paint me with shadow’s
whispered essence
whimsical
airy
LIfe
sketch me withfirelight’s
flickering dreams
energized
pulsing
love
One
honors
each of us
even as we
honor each other
lilamoxen
when the time comes
that time dissolves
the lion and the lamb
the fox and the chicken
will take down their flags
and roll up their scrolls
they will dust off their flutes
their tambourines and dancing shoes
they will gather their children
the orphans and forgotten ones
and they will all breathe at last
together in song and harmony
because the loops of thread
holding all things together
remain
intact
White on Black
*My heart is breaking…tragically America remains mired in hatred, seemingly unable to escape the bleakest chapters of our historic saga May we never forget, and may we forever aspire to do better!*
White on Black
black jay walkin
cop car stalkin
loud accusal
tense refusal
scuffle and roll
out of control
two against one
reach for the gun
justice undone
justice undone
justice undone
Trimming Trees #givingthanks
*A beautiful and poignant reminder of the Oneness of Life and Love…may it bless you as it did me*
It’s that time of year, again. At the end of the driveway, the machine is parked. The man who drives it has had to move it twice. First for my daughter on her way to class, then for my husband on his way to work. Each time the bucket descends and the engine roars back to life. It’s now blocking the entrance and exit, again. Parked at the end of the driveway it has better access to the maple whose branches are threading the electric wires.
Who was there first? It doesn’t matter. We humans have taken over time and place to claim them both as our own. I have been reading a lot of nonfiction these days. Books about the land and our relationship to it. Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer took much longer than its short length would insinuate. It was not…
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JDAIM
*JDAIM again. And while attending in-person events at my shul is not currently possible, I can’t help marvelling at the many ways my community members have enabled me to participate so fully in Jewish life! And this evening, I will be sharing those experiences with members of a synagogue in New Hampshire, thanks to my dear friend Rabbi Dan. Stay cozy, my Darlings, and hold on to the sweetness and Light of each moment. May you and your loved ones find Shalom beneath Shabbot’s canopy of Love!*
February is Jewish Disability Awareness and inclusion Month—formerly Jewish Disability Awareness Month.
Which means that every time this month that I pop into FaceBook, Twitter, or other social gathering places—not to mention the many times I connect with friends at shul and elsewhere—I am incredibly conscious of my role as educator on behalf of the disability cause.
But, really, isn’t that my role as Yismehu Director? And as blogger, Hebrew teacher, and temple member?
In fact, you might say that any time I have an alliyah, chant Torah, read announcements on Friday evening, attend a committee or membership meeting, participate in Torah study, teach anything to anybody anywhere, step inside Target, , or simply drop by a friend’s home for coffee I am a walking-talking lesson on disability and inclusion.
The reasons are pretty obvious:
** I am blind. So I cannot appreciate facial expressions and your lovely smile. In…
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Book Review: Ladies of Liberty
**Yes, it’s President’s Day once more here in the USA. May we all reflect upon the vision and valor of the men and women who came before us, and upon what they have bestowed upon each and every one of us–liberty and responsibility–a republic…if we can keep it**
Ladies of Liberty
Women Who Shaped Our Nation
By: Cokie Roberts
Copyright: 2008
BR 17787
5 Volumes
Renowned news reporter Cokie Roberts breathes new life into
Early American history as she relates the lives of dozens of women, both notable and obscure. These are the wives of America’s first Presidents and statesmen, the founders of America’s first social service agencies and religious orders, women actively involved in the lives of their families, polite society, and the workings of government. They accompanied their husbands to Embassy postings in Paris, London, and St. Petersburg. They faced the same dangers imposed by disease and trans-Atlantic travel, and endured additional threats specific to their gender such as intimidation and childbirth. And like women in every age, these women voiced their opinions.
Roberts uses letters and journal entries to detail these vivid examples of intelligence, grace and unspeakable courage. We wait nervously with beautiful, well-educated…
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On One Foot
On One Foot
…brief updates about me and those I love
* Already February, and here in the Willamette Valley rain and sunshine, wind and snow have each taken a turn to dazzle and delight me. And ifthe daffodils don’t proclaim the coming of Spring boldly enough, then the absence of hummingbirds from our feeders clue me in. things are stirring out there. The natural world is waking up, renewing itself renewing us.
* Meanwhile J and I stay close to home like all of you, tending to household tasks and creative efforts.
* And as for our doggy delights–we were treated to a double scoop recently, visiting Little Leo and Bucky (the 90-pound fellow) on the same day. Of course I appreciate the humans we visited as well–our daughter CC and her husband, and the grandsons with their Dad. I am grateful everyone has what they need, and can’t wait until we can all gather under one roof instead of shivering separately at a respectable distance across the driveway.
* For now, my Darlings, I wish you sweetness and Love as your days unfold. May Life’s renewal find you–if not in your physical landscape, then in your spirit–and may you sense the Wonder and Love ever ready to inspire and delight you!
Blessings
Roses
*I’m reaching back into my guitar case for this one, a song I wrote while expecting our first child four decades ago. Not too much song-writing for me during those busy years that eventually filled our home with the antics of four youngsters. Just a whole lot of Life and Love and now memories*
Roses
bright as the cheeks of children
on a December day
watching my children play
Roses
soft as the glow of morning
warming the earth below
watching my children grow
seasons go turning ‘round
and time goes by
memories linger
as long as I have
Roses
crimson and gold as Autumn
pressed and preserved with care
my children are smiling there
Because
Because
by Joan Myles
because I wear a different face
and because I live without a trace
I find Love all over the place
I’ve known angels from my cradle
they walk with me and man the ladle
muse with me at desk and table
and because I wear a different mask
I take up the angel’s task
declaring sweetness to the last
After
*from One With Willows by Joan Myles copyright 2019*
After
the world is new
when you come back from the dead
apples are honey on your tongue
and breadcrumbs in your pocket
will suffice
like the air you breathe
the world is holy again
still
in dawning light
whispering with hummingbirds
only faintly echoing
the shofar’s blast
announcing
the world is new
