In The Meantime... Wartime Haikus #6

I still write a haiku almost every morning, except Shabbat and Jewish Holidays. This has been going on for years. It's truly amazing how much can be communicated in just seventeen 17 syllables, 5, 7, 5. Have you tried writing them? You can think of me as "addicted." #morningcoffeehaiku 

Here are some; enjoy. I'm interested in your reactions and opinions, thanks.

Jewish Birthday YES!

thanking Gd for everyday

enjoy to the hilt🎂

Israel's enemies

don't care about history

facts get in their way

strange unsettling time

How will history report?

depends who's writing...

war will resume soon

much worse than ever for sure

deals don't make real peace

finally summer?

forecast for hot days...

dreaming of the pool....

shining sun comforts

Gd's light brings many blessings

thank Him every day...

optimistic sky

message from Gd that He's here

never give up hope

praying for good week

life's very complicated

sun's shining, good sign

despite war, life's great

sounds really impossible

Israel's miracle

barely slept last night

I guess my body didn't need sleep

things just can't control

looking for sunshine

in very difficult times

we must do Gd's will...

uncertainty reigns

true peace definitely far

VICTORY's needed

ceasefire's not true peace

every second's more danger

our enemies laugh

our Independence

must be more than just a word

don't fear to WIN war

remembering friends

more killed by our enemies

true... we're still not safe

busy yesterday

funeral for friend's mother

many said goodbye

being busy's great

I'm thankful to fill my days

friends, travel, study

War Musings, Real Life-- Fed Up

This is cross-posted on Shiloh Musings. I was debating which blog, so it seemed to make sense to post on both.  

War Musings #71 Real Life Under Attack 

My simple battery alarm clock

I first posted this as a "rant" on my Facebook page and then realized that it needs wider exposure. I know that some people won't agree with me. I want to make it clear that we don't have a "safe room" certified shelter in our house, but our house was built relatively well, double outer walls and a ceiling prepared for a second floor. My husband and I are both "elderly" and don't run out of the house when there's a siren. We go to inner walls away from windows, but when sleeping in bed... we rarely do more than cover ourselves. Sorry that's the truth and the situation with many people I know, even if their homes are more fragile than ours.

Another important point is that the alerts, which come by cellphone, are 5-10 minutes before a missile may reach our area. Most of the time, even when followed by a siren 5-10 minutes later, the missile was destroyed by the Iron Dome. And many of the missiles would have landed miles and miles away. 

"Last night's "alerts" were the last straw for me. I had gone to sleep early because of total physical and emotional exhaustion, but a couple of hours later I was awaken by a serial of alerts via my cellphone. Except for Shabbat and Jewish holidays, it's kept on -not just during the war- and within grabbing distance of my bed. It's also set with an alarm for those super rare nights I sleep late.

The alerts we get are supposed to give us time to get to a "safe" location, just in case the "sighted" missile may land nearby; if there actually is a missile close by the siren will shrill. A very high percentage of the warnings are NEVER followed by a siren. So last night I was woken for no reason at all. None of the sensed missiles ended up near Shiloh. We weren't actually in danger.

That's it for me. I plan on turning off my phone at night and turning on my simple battery alarm clock. When I wake in the morning, I'll turn on my phone."

Real Life Under Fire

A local shelter, I waited in a couple of times

I thought I could write a Baile Rochel about real life under fire, but although I do find some humor, it's just too serious a situation. I planned a Baile Rochel before Israelis were murdered, but now... I can't ignore the tragedies, even when I can mock/satirize what is ironically enjoyable. ... it's not that life has been dull, but...

This isn't in Shiloh, but I did
visit it. Some people spend the
night in their local shelter, so
they don't have to wake up and run
to safety. Especially those with young  
children.

No doubt you're aware that I live in Israel, so you must be aware that we're under attack. Iran has been launching dangerous rockets at Israel, destroying homes and murdering innocent Israelis. Many Israelis have been injured, too. 

Some have been injured trying to get to shelter. One old man even died on his way to safety. Most Israelis don't have convenient shelters in or near their homes. We're among them, unfortunately, but I'm so grateful that we had our house built extraordinarily well insulated with stronger walls and foundations than standard. There are a few spots, away from windows, where my husband and I feel safe, certainly safer than we'd be going to a neighborhood shelter.

On Shabbat, just hours after the war began, as I was walking to a Torah class, suddenly a neighbor called out that there had been an alert. She's the mother of young children and used the emergency situation to turn on her phone. I was just a few steps from the shelter pictured at the top of the post, so I walked in. One entered with a bottle of whiskey, so of course I requested some-- which he happily poured for me. By the time it was affirmed that there had been an "all clear," lots of other neighbors had entered, and we had a lovely time together. 

Once it was permitted, I continued on my way to the class. The neighbor who had agreed to give it was surprised that we had shown up and were waiting for him. When it was over, there was another alert. That gave me ten minutes to return to the shelter I had been in previously. No whiskey that time, but great company. After the all clear, I walked home.

True story, Shushan Purim Sameach