Golden mums bloom beneath my kitchen window,
while junk propagated on my neighbors’ porch.
Indignant, my eyes flitted from beauty to chaos.
while junk propagated on my neighbors’ porch.
Indignant, my eyes flitted from beauty to chaos.
I glared at the heap, its growth forming a
collage of unidentifiable objects. A neat person,
I never wished to meet the creators.
collage of unidentifiable objects. A neat person,
I never wished to meet the creators.
Today the stoop holds only discarded kitchen
cabinets; window ledges are emptied of clutter;
naked windows reflect my fall foliage.
cabinets; window ledges are emptied of clutter;
naked windows reflect my fall foliage.
I will miss my sloppy, un-named neighbors.
We were strangers, yet I value their gift to me.
While they observed ShabbatShabbat is the Sabbath day, the Day of Rest, and is observed from Friday night through Saturday night. Is set aside from the rest of the week both in honor of the fact that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. On Shabbat, many Jews observe prohibitions from various activities designated as work. Shabbat is traditionally observed with festive meals, wine, challah, prayers, the reading and studying of Torah, conjugal relations, family time, and time with friends., I observed them.
We were strangers, yet I value their gift to me.
While they observed ShabbatShabbat is the Sabbath day, the Day of Rest, and is observed from Friday night through Saturday night. Is set aside from the rest of the week both in honor of the fact that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. On Shabbat, many Jews observe prohibitions from various activities designated as work. Shabbat is traditionally observed with festive meals, wine, challah, prayers, the reading and studying of Torah, conjugal relations, family time, and time with friends., I observed them.
I prayed when they lit candles at their dining
room table, chanting the blessings as my soup
was warming. Strangers, we shared rituals.
room table, chanting the blessings as my soup
was warming. Strangers, we shared rituals.
Each year I, the voyeur, was impressed by the
elderly man’s struggle to erect a sukkahLit. hut or booth A temporary hut constructed outdoors for use during Sukkot, the autumn harvest festival. Many Jews observe the mitzvah of living in the Sukkah for the week of Sukkot, including taking their meals and sleeping in the Sukkah., envying
his serenity as he read there by candlelight.
elderly man’s struggle to erect a sukkahLit. hut or booth A temporary hut constructed outdoors for use during Sukkot, the autumn harvest festival. Many Jews observe the mitzvah of living in the Sukkah for the week of Sukkot, including taking their meals and sleeping in the Sukkah., envying
his serenity as he read there by candlelight.
Perhaps cleanliness is not next to godliness.
The nearby porch clutter did not diminish their
prayers, inspiring my own return to Shabbat.
The nearby porch clutter did not diminish their
prayers, inspiring my own return to Shabbat.
