Monday, January 24, 2011

I Couldn't Resist...

So I just found this site that determines readability and grade level of text... I entered this poem and got a score of: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 33.
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease score: -16.
According to this calculator The Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease score indicates how easy a text is to read. A high score implies an easy text. In comparison comics typically score around 90 while legalese can get a score below 10.
The Flesch-Kincaid Grade level indicates the grade a person will have to have reached to be able to understand the text. E.g. a grade level of 7 means that a seventh grader will be able to understand the text.
Which basically means I write on higher than an 8th grade level! *Phew*
How do your blog posts measure up?

Thoughts...

One:
Reality cannot be refuted
After all... if the only thing we believe in
Isn't real...
What can we rely on?
*Click*


Two:
Kill with kindness
Lynch with love
Drown with endearment
After all...
It's decreed from Above
(And that's where you'll go)


Three:
Beyond the pixelized images
The apparent O B V I O U S
There is a thin veil of mirage
That obscures what is
Right
Before
Your 
Eyes




Sometimes my mind hurts...



Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Human Condition: Man is Not an Island

(Second post, 1/18)



The Human Condition: Man is Not an Island

Man is not an island
To exist on his own
He is not some self-reliant being
That can function alone.

Perhaps a man thinks
That he succeeded because of his own will
And that without the help of others
He scaled the achievement hill

By his own hand
And by none other than his own might
He was the one to lead the masses
Out of the darkness into the light

He was the sole supporter
Of mastering his own accomplishments and success
And when he was falling beneath the surface
He did not call out in duress

When he wandered through barren deserts
He asked not a soul for a drink
His thoughts were turned inward
And only of himself could he think…

For his own goals
He believes he made it on his own
And it is plainly evident
In his appearance and tone

But, man is no island
And he needs others to live
So that he may accept
And as well, learn to give.

(First Post of 1/18)

If I showed it in class... that would force you to watch....


Did you really mean that?
Is it really so important to you?

Monday, January 17, 2011

A Time

A time to work.... a time to play...
A time to wish... a time to say...
A time to wonder... a time to hope...
A time to smile... a time to cope...
A time to laugh... a time to cry...
Oh wait....
No time for that last one...
A time...
To move on.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

ETA: Unknown

This road to destination
A misguided GPS route
Because
You're not calling the shots
And that
Disembodied voice
Does not turn you
In direction
Yet, you follow
Blindly
Forgetting
The wheel
With a foot on
The brake
And you
Cannot control.
But you're foot
On the pedal.
Keep
On
Driving...

Friday, January 14, 2011

Thank Goodness for...

The day of rest,
Where at best
I can be slightly reassured
You won't come my way
I am safe from you
On this holy day.

No fear when wandering
That we'll meet while I am pondering
Deep in thought
Of how I will avoid your gaze
Like I do, on the five other days
For today...
You are away.

There is no need
To run into rooms, indeed
For there are none where you can come
During these 24-60 minute frames
There are no playing games...

Because... in a short time
You've become a drug of mine
That I search for
Like an addict in desperation
To satisfy this starvation
And my soul that is dry
You spin in a high

I look, I hide
But thank goodness
For today,
You're on another side.

Good Shabbos.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Eternal Reality

If this world isn’t real
My thoughts are wisps
Of תהו
And my words
Are בהו
Non existent
Expressions
Imbued with the
Breath of שכינה
That perhaps
Retains strength
But…
The veil of reality
Is thick
Thinning
As I perceive
His hand
Lifting the curtain
Revealing
Eternality

Dreams...

What can you tell me about
dreams...
that sorrowful existence between
reality and wishes
That leaves a man spent
Staring through the mirror
At an unattainable reflection
Of desire
Because that which we see
Is not a part of us
And what is simply a mirage
Will never be believed
Because
beauty is in the eye of the
beholder
and you need two witnesses
to prove it.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Pathway to Hell

Part I
The road to good [intentions]
Is paved with hell (true story)
And those who disagree
Are the construction workers
Who make the journey
That much more unbearable
With rocks thrown up
And deep black pits
They have signs that say slow down
But the sooner I reach hell
The fiery end
I can be drilled and cemented
Burned and beaten
And then, all those intentions
Are only for the good.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Line of Disconnect

There is a line...
That runs through my mind,
And spells out "disconnect"
Black on white...
Mumbled prayers...
It is the line that divides...
Between understanding and acceptance
Ie. Cognitive Dissonance
Of which there is no explanation
Rather an image of....
Head held in hands...
And the slow, steady fall
Of tired drops of water
And soft, unmoving lips...
That cannot articulate
Or grasp the words....
That are appropriate to express...
Rather, remaining silent..
Frozen in time...
Just like that dream
Of wishes and hopes unfulfilled...
Stopped cruelly...
At one....long...line...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\______________________________________________

