whaddaya nose

Oh
I knew all along
It was right here
In front of my nose
I just
Didn’t know
where my nose was..


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The Gloria Steinem Diaries...

A few years back the famed militant feminist Gloria Steinem took a road trip through America incognito.

Here are some little known entries buried in her diary..of that trip..

April 12 2002..
Day 8 of my exhausting trip through America finds me in the Garden State.
I decide to disembark at the next town to spend the night as I’m not feeling so well.
Next stop Lakewood.
I quickly find a motel in the area...
I settle in but really don’t feel well.

April 13, 2002..
9am
I go out..
Strange town..strange looking people...
I walk past a bus stop to NY there are 4 professional women smartly dressed barking orders at their hubbies still at home..I can distinctly hear one directing a male voice what the baby should wear and what he/she should eat...
Before she boards the bus to her job in New York.
Hmm I like this place..
9:20
I notice a sign for a Doctors office. I should really get checked out.

Have I died and gone to heaven?

The wating room is full of harried men juggling 3-4 children..bottles..strollers. Not a mom in sight.
I actually feel bad for em..(a little)..shhh

1pm
In Shoprite to get my medicine before catching the bus for the last leg of the trip.
Up and down ther aisles are men with black hats and long shopping lists filling their carts.

I cant help but smile.
A small glimpse of a perfect world.

2pm
Catch bus to NY...


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Welcome Back

I often think back to the good ol days of blogging.
About a year and half ago when I first started there was something more palpable..
Feeding off one another..ideas..poems..
I sorta miss those days.

But one of my all time favorite bloggers is back..and I couldn't be happier.
I'd like to welcome back ZenJew
A truly talented wordsmith (unlike my amateurish babblings)..

Namaste

In Memoriam

I never saw your smile..
Never knew you as a child..
I've only seen the weariness..
In your eyes
Which belies
One day too many in the wilderness
Of war.
All sore..
Your face, scarred
Your gaze, long n hard
Ahead
Alive yet dead
Your life you have shredded
For a cause..
Without pause
And for that I am indebted
For one mans cause
Is anothers Freedom
And the latter
am I

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Taboo

In this weeks Parsha we find an amazing insight into the human psyche.

The Parsha of Sotah (the adulterous wife) is followed by the Parsha of Nazir. Chazal tell us that whoever sees a "sotah b'kilkula" an adulterer when she's down, should immediately forsake drinking wine or any other behavior that can lead down that path.

The obvious question is..isn't seeing her and her greusome punishment deterrent enough for that?

The answer is quite clear.

The gemara in Yomah says there are 2 types of confessions. One is public and the second is private, between man and God.
Only sins Bein Odom L'chaveiro, where one has to ask for forgivenes from a fellow person are to be confessed in this manner.

One of the greatest barriers around a sin is the element of Taboo. "It's just not done". The moment you hear of an instance where it is in fact "done" this invisible barrier falls away and it becomes more difficult to resist temptation.

The Internet has become somewhat of a large virtual confessional. While it might thrill the voyeur hiding inside of us, the damage it causes is tremendous. Between blogs and a website that will go unnamed the taboo once surrounding the most taboolike sins are crumbling.
People are mistaken when they think that if they tell you.."I did it..and let me tell you..Its not worth it.." they're doing us a favor and deterring others. The Torah tells us that the opposite is true.
Even if one witnesses a Sotah crying and pleading for forgiveness and then witnessing her horrible fate, it still makes it easier for the next person to sin!

I once heard an incredible story from a very good source (otherwise I would not repeat it).
Rav Shalom Shvadron Zt'l once came into Rav Shloma Zalman Aurbach Zt'ls house in a huff. This scandalous story happened in Yerushalayim, where a man was caught with the woman next door (and they werent saying tehillim)..
"What should we do..?"..etc..
Rav Shloma Zalman looked at him and said "Vuss iz?..ihr zent eim mekaneh?"
Translated:" What's the matter?..You're jealous?"
Rav Shalom started crying....

No matter how great we are..we are still all stuck in human bodies...and are subject to the frailties of the human psyche.
No one understands this better than the Torah.

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Dawn

Shavuos 4:30am
Surging mass through narrow stone..
brothers and sisters hurrying
Hushed murmur..scurrying
Pre dawn darkness...
magnetic pull
the holiest spot on earth.
exhausting night
Adrenaline pumping
excited birds overhead
fluttering Taleisim
Swaying...
Praying..
A white bird..
Circles up above..
around and around..
....and around
In the painted sky..
Awestruck
thousands of voices
Sephardi
Ashkenazi
Chassidish
Litvish
Dati
Yemenite
Reaching a crescendo..
Shma..Yisrael
Heart beating..
Impatiently..
looking around..
Where is he?
Tzur Yisrael Kumah B’ezras Yisrael..
Ufdei K’numecha..Yehuda V’Yisrael...
Then...
Decible level drops from LOUD to...
Absolute silence...


