reflecting on psalm 30

"habayit, the house,of David"
most commentators say
The Holy Temple
but,it was Solomon's Temple
at least built by him, not David

#30 clearly discusses
David's depths and repentence
with the help of G-d
"you pulled me up" like a pail, down the well, by pulley
same Hebrew verb

David's house
more body
like new
after tshuva, repentence

part of morning prayers
since we thank G-d
for giving us new life
every morning

my side bar

my side bar sagged
my side bar dropped

gracelessly
like a
ton of ....

my expertise
with blogging

shown to be
incompetence

my side bar
proves me
novice

my side bar
proves me
incapable

of keeping up
appearances

my side bar
like my garden

with rose bushes
never pruned

teases with
potential

my side bar
an embarrassment

my side bar
almost
fell off a cliff

until
one finds them

help!
how can I
lift it
out of the depths?

is it embarrassed?

what unspeakable
could
I have done

for my side bar
to hide
at blog's end

night air

returned
from the
night air

so many
breathing
walking
enjoying

never know
who
always
new people

walking
talking
enjoying

not like cockroaches
scurrying from the light

night walkers
also
out daytime

baked
in sun
roasted
by the rays

busy
with
kids and work
shopping

but
night air
cleanses
light

found
myself
quickly walking

easily
floating
no opposition

night air
speeds me up

energy
leaving
so
can sleeeeeep

night aiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

another day

lazy me

twenty minutes
on the timer
to good music

not enough

probably
should
turn this off

and
breathe the outside air

a couple of
kilometers
around
the neighborhood

ok
won't knock off
a couple of kilos weight
or even
a couple of pounds

but
still
another day
passed

another day
I didn't do
everything
I should

but
I started
some things

and
made
some calls

a start

I'll do more

another day

anti-senility

best defense
offense

keep fighting
the enemy

force those
brain cells
to keep fit

new facts
new numbers
new names, faces

study
anything

rather dry, life-less skin
than dry, life-less brain

memorize
uhh
couldn't do it
decades ago

remember faces
blank

cars
all look the same
just some a little bigger

vocabulary
waste of letters

gevalt!
the enemy's approaching

exercise the brain
by challenging it

change
all my secret internet codes

to one new one?

notes-Learning T'hilim and Kohelet #1

T'hilim=Psalms
Kohelet=Ecclesiastes

first the father, David, then his son, the inheritor, Solomon, Shlomo
started with T'hilim 30, the first of the "second day"
It's divided into 5 books and 7 days and 150 chapters

not written chronologically
and not arranged by David

chanukat habayit, dedication/consecration of the house
what house?
the beit hamikdash Holy Temple was only built later by Shlomo
his body
writes of once sick now healthy
how G-d pulled him up, like a bucket on a pulley, from the depths
new life

mizmor vs shir
poem, song?

everyone, always, against David
not the favored son
the youngest, sent off with the sheep
not trained as a prince
hidden
when Shmuel came to find the brother who would be king

Shaul also fought him
jealous

others, later, against Shlomo,
because of his mother, Batsheva,
and how she seduced David
when married to another

David a human hero
did tshuva, repented
then as new

KOHELET intro
one of 5 megilot, scrolls

Kohelet one of Shlomo's 3 names
(Did David only have one?)

Shlomo, talented and expert in so many fields, insecure
renaissance man
contradicts, makes no sense
some wanted to hide kohelet, because so confusing, contradictory
only approved beginning and end

said things others
wouldn't dare

a search for "osher," satisfaction
admits he tried
all sorts of things
alludes to more, forbidden
but "can't get no satisfaction"

it's all "air"
can fill a balloon, but without the balloon invisible

without imagination and daring
no progress

7 times "hevel"
7 times nothingness
number of nature
days of the week
sun center

(lines 4-7) solid, liquid, gas, fire
there's a purpose
the world keeps going
always motion
cycle
nothing new

ended with joke about simple fisherman

going forwards backwards

once upon a time
when Oslo tried
to disengage us
from our Home

we gathered together
and learned
Bible

more than
a decade older now

resuming
our studies
David's comforts and
Solomon's laments

We are today's David
persecuted by Saul
for only trying
to be
good Jews

obeying G-d's command
sacrificing ourselves
fighting the enemies

but
Saul called David
enemy #1

and Sharon
calls us inciters
most dangerous
enemy #1

backwards
then
we learned
how even
David's brothers
hid him
from leadership
until Samuel forced them
to reveal him

David led
defeated Goliath
but Saul
gave Amalek
another chance

we are
today
suffering
Saul's sin

by learning
David's psalms
we will gather strength

though his own son
his biological son
excessed

and we
will learn
what Solomon learned
the hard way

and hope
that now
thousands of years
and innumerable mistakes
later

we will
take
the right path

going forwards
backwards

new week

each week
starts
as new

each week
new start

clean slate
but
not empty

always
plans

more or less
structure
restrictions

limits
guide lines

within that
we fill in
the colors
the music
the details

this week--

I'll start learning
t'hilim, kohelet*
with friends

a cultural evening
out
with husband

work, teaching
staff meeting

babysitting
routine

not full
fill in gaps
music
pool
surprises
friends

good news
G-d willing

now it's
a new week
soon this
then last
and old

so
another
new week

cycle
continues
round and round


*psalms, ecclesiastes

new moon

new moon
silver sliver
in the blue-black sky

new month
started

should bring
rain
and cold
short days

new moon
new lives
new couples
new people

engagements
weddings
births

my neighbors
busy
joyous

nights start dark
silver sliver

mid month
lit by
bright silver ball

then
ball shrinks
to last days
slice of silver sliver

then blank
empty sky

suddenly
a silver sliver
another
new moon

time's short

time's short
short Friday

though
little
to do

no mobs
no kids

shouldn't eat
too much

excuse
not to
cook
much

excuse
not to
bake
at all

can resist
store-bought
except for (see "vices")
white chocolate

so
wasting time
reading
writing

took a walk
all alone
just too much
sun

hung
washes

washed
dishes

time's short
short Friday

but
long enough

Friday morning

Friday morning
up for hours

sipping
typing
cooking
eating
reading
loading laundry

white misty sky
will laundry dry?

Indian summer
not yet chilled

windows
still open

house a mess
so much
to do

must
get out
to walk

gather energy

first
shower
dress
doven

keyboard
magnet
attracts
distracts

must
"publish post"
go off-line

Friday's
are short

not enough time
for norishkeit
yetzer hara'a

oy
Friday morning

Shabbat's on its way

Rosh Chodesh morning
should
treat myself
to.....

Chodesh Tov and Shabbat Shalom
b'ezrath Hashem

found

found
an old friend

writes of
family
I once
loved

who
accepted me
as if
we were one

internet
magic

a while ago
searched
found
address
too old

then
suddenly appeared
an article

commented
about her aunt
who aunted me
when
I needed one

months later
another
about her mother
who mothered me
when
I needed one

lived near
her grandmother
who grandmothered me
when
I needed one

now
found her
and
she found
me

we always
need
friends

hummmming.....

looking for
the right
humming color
the right
humming font

painting
with words
on paper
on screen

mixing the colors
humming
singing to
myself

at the pool

how
can I dance
in the water
without
the right
music?

waiting
for a ride
on a loney road,

much
much more
much more pleasant
to the sound of music

but,
if no music
except
what's inside
of me

I must
bring it out

so I hum

ratat tatatat
rumatumtum

time waste

horrendous
pathetic

time wasted
life wasted

on screen
keyboard

waiting
to hear
from
......anybody

searching
for
unequal

sign
I make
for opposites

no
on keyboard

just excuses

better
to check tests
make up shopping list
go to grocers
clean the house
...----ooops!
sssssshhhhhhhhhhh

not tonight
or any

Rosh Chodesh
new moon in sight
first of the new month

the month
that ends
with
my baby
turning
21!

will always be
my baby

Rosh Chodesh
women's holiday
so's permitted
to enjoy
doing nothing
not wasting
celebrating
....something

of course,
the new moon

don't understand

How is it
that
once
successfully
put Hallelie's
picture on me-ander

--you saw it
right?
that irresistible
toddler
admiring herself
in the shiny floor
wearing her
first real shoes?

yes, look
back in the archives

first try
picture
for all
to see

now
disaster

nasty
claims
wrong password

so
maybe right
but
checked and ok

then
tried new one

still wrong

what
you don't
want to see

new picture

don't understand

on my way home

home from work
finally

standing
on the side of the road

watching the
sky change colors

from pale blue

to grey, pink and orange
clouds
trimmed in silver

promising
the first rains

air has changed
moisture teases

a few drops
these last days

not rain yet

let it wait
until Shabbat

always lots of
car accidents
during first rain

oils and sands
and water

cars slip
lose control

better G-d's liquid
scrubs the roads clean

when we're
home safe

efficient

How many things
can
I do
at once?

more efficient
simultaneous

while
computer boots
coffee percs
chicken soaks

reading
drinking
cooking

planning
eating
reading

cook for
many
people
events

Thursday morn
chicken for Shabbat
chicken for the week
last week's left-overs, or
frozen left-overs
for chulent

while
typing
listen to news

while
chicken cools
wash dishes

soon
finished
off to Jerusalem
to see daughter
deliver her mail
go to work

efficient
I hope

time's
too short

empty nest

how
can a house
once so
full of people

become
one so
silent

just dust
and shadows

once
laughter
and songs

and room
for many,
one more
and more

now
cluttered and crowded
with
empty possessions

no room
for people

but yearning

rather people
not things

if grown birds
have flown

why
leave us with
old books,
clothes, toys

then complain
no room
for visits

museum
not to be touched

must build
hotel rooms

in the
empty nest

crossword

puzzling
how to
quiz and test
students

who
don't know
don't learn

new words
as a game

little hints
opposites
similar
translations

into
a crossword

puzzling
if
they'll
pass
flunk

or
if
I'll do my
homework

or
will the
photocopy machine
fail or pass

now
prepare

tomorrow test
if
no special event

but
I'll do
my best

to make
learning
fun

an oxymoron
for some

splish splash

splish splash
in the pool
today

splash splish
swim not

jump, stretch
high, low

sauna, steam

chat
with all the
different accents

weight train
under water

splish, splash
splash, splish

fitness, fun

all ladies
once were
younger

spash, splish