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Fear

I felt that restrictive rope
Pull tighter around my already constricted throat
As I gasped for another breath
A vain attempt for another word of mine to be heard
Yet, pressed into submission at the lips
They never got farther than my parched tongue
Caught in the chained confines of my vocal chords
With no means to escape, except a pleading look
Yet, not enough, I hold my hands in defeat
Fall, crumble to my already bleeding knees
As I watch you take yet another precious belonging of mine
Whisk it away, laughing on your chariot of gold
Salty, hot tears slide down my fiery red cheeks
Burning trails, leaving stinging pain in my blood stained eyes
You held me prisoner, held back from all I loved
A demon, so monstrous... the ruler named Fear.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Sometimes my sense of desire
To give
Out weighs my sense of
Thinking clearly...
And sometimes...
That really hurts.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

The Secrets You'll Never Know

I'm sure if you knew
The thoughts running through my aching mind,
Another friend, I promise,
I'm sure you'd be quick to find.

Beneath this charming smile
Underneath the one liners and jokes
Is a heart that is breaking
As it is beaten, and chokes.

You think I'm suave
And everything is fine?
Wait until, one day
You'll hear these dark thoughts of mine

The way I let myself succumb to pain
As it rips across my skin and heart
This happy girl you see
Is only moments from falling apart

And I have questioned, searching for truth
I hoped you would follow the clues
That would lead you to understand and know
About my terrible inner abuse

Yet you think, I'm still
Just jokes and causing trouble
I've built up this persona
That will soon fall to rubble

Do you doubt these words?
Perhaps so, as most do
But I am writing them
Because now... I can only rely on you.

A work of fiction... or is it?

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The News

Casual conversation of trivial topics-- or maybe not, as pain is never trivial--
Turns into heart stopping fear, of an intense kind
As realization settles in, hard and heavy...
And acceptance starts to plant seeds
That will one day bear fruits
Of understanding, and perhaps contentment,
Though for now, I stand, with a weighted heart
To simply allow the news, to take root
While it is watered with my falling tears
And soaked in the light of a sun
That is happiness, as it shines to penetrate
Against the blackness that fights to lay dark clouds
Of anger and depression, perhaps revolt
In a most vicious manner.
Inner storms brew, waging war on my state of being
The cold, the warmth strike each other
As one tries to emerge victor
The defender of my bliss, the offender of the sadness tyranny
The protector of my madness, the offender of my elated laugh
Two enemies, or perhaps, two friends
Who fight to achieve an inner balance
Of which I yearn to know of, and let blossom within in me....


(It's late, I'm reading Shakespeare, and I have come to the surprising, and almost frightening realization, I know far too many sick children and adults... chronic or cancer, it's almost too much too bear. And those are alive and suffering might out weigh those who have passed on, yet the number is still too great on either side... And as I write down another name to daven for-- Tehillem is all we have-- I come to the chilling conclusion... nothing in this world is in our hands. It's all up to Him. And if He doesn't know what's going on... certainly we can never... Good thing He's steering this ship. At least I can be assured I'll land on a warm, safe island soon... with all those I know who suffer an illness a sea, resting blissfully under a warm sun and sipping fruity drinks....)

Monday, December 27, 2010

It's Just Details

Sometimes we get so caught up in the tiniest details, the scrutable details that we like to over analyze, rip apart, and wrap ourselves in. We take such pride in discovering every nuance, the mistakes, or perhaps, the stark correctness, that sometimes.... we lose sight of the bigger picture. We notice the trees, but forget that they are part of something bigger: a forest, spanning miles, comprised of thousands of the trees that on their own, are simply just a trunk and some leaves. In and of itself, it's good, but it lacks the majesty of the vast forest. And when we focus on the details, we miss out on so much. Rivalries between chesed organizations lose out on so much when politics, the details, get involved. You are limiting one's chesed opportunities simply because you don't agree with their  policies? What about those who are being put at a disadvantage because of your discretionary attitude? That once bright light lacks luster when you pull out those arrows, those unavoidable details, yet almost unnecessary shots. Why attack on the things that are just small supports, when there is a bigger foundation that needs building and reinforcement?
Don't get me wrong... details are important. Without them, a goal would be unattainable-- a far off wish that has no basis of being achieved. Without details, a story would lack character, plot, setting, theme and tone. Without detail, a painting would be a drab expression of someone who grabbed a paintbrush and started splattering. It would just be a canvas, with no explanation as to the color choice, the composition or design. And a song, without detail, would end up being an ear splitting display of poor voice choice, lyrical composition and instrumental mishap. It would be a disaster. Yet, in those situations, the details stand to uplift and elevate. And at times... the details stand to simply tear us apart.
You're husband must learn in kollel! The workplace is NO place for a women! It is a man's achrayis to support his wife! Torah is the ikkur of any Jewish home!
If these specific details (aside from the last one) dictated our lives, surely we would succumb to madness. Yes, there is the ideal, but then, life comes along and we must make decisions and adjustments accordingly.
So take a walk through a forest... notice the trees, the way the light shines through... but don't forget, you are still strolling the forest.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

