"Autobiographies of great nations are written in three manuscripts – a book of deeds, a book of words, and a book of art. Of the three, I would choose the latter as truest testimony." - Sir Kenneth Smith, Great Civilisations

"I must write each day without fail, not so much for the success of the work, as in order not to get out of my routine." - Leo Tolstoy

I have never believed that one should wait until one is inspired because I think the pleasures of not writing are so great that if you ever start indulging them you will never write again. - John Updike

"The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it." - J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Poetry is the shadow cast by our streetlight imaginations." - Lawrence Ferlinghetti


[Note - If any article requires updating or correction please notate this in the comment section. Thank you. - res]


Monday, December 3, 2018

Rabbi Jack Riemer - We Cannot Pray to You




We Cannot Pray to You


We cannot pray to You, O God,
to banish war,
for You have filled the world
with paths to peace,
if only we would take them.

We cannot pray to You
to end starvation,
for there is food enough for all,
if only we would share it.

We cannot merely pray
for prejudice to cease,
for we might see
the good in all
that lies before our eyes,
if only we would use them.

We cannot merely pray
"Root out despair,"
for the spark of hope
already waits within the human heart,
for us to fan it into flame.

We must not ask of You, O God,
to take the task that You
have given us.
We cannot shirk,
we cannot flee away,
Avoiding obligation for ever.

Therefore we pray, O God,
for wisdom and will