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I light the candles
In my closed room
Sip my wine
And say a prayer
For the living
For the dead
And know
That everything
Is temporary
Just a snapshot
An engine running dry
And those survivors of WW2
My family from the camps
They are all falling silent
After their stories told

And do I have to ask
Or just infer
Of what consequence
Is this Life?
My doctor tells me
'We are nothing, but,
we are everything'
This is not enough
It is this fucking death
That cuts in so hard
Indiscriminate
Permanent

And I lift my arms
As if asking G-d to come on in
Then I remonstrate
All the angels in the ether
Stay quiet
The world is deaf
Busy in its day
Of takeover bid or a new fuck
They turn a blind eye
To the funeral procession
Won't imagine the contents of the casket

And your turn is coming
No matter how you buck it or ignore it
Death has her way
And she's more potent
Than phoney suburban marriages
Than acid or alcohol
Than exclusive newsflashes
Than rich lawyers leading countries

I repeat the Shema
The only Hebrew I learned
The holiness
Refuels me
I can spend my night at ease

Boss,

A powerful poem. It's my wish that the "closed room," safely
and comfortably be opened for you. Shema is an affirmation
of oneness, unity, wholeness. -- For your only Hebrew verse,
you picked a good one.

Steven,

Thank you for your comments. It was always my intention to write a powerful poem. Death is such an integral, cruel part of life. Limp poems describing it never suffice.

My 'closed room' is my sanctuary for now.

I had a very unorthodox Jewish upbringing. In fact it was so unorthodox it was barely palpable. But I do remember the Shema. I didn't 'pick' it however; occasionally Dad would recite it at bed time. Guess it stuck.

Lehitraot

Boss

Hi Boss!
that is hard to handle and hard to talk about, you were able to transfer a good approach to that idea
I see that "death" is feminine in english too!!!!!
in spanish death is feminine and birth is masculine.......

Dear Boss ~

I like this unsentimental poem, very very much and the details and the truths you used to make your points.

They turn a blind eye
To the funeral procession
Won't imagine the contents of the casket

My respect,
Elizabeth

i like your references to today's superficial society. with the advent of all these ways to distract one from the basic issues, like death, life becomes a rotation of habits etc. your poem is a brave statement, in this context.
i think that because of the fear of death, one can A) find comfort and distraction in society B) grasp it and live better. when we don't deny sprituality, suddenly life becomes complex and the questions and meanings are raised.
i think death is an answer more than a question though. it answers everything
the Shema, an answer. an answer to ourselves.

shalom
e.