The Blackness

Black... on my hands...
Black... around my neck...
Black... covering my entire body....
Black... on my feet....
Black... up my legs....
Black... around my ears...
I am covered in blackness....
But all I see is blissful, whiteness...

Wherever you are... I hope you're warm...

Saturday, December 18, 2010

The Finish Line

I have... persevered, for years; months... endless days
I said to myself; whispered in the mirror...
I want this... more than you, them... anyone
Determination to succeed
Overcame my spirit and mind....
I stepped on endless toes...
Killed thousands of others
Simply because.... I decided,
And thus annihilated.
Yet none of it mattered
For that glorious ending
Remains clear in sight
And those who supported me....
Pushed me to get here....
And they say that because of that
I am successful...
But what about...
The hundreds of times I murdered
And was put to trial
Found wanting...
Fallen
And forced to pick myself back up...
again... and again...
Can that be... success?
Or is it after... I have reached the finish line
The here that is lusted for
By you, I, and all the rest
Is it the prestige, the wealth
In this moment... that is success?
Or the time before?
Perhaps in the future,
The time after here.
I am running, racing with every breath
But... with each stride
I am left to wonder...
Where is the finish line?

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The Man at the Front Desk

The man at the front desk had been waiting. He was due to have an appointment arrive to meet with him. The guest was late and the man was becoming impatient. He wandered, he dawdled, he waited, yet he knew with perfect faith, his guest would arrive... eventually. The clock ticked ominously on the wall. At first glance, it was normal, but closer inspection revealed differently. The hands ticked as a clock does, but instead of an arrow at the end pointing to the number, it was a face, and instead of numbers along the edge, it was a location. One such hand, was moving slowly towards the hotel where the man at the front desk was waiting. He watched the hand move slowly, slowly, almost never reaching the hotel.
The man at the front desk was anxious. Nervous... and excited. He had longed for this guest to arrive... they had spoken a few rare times on the phone, communicated, albeit in brief sporadic times. They had what would be considered a friendly relationship, but the man at the front desk wanted to know this guest personally, and talk with him for long hours... He desired to have a close relationship with the guest... to be friends on the deepest level.
The hand moved... ticking closer toward the hotel... it was almost time.
Suddenly, there was ding at the front desk. The man whirled around. There was a different guest waiting to be attended to. This one had problems galore. She ranted and raved, talked on and on, finally, succumbing to tears. The man at the front desk cared for her, brought her to a safe room and promised her she would be ok. Then he went back to the clock. He stared... until he realized... the hand wasn't coming closer to the hotel. In fact, it was turning away. The man at the front desk, with a single tear in his eye, sighed loudly. His guest was due to check in.... but decided to take a detour to the hotel... he would arrive... eventually.... until then... the man at the front desk would wait...

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Footprints, a song

Ever had a moment, single spark of inspiration the bursts forth? (Usually at very inappropriate times?) I had one of those moments today, and this is what came of it... a song...

Walking along
I see before me
Flashes of my life
My past memory
Mirrored against
Footprints in the sand
Unrolled and unraveled
It's G-d's Master Plan

All the pain
The triumphs and tears
From all my life's
Happiness and fears
Here and there
He walked with me
Until I'm left alone
It's there I can't see

Chorus:
Where were You
When I needed you most
Where's your imprint
Along the water's coast?
Through the darkest times
You let me walk alone?
Why did you leave me
To make it my own?

The sun starts to shine
Your voice echoes in the air
"My child, please see,
I was always there...
When you needed me most
I never let you go
When the footprints show just one
That's when I carried you close..."


Chorus:
Where were You
When I needed you most
Where's your imprint
Along the water's coast?
Through the darkest times
You let me walk alone?
Why did you leave me
To make it my own?

גַּם כִּי-אֵלֵךְ בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת, 
לֹא-אִירָא רָע  כִּי-אַתָּה עִמָּדִי


Though it seemed
Like you left me to chance
You held my hand
In my life's journey and dance...

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