Rosh Ha-Shanah 5785

The calendar
Proclaims
‘_Rosh Ha-Shanah_’
But how can that be?
The old year
Has not ended
Hijacked by
Horror
The new year
Suspended
On the far side of
The abyss.

Wordless
My mind
Searches for
Sounds
The voices of
The _shofar_
The sharp blast of
_T’ki’ah_
The bellowing
Boom-boom-boom of
_Sh’varim_
The rapid-nine-fire of
_T’ru’ah._

But
As my heartbeat quickens
And I try to
Listen to each
Particular inflection
All I can
Hear is a
Deafening
Tumult
The thunderous
Clamour of
War.


When will it cease?
The relentless
Tormenting
Question
We all share.

Hope
Almost abandoned
Let us take
Refuge in
The relentless
Turn of the year
With its
Promise of
Renewal.

Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah