Friday, September 21, 2007

This year...

Every year
comes Yom Hakipurim
and,
no matter what the year has been like,
cleanses
uplifts
clarifies.

Layers
of sin
of time
of worldliness
peel away
slowly at first
then uninhibited
I'm returning
I can see so clearly now.

As the light of dusk fades
the world is different.

Hear O Israel
Voices rise in a thunderous roar
G-d is One
Nothing else exists.

The truth fills the world
HASHEM HU HA'ELOKIM
pushing out all else
HASHEM HU HA'ELOKIM
I have vanished
HASHEM HU HA'ELOKIM
to be but part of Him
HASHEM HU HA'ELOKIM
The heavens are shattered
HASHEM HU HA'ELOKIM
This must be the redemption
HASHEM HU HA'ELOKIM
and I'm no longer scared.
HASHEM HU HA'ELOKIM

The silence is absolute
it's almost over
my breath stops
this is it

As the blower raises the Shofar
I wait to hear the sound
I am certain is coming
The "Shofar Gadol"
will mingle with his
nothing else is possible
when the world is filled
with Truth.

The call sounds
it somehow adds to the silence






... and last year
once again
it ended.
And I left the synagogue
to find people
walking on the streets
as if nothing was wrong.






But this year
I know
just the same
that moment of revelation will come
and the Great Shofar will sound
and God will gather us in
because we're coming home at last
and the sound will be
like it was at Sinai:
Strong and growing
and not ending
too soon.

9 comments:

Floating Reflections said...

Beautifully written...I was waiting and waiting, why has he still not come :(

halfshared said...

It is so true. Neila is such a powerful time and you come home feeling so pure. If only the feeling would last..
Sadly, the shofer shel mashiach didn't ring out yesterday but hopefully he will come today!!

Anonymous said...

amen.

David_on_the_Lake said...

breathless....

Bas~Melech said...

Thanks.

*sigh* another Succos in golus...

Anonymous said...

I was waiting and waiting for a poem like that to be written...Finally...
Thank you.

It's funny--I didn't realize anybody else thought of those things while saying "Hashem Hu HaElokim." For me, that's the most powerful part of Yom Kippur. It's usually the only time I cry. It's like, Hashem, please don't leave us! You've been so close for so long, and now You're departing back to Your throne room...Just stay with us, please!!! Don't go...

And then I want to stop saying thost three words...as if I can prolong His stay here next to me...

...And then the day after Yom Kippur is usually the hardest to summon up kavanah...

Bas~Melech said...

Yes. YES.

Bas~Melech said...

It's February now... and reading this makes me cry all over again as I realize how far away I am from Yom Kipur.

Well, that's why I write. At least it's working.

*sigh*

Jewish Side of Babysitter said...

that was great!
I always felt those words "Hashem Hu Elokim" were powerful. Also, there were so many other parts that got me emotional and inspired.