Collective sigh
sun fights its way over the wall
Lights up the sky..
Colors the city..
Gold
Brilliant
In the fervent silence.
No different accents
One People...
as the bird dissapears over the hills

I look around one more time...
So...sure he’d come...




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It seems like yesterday...

My my..how fast they grow up...

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Ever notice..?

Ever notice
how easy
it is to
say
I Love You
to those
that have
no clue
what it means..


?


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The Shepherd Boy

I present to you the strange tale of the Shepherd Boy lost to the world for all eternity.
Whether this story is true is irrelevant as this tale repeats itself every day countless times in countless locales.
Our boy was born in a tiny village at the edge of the Alps where life was simple and pure. He was a frail boy and his mother would look after him and protect him from all harm. He was a familiar sight in town, always overdressed and pale. Yet he was a happy boy, with not a care in the world. He’d tend to his small flock all morning and could often be heard whistling and singing in the emerald green fields dotted with the pure white sheep.
His afternoons were usually spent reading or frequenting the marketplace.
Just across the valley there was a dark, forbidding cliff. Atop the cliff precariously perched was an old abandoned castle. None of the townsfolk knew much of the origins nor who built the grey stone edifice. Since he was a small boy his mother warned him to stay away from that castle. He would often wonder standing in its long shadow, just what was there, but the sheeps soothing bleeting would pull him back to reality and he’d continue on.
One cool autumn morning he noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye while watching over his grazing flock. He could distinctly make out a human form climbing toward the castle. Something inside him woke up, something dangerous and thrilling. As if in a trance he left his sheep and his legs propelled him forward toward the dark cliff. His pale face coated with a thin sheen of sweat looking so small next to the towering palisade. With a burst of strength he started climbing from one rock to the second grabbing onto twigs and crevices dirtying his clean white hands. The wind was whipping his face and his usually perfect hair was a mess. He never felt so alive in his life. He finally reached the top and threw him self onto the ground exhausted.
As he lifted his face and eyes he caught his breath. Before him was the most magnificent looking structure he could imagine. His heart was pounding now as the boy stood up and approached the gate. He was greeted by a pack of terrifying black dogs barking and biting at the fence. He was shaking all over but instead of being frightened away he became more determined. Taking off his jacket he tossed it at the dog but they werent interested in cloth. He climbed the fence with a big stick in hand and jumped over with a primal yell three times his former decibel level record. But when he turned to face the dogs, eyes gleaming, they were gone. Breathing hard he dropped the stick and ran in the direction of the stone edifice. He lost both his shoes in the mud but didn’t care. He felt empowered. He suddenly found himself ripping his way through thick thorn filled shrubbery. The thorns were ripping his beautiful clothes to shreds and were leaving bloody cuts on his pale skin. He was relishing the feel of these sensations on his pale body. At last there was one last hurdle and he could already rest his eyes on the glamourous main entrance. Between our boy and the castle was a wide moat of flowing water. Removing the remains of his tattered clothes he jumped into the cold churning water. The rush of the cold on his skin was exhilirating and he allowed himself to get swept into the current. He slowly swam and fought his way across to the other side and at last pulled himelf out cold, wet and naked. Breathing heavily he crawled to the castle with his last ounce of energy. He was surprised to see it unlocked as he pushed the heavy door open. Peering in, adjusting to the dark he suddenly saw the dark shadowy figure disappear into a side hallway and he called after him. Running in his trail he found himself in a high ante room with 3 doors. He yelled HELLOOO but heard nothing in return. He tried one door and peered into a tiny room with a small table and on the table was a beautiful green apple, He slammed the door and tried the next and inside was a pure white sheep looking up at him he quickly slammed the door while covering himself with his hand. He reached for the last door and opened it slowly and peered into the largest room he had ever seen. He slowly walked in and it was dark, empty and cold. The only thing in the room was a large free standing mirror in the center of the room. He suddenly felt cold and lonely. Hs body was shaking and he started to cry. He didn’t recognize the sickly impression looking back at him. Feeling tired and weak he slinked down to the ground and passed out.
He opened his eyes and saw his mothers concerned face patting down his face with a warm towel. He averted her gaze, ashamed. He was somehow back in his room, in his big white bed. Besde his bed was his mother and the town doctor. He noticed a fresh set of warm clothing laying neatly on his chair. Closing his eyes he fell back asleep.

A few days later he was seen heading back to the dark cliffs.

He hasn’t been seen since.


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Another Day...Another Dream Dies...

Kol Isha alert..lol
From old blog...

