"Everything"

Everything has a beginning and an end.
Except that which created "Everything",
"Beginning", and "End."

"Through the Clouds"

Through the clouds,
The sun still shines,
The birds still sing,
The time still flows.
What tomorrow may bring,
We'll never know,
But behind a cloud
Is always sun.

The Power of an Ant

There's a really cool quote by Lao Tzu (Father of Taoism) that I'm gonna share with you guys: "An ant on the move does more than a dozing ox."

Just think about it.

What does it matter if you're the strongest, the biggest, the most beautiful, the most impressive on the outside? What's outside is important, yes, but what's inside counts far more...and using it actively is what matters most. An ant is among the smallest of creatures, very ordinary in appearance, often unnoticed by the 'oxen' amongst us. But it is this little soul that, precisely because of its small size, has the strength to carry up to 20 (or even 50) times its own body weight and build impressive structures of earth that we often can't help but notice :-)

So next time you feel down and believe others to be better than you, more talented, more powerful: DON'T! As long as you can keep moving and doing the best with what you have, you'll be doing far more and far better than most of the rather sedentary (in more senses than one), "powerful" people in our society today.

Ok, now go have a piece of dark chocolate, that's an order! Haha, I can order myself to do that, but you're free to do what you want. If you like my idea (and it is a good one!), then that's great and wonderful, but don't blindly follow leaders just because their word is more powerful than yours. It's not...

If your life is a song...

If your life is a song, then what will your chorus be? You cannot always determine the verses, or their order, but the refrain is yours alone. No matter what else happens, there will be themes and values that keep repeating themselves throughout your life, at your choosing. What will your song look like? How will it sound? Even if the verses grow dark and the words cold, always remember that the chorus will come again. And it is up to you whether your life is sung in major...or minor. Choose well! :-)

Love and Robins

I used to believe in true love:
Unconditional, pure, healing, a dance of twin souls...
Someone’s said that before, I know,
But not at this particular moment,
Not in this room, and not with these eyes and the soul that hides behind.
I want to believe in love, in the power of love to overcome all.
To know that no matter what I do, I will be loved regardless.
That didn’t happen.
Love suspended is not pure, passive love is not healing,
For love to mean anything it must be active.
But active does not mean overwhelming, simply
Acting with the other’s best interest in mind.
Cradling their heart as if it were a robin’s egg:
Strong until dropped.
Love means not dropping that egg, not abandoning that soul,
Not blaming the other for life’s stormy seas.
True love should be caring, pure, a game of equals for lovers,
An open heart for family and friends.
A safe zone ruled by kindness and affection, not anger and accusations lurking beneath the surface, blocking out the other. Authority shouldn’t matter; in love, all are equal.
I used to believe in true love;
I have yet to see it.

But still, somehow, I believe...

Alone

In that moment
My heart froze
And my soul screamed.
A cry of terror,
A sad squeak,
Unheard...
Utterly alone,
Invisible to those who
Saw without seeing,
Heard without hearing,
Felt their own lives,
Nothing more.
Climbing out of the pit,
I reached for kindness,
A guiding hand, embrace,
Love with no bounds.
Even the air was silent.
I was alone.
And terrified.

Do Trees Need Sleep?

I've always wondered: do trees need sleep?
Or love, affection, how can I ask?
That a tree feels I do not doubt
Yet feeling is not just in human ways.
A tree in pain I'm sure cries out...
But who will listen?

Perhaps a sparrow can understand
And sing a soothing lullaby
Or a yellow daisy open up and
Smile in thanks for shade and sun.
A squirrel deftly climbs upon her trunk
And nests there with the setting sun.
A tree is a world unto herself,
Yet also part of a larger truth,
And thus it seems that you and me are
Not so different from this tree.

Yet I don't know how to talk with her,
I don't know how to understand
But yet I'm sure she speaks aloud
In ways I haven't yet learned to hear.
And so each tree can teach us that
There is far more than just ourselves
Or those like us, in shape and size.
But our spirits are all from the same Great source,
And the Universe
Speaks in G-d's own tongue.

A Chipmunk's Tale

I wonder...
Hmm, bright sun,
Any cats?
Nothing in sight
So...
I'llgoreallyfastand
There'sanutoohanother
Ihavemoreroom
Here'sonemoreokSTOP!
No, notstopmoving,
Stopnuts, rungo!
Go,go,fast,home,HOME!
Ahh, safe, food, home,
Snack?
Nah, well, hmm, maybe, what,
Snahhhh kshoooo, khaahhhh kshuuuwuwu,
Khaahhh wijuuuuwuwu...
...Khaahhhh OY! Morning?
Hmm, I wonder...

Lessons From the Heart

Sometimes there are just things to be said, and even if the right people don't hear them, at least you put them out there. Know what I mean? And sometimes, in dealing with your own situation, you come across universal truths, and these things should be shared, must be shared, because they could help others. Right? :)
So here's something I'm sure I've heard before, but it never really sunk in until I experienced it myself. Ready for it? Here goes: You cannot truly care about someone without also giving them the power to hurt you.

I know, it sounds a bit out there, but just think about it. If you really open up your heart to allow yourself to care about someone else, then you are, by definition, making yourself vulnerable. Because to care openly and honestly, you must first lower your defenses. And with defenses down, the risk of being hurt is a given. So why lower them at all, what's the point, isn't it better to protect yourself at all costs? Maybe, but to do so would mean closing off your heart, refusing to care (really care) about anyone, never knowing what true friendship or relationships might mean.

Life is always a trade off, a game of balance. But some trade offs are worth it, and I believe that caring is one of them. Even if it means getting hurt, at least you know that there is more in the world than just you. And that your heart is capable of love, which itself is something to be proud of.

Rain falls, not rises

Rain falls, not rises,
Reminding us always that
There is more above than we know.
Earth shakes and trembles,
Great buildings and people
Reduced to mere pawns in Nature's eyes.
The Universe speaks daily, in
Whispers and yawns, in
Smiles and shouts.
But more often than not,
G-d's signs are no more than
A fleeting glimpse of magic,
Subtle, small miracles hiding
In an ordinary world.

A Black Pen

A black pen writes,
But does it live?
It laughs and cries,
With words it flies
But does it feel?
It is a mouth with no soul,
A hand with no body,
A portal to the mind,
But left behind,
It has no life.
One little pen,
Black grip,
Clear plastic,
Motionless and uninspired
It cries a lonely sob,
Without a job, it has
No purpose.
A sad drumstick it would make,
Or break apart, chewed
By a dog.
"Why this ink inside have I
If no one comes to help me fly?"
But one day soon,
A hand will come, will hold the
Pen, as should be done,
And gently, oh so gently
They will write
A sacred lullaby.

A pen alone is not a pen.
It is mere plastic,
Stagnant ink.
A pen in hand, however,
Gains a life, a voice, a heart,
A friend.

Thoughts on Kol Isha (often interpreted as a prohibition against women singing in the presence of men)

No one has the right to take away a woman's voice. Aside from during the Shema, if a man cannot maintain control over his thoughts upon hearing a woman singing, that is his problem and he should work on it. If he is so weak minded, how could he thus control his thoughts if his kids upset him, if a stranger insults him or feeds his ego? Silencing others for his own lack of willpower is not Kiddush Hashem.

And this idea can also relate to all religions or ways of life. Silencing another (or blaming another) for your own shortcomings and lack of control is never good. It is far better to work to control your own mind, rather than complain that others "make you" have bad or improper thoughts. The thoughts are your own...control them wisely as best you can. =)