Well, this is tonite... just not the tonite I originally had in mind for typing the next verse... #23:
My sister and I being estranged, I parked my trailer at the furthest limit of her fields, the corner that is left, by law, to the poor. Her hundreds of cherry trees were blossoming, and on the road to the great stone house that they lined, a lacework of petals. It was a Saturday. I reclined against a little hill, a shoot of wheat between my teeth, looked at the blue sky, a bird, three threads of luminous cloud, and my heart would not rejoice. I entered the hour of self-accusation. A strange sound trembled in the air. It was caused by the north wind on the electric lines, a sustained chord of surprising harmonies, power and duration, greatly pleasing, a singing of breath and steel, a huge string instrument of masts and fields, complex tensions. Suddenly the judgement was clear. Let your sister, with her towers and gardens, praise the incomparable handiwork of the Lord, but you are pledged to the breath of the Name. Each of you in your proper place. The cherry trees are hers, the grapes and the olives, the thick-walled house; and to you, the unimagined charities of accident in the Corner of the Poor.
Reading this brought me exquisite pleasure. So much happens within such a brief space. On a personal level, what I watched happen was gratifying. I know a similar situation. Seeing the transition in Leonard's state of mind and grace of being; and his acceptance and gratitude for the difference in his path from that of others [in this case, resumably his sister, Esther, though I don't recall ever knowing that they had a period of what he would call estrangement... unless it's a universally-speaking sister upon whose property he parked his trailer], and the beauties that he is privy to on other levels, the metaphysical and "the breath of the Name." His walk in this life and all that he aspires to is simply different. This is such a simple and graceful acknowledgement and appreciation of that. Once again, gratitude.
He may question and feel disheartened from time to time; yet, he seems to always return to gratitude for those "unimagined charities of accident" that his own path brings him. Whether his path is self-chosen or deemed to him, it remains his to be embraced for what it offers. It's as though his prayer was answered within the hour, "the hour of accusation," by G~d. Before I say any more, I'll give someone else a chance. I've left out for the time being some things that I've thought as I read this. So many beautiful phrasings.
It seems this arrangement with the furthestmost corner isn't a Jewish tradition, but a social 'law' kind of thing. Does anyone know? I've heard of it before, but I can't remember in what context... was it when I first read this verse by Leonard? Has it been a common-law deeming in general in our culture and, perhaps, in other areas of the world? Is it simply the way he created to justify her saying, "Yes... you can stay here, but I don't want to have to be looking at that trailer; so, if you want, you can stay if you take it down to the back edge of the property."
No, I just noticed [again] that he specifically separated out "by law." So, can anyone add to this aspect? Did it originate in Britain? In France? Is it "law" as in our courtrooms, or part of the 'spiritual' law of Jews? It seems he's placed himself there, through a begrudging arrangement, but not one where he would ever consider or even dream of pursuing legally, had she said denied him... or that she would have actually assented to simply because it's the "law". Actually, as I speak further on this, it seems he simply added it parenthetically, as though he ended up in the place 'protected' for him to be, by law. Not that he requested or pushed for it on that basis. More of an ironic twist that that's where he ended up. Still, I wonder about the "law," regardless.
~ Lizzy
to it]. When I read it, I got a clear sense of sensuality, and I'm quite inclined to agree with your interpretation... and you know I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it 
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. Had you gone a bit further with the lyrics, it might have made it all the way to body bombing... with a bit of a semi-march. I might've gotten bombed, but at least I finally got your joke! If it hadn't been for those repetitions, I might not've 
... the duh factor, again 
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!! Would you care to join us in this thread? Our gallant Doron is carrying the load for the Judaism contingency... any of your input would be very welcome by me, likely us, and I'm certain, Doron, as well!!!