A child is born
The world fills with bubbles
Dreams...
Opportunities
Endless possibilities

A 10 year old dreaming
Awed by the bubbles that fill
The Air
Your Dreams
Floating higher...still

Each bubble a dream

Doctor
Rebbe
Baseball player
Lawyer
Rosh Yeshiva
Policeman
Painter
Rich guy
Singer
Kiruv
Professor

As the days pass
The hours disappear
Another week
Another year
The bubbles slowly
Pop
Slowly
Pop
One by one
Too late to become this
Too late to learn that
Pop
Pop

And the years go by...
And you do And you try
Until you grow old and tired
Weak and retired
And you lay
Suspended
On your hammock
Under your favorite oak tree
You look up and you see
A few bubbles float by
In the clear blue sky


You smile and you sigh
So content
Serene
Lazily watching the last bubble fly

The sum
Of what you’ve become

And as your eyes close
The sky suddenly fills anew
With millions of bubbles
As a new child...is born

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How I know God is not a developer....

I'm gonna mention this pet peeve of mine again because every time I pass a new development it irks me to no end.

All you Brooklynites won't know what I'm talking about because it simply doesn't exist in Brooklyn.

Vinyl siding houses with brick fronts.

Rows and rows of vinyl homes shhhhh pretending to be brick shhh..

And so I was looking at pictures of outer space the other day and noticed that the dark side of the moon is made of rock and moon material just like the front..
Now imagine if a modern day developer was running the show on the 4th day...
"Hey make only the side facing earth rock...the other side..gimme vinyl siding.."

And then I though why stop there? On the 6th day...why make humans out of flesh and skin all the way around..Only the front..the back can also be vinyl siding..

False fronts...everywhere you look..
Houses..
People...
Cars....

Can you drown in shallowness?

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I am the universe....

Warning: Kol Isha.
No connection to post..just heard it this morning and was so moved by the sheer beauty I had to share. Close your eyes and enjoy 2 of the most beautiful voices on earth.

400 BCE
Laying on the grass...on a starry night
Eyes wide open...reflecting the moons light
Flying upward ..pulled up to the dizzying display
There you found Apollo..and Zeuss..the gods at play

Your offspring millenia later..occupies the same damp place
With the same wide eyed fascination gets lost in the vastness of space
This time armed with numbers..that boggle the mind
Bilions...trillions..stars..galaxies....yet to find

Anything to make you feel small
Gods...Science....BIG and TALL
Distract you..Weave a great big shield..
Anything not to realize the power you wield

Me?
I am a partner with God..in every sense of the word
The furthest star in the furthest galaxy..of this vast world
Is right here
in the palm
of my hand..

I lay back in the sweet smelling grass..lost in the night
Lost in the billions of stars ..twinkling..shining bright
And I fly upward and feel them become me..
And suddenly feel oh so big..
I am the Universe..and the Universe becomes me



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Lag B'Omer, Meron

Do not play until after Shabbos. Contains Music

Lag B’Omer in Meron
Darkness descends
Masses ascend
One purpose One destination
One soul ..The soul of a nation..
The soul of Our soul Revealed
The Zohar..
Incredible
Indelible
Experience
2000 years
The soul of our wisdom..
Breathing life into generations
Into me...
Higher and Higher up the mountain...
Inside...Inside...Inside
Inside
Hod sheb'Hod
Always inside...
Everything outside
Falls to the wayside

Look at the bonfire..
At the bottom...dirty wood smoldering
Higher...hot flames dancing
Higher yet...sparks...soaring..
Thousands of sparks....filling the dark sky
Look higher...
Always higher...
At every human flame...

Pushing into the hot sweaty...room..
Lifted into the air...crying..praying...
Breathing..soaking...swaying
Dancing..swirling...
Inside..Inside..
Immersed in Jews..
Throngs crushing the life out of me..
Until I too become a spark..
And float high above...
Into the cool Galil night..
Its all good..
Its all high...
Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai



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Hair Today...Gone Tommorrow...

Snip
Snip
Snip
Good morning
Sit please
Snip
How are you?
Snip
Lock after lock
Onto the smock
Floatin some more
Down to the floor
Blonde, black, brown
Falling down
Snip snip
Gently soft
Conversation
Scissors snipping
Soft
Music playing
Softly
Gently floating
Come n go
Leaving
Leaving
Souveniers
Paupers, millionaires
On their merry ways
A little something stays
A first grey
Dismay
Smothered down
By luxurious brown
Grizzled white..
Tangling..
Spangling..
Three year old
Locks of gold..
All the forlorn curls..
From matted dry to exotic swirls
All began the morning
sojourning
Purposeful tour
Lying now on the floor
swept away..
with the trash..
sweep
sweep
whistle..
sweep
Close the light

Good night



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