Frankie

listening to Frank Sinatra
no, not that old
just like the
smooth voice
and tunes
and lyrics

and the band
all people

not the machinery
pounding
today
screeching, imitating
robotic
clocklike precision,
not with the emotions
of heartbeats
and breathing

Frankie was human
a man of temper and emotion
and frailties

though
his famous duet
with his daughter
recorded separately
on two continents

so professional
both

so sad
listening
we think
they exchanged
glances, pats, a hug and father-daughter kiss

but a
Hollywood sham

now, off with the music
and on with real reality

6:30am
English news:
terror, murder
funeral times

no shiva during holidays
mourning postponed

bury the body and celebrate the holidays

v'samachta b'chagecha
must be happy during the holidays

learn how to control
turn off, turn on
grief, fear, dread

Davka, this holiday
Kohelet's read
Ecclesiastes, King Solomon's lament

"...a time to be born,
a time to die..."

Today
it's called
emotional intelligence

let's go back
to Frankie's velvet voice
and ignore reality
for a few bars
of heaven