Come upon a fork in the road:
To the right:
A path running through angelic paradise
Birds chirping and colorful flowers without
Those absurd vowel names; thought streams and
Heart bridges run in and around each other
Like a-maze-meant sans hyphened-confusion.
Dewy waterfalls gift wrapped in soft clouds
And rain bows clear and innocent like a bride’s
Veil
To the left:
A path dense with disappointment and sick with
Cynicism; thorns protrude from prickly thoughts
And brambles stuck on calloused feelings;
Overgrown weeds wag gnarly fingers at small
Frightened children and undergrown cacti
Sniff their bulbous snots in bitter disapproval
At life in general and at truth in particular
Disdain
Let us go for a walk, you and I:
Perhaps a stroll in the park;
Perhaps a stumble in the dark.
Who knows?
Only we.
(We all walk the walk
Just some with a stride
Others with a limp –
Some with a purpose
Others with a cane)
We journey along many paths:
Sometimes down logical paths;
Sometimes up emotional paths.
Sometimes we travel in (and with) packs – socio paths.
Sometimes we travel alone in our own minds – psycho paths.
Come upon a fork in the road – which way to go?
If you walk in My statutes
And observe My commandments
And perform them
There are many logical paths,
Paths that depend on our hearts
And how our cerebral roads twist
And turn. High roads and low roads,
Beaten and unbeaten, one track, two track,
Or abstract paths. But the question is:
Does the path make us or do we make the path?
Path Illogical – walk not because it’s sensible;
Walk because it’s love and love is senseless.
My statutes… My commandments –
Torah and Mitzvahs:
We don’t study to pass a test or graduate;
We study because it is who and what we are.
We don’t do what is right (only) when it makes sense;
Things make sense (only) when we do what is right.
If you walk in My statutes
Says the Talmud: not “if”
But “please, I beg of you”
I beg of you walk on My path
So that I may walk with you.
And I will walk among you
And I will be G-d unto you
We arrive at our destination
When we journey with our destiny.
The end of the journey rooted
In the beginning of the path:
In the beginning:
He called to Moshe…
When you wish to come close…
(We must wish, pray to come close
And then:)
These are the commandments
That G-d commanded Moshe
To the Children of Israel on
Mount Sinai
(Then we shall come to the Mountain and
Walk in the way of the commandments,
Coming closer with every step)
Let us talk the talk and walk
The walk
Hand in hand with the Divine
Be strong! Be strong! And may we be strengthened!
Chazak Chazak V’nitchazek
Mendel Jacobson is a writer, poet and journalist living in Brooklyn. His weekly poetry can be seen at jakeyology.blogspot.com
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.