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Miryam Howard-Meier

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Sukkot — Spoken Word

Oct 1, 2020, 5:32 PM

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Sukkah Photo by M. Howard. Permission to publish.

Once a year we build a place

Where all Jews dwell in a small space

Reliving the long and treacherous hike

Where no resorts were seen in sight

We laid on hard and rocky sand

When would we arrive in our Promised Land?

Among a clan of prideful beggars

Black-market cheats and greedy-bootleggers

And what was the delay of our journey’s goal?

T’was our companion “Pride” within our soul!

Seeking comfort from counterfeit love

Disconnected from Heaven above

Forty years of “hard knocks”

A generation that failed detox

Then Moshe entered heaven’s door

And Yahoshua was assigned the chore

To lead the troops on a trail

Keeping safe the Holy Grail

Today we stand within our Land

Thanks be to all that took a stand

Clear the clutter, clear the mess!

All aboard the Zion Express!

Each day is a fight to UN-install

Rebellion that lingers to fight our call

What we choose is up to us

Humility is our best trust

Striving for what is good and true

Can feel as though we’ve caught the flu

But just because we may feel queasy

Doesn’t mean we should be sleazy

So, we grasp our lulav and shake it like crazy!

Admitting that our lives may seem hazy

Each branch reflecting a character trait

As the etrog shows our fruitful fate

We are unique in many ways

Struggling in this journey’s maize

Letting go of our need to be right

Releasing ego into flight!

Strapping on our life-support

Riding humility is our new sport!

Thanks be to Gd for leading us well

For all our lessons we now can tell

Our children hear so they may know

We aren’t mere actors in a show!

Torah is REAL and ALIVE this day

Within our souls so we won’t stray

No longer are we sad sojourners

Or absent minded slow-learners

Nor are we settlers or occupiers

We are victorious testifiers!

Grasping tight to our Promised Land

Living together hand in hand

Thankful that we have arrived

Too see our blessed nation revived

It’s up to us to carry the Light

Living the Torah of our birthright

Gathering in our booth’s at night

Counting stars reflecting bright

Peace is coming one day soon

All hearts will play a different toon

Until that time may we abide

Knowing that we’ve qualified

And as we await, may we all hear

Moshiach’s footsteps drawing near….

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About the Author

Born and raised in California, Miryam moved to Alaska just out of High School where she worked on a commercial salmon vessel. After several years, she relocated to Washington State where she raised a family and pursued a career in Juvenile Corrections. Upon retiring, she began writing about her travels and experiences. Over the years, Miryam's writing has expanded to include many venues and topics, from the more personal hardships of life to the more whimsical children's stories. Her journalistic stories have been published in newspapers, online sites, as well as printed books such as "Chicken Soup for the Soul" and "The Coffee House Chronicles". She has recently enjoyed more public interaction through her poetry of "spoken word" at local Jerusalem gatherings.

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