Charlotte Cohen, Jeff Fine, Israel Silberhaft
10 WHOLE WEEKS!
It would never happen to me!
‘Pa’ would live forever.
Then the reality – cancer
Panic, self-pity then denial,
Hebrew – no go, Kaddish – never.
This was me – what next?
10 whole weeks!
Concern for his wife and family
Fear of the great unknown.
First nothing … then the pain …
Uncontrollable – the circle had turned
From our ‘Pillar of Strength’ to helplessness
That was ‘Pa’ – what now?
10 whole weeks!
Time we thought was too short.
We discussed, spoke and learned.
His sense of humour never waned
But the pain … the fear … the helplessness
Not knowing nor understanding … Why?
Was the time really so short?
10 whole weeks!
For some there are no goodbyes,
No time to talk or make one’s peace.
No time to say “Thank you” or
To express their love and respect.
No time to learn, trying to understand.
We had the time – “Thank You, HASHEM”,
10 whole weeks.
SHIVA – The first seven days,
Numb – confusion, pain and tears,
Fear – my Pillar has been removed.
SHLOSHIM – The next three weeks.
Reality – acceptance back into the community,
Acknowledgement – my strength has gone.
KADDISH – Eleven months, with DeRabanan,
Three times daily – every night, morning and
evening
Four seasons came and went, learning to
understand.
YORTZEIT – One year now the anniversary,
Memories – the heart healed – but ‘Pa’ never
forgotten.
Thank you one and all.
YA HOOD
Jeff Fine
Devotion
Godly pure devotion,
Deepest human emotion,
Resides in the depth of the soul,
And supplants your normal self-control,
Tremendously powerful and strong,
And pulls you mercilessly with magnetic pull
along’
You fall prostrate shake and cry,
I love you Lord and for you I will die,
You long to embrace and touch,
The one you love so much,
You crawl and grovel like an obedient slave,
Before the almighty you so desperately crave,
You pray and sing G-d’s song,
And wish to be near him where you belong.
Israel Silberhaft
Beginnings & Endings
Life is a series of
Beginnings and endings
Starts and finishes
Cul de sacs and bendings
Not decades or years or months or days
That is not the way that destiny plays
Chances and choices
Cycles of seasons
Endlessly repeating its times and its reasons
With you, without you; do’s and don’ts
Evers and nevers; wills and won’ts
New and old; timid and bold
Words preserved and stories untold
Up-to-date fashion and clothing well worn
Death and dying and the new-born.
Old contests, new races
Old places, new faces
A friendship finished – a relationship renewed
Forgive and forget; or acrimony accrued
Coming together or pulling apart
A parting of ways or a brand-new start
A broken promise – a reaffirmed vow
For the happily ever after; or for the ‘here and
now’
Lose or win – again to begin
Hellos and goodbyes – congratulations and sighs
“What could I have done? What should I have
done?”
Questions and answers, ‘what ifs’ and why’s
Remain where you landed …keep pushing ahead
Work a new idea – or just stay in bed
Pick yourself up or want to lie down and die
Wake with intent – or let the world go by
Life is a continuum of giving and taking
Repeating its patterns again and again
A never-ending recurrence of beginnings
and then
A continual closing and ending again
Charlotte Cohen
