, thinks the franchise should have been allowed to rest and regenerate for several more years...since it is a religious holiday I shall not make any further snide comments). I rearranged my jewelry a bit -- this is the jewelry I actually wear, not the three pieces of grownup jewelry I inherited from my grandmothers that sit in the official jewelry box -- because I recently got two Harry Potter necklaces from Hot Topic courtesy and wanted to make room for them. Then I went through nearly four years' worth of quarters to find the state quarters for , older son and younger son's quarter albums respectively...this was inspired by an avalanche where the jar holding the quarters fell over and knocked down a little cat tea set, breaking the teapot. There were many extras of each state quarter but Michigan, of which we did not have a single one.

We had dinner with my parents and the two couples with whom we've had dinner on Rosh Hashanah the past few years...both of them have children my age but their children and grandchildren aren't in the area, and we break the fast on Yom Kippur with one of the couples. Lots and lots of food...salad with gefilte fish (and chopped liver that I don't touch), chicken soup with k'naidlach (matzoh balls -- I have no idea how to transliterate the Yiddish), beef brisket that I don't eat, chicken piccata, carrot souffle, kugel, potato latkes, green beans, strawberry cake...I can barely move. *g* Although has discovered that we have butterscotch schnapps and Irish creme and has just offered me a buttery nipple...hmm, I am sure that is a sin on Rosh Hashanah...oh but it would bring in a very sweet new year!


Card by Rebecca Shore

Will be at synagogue most of Thursday after traditional *ahem* family breakfast at the pancake house. Have a lovely day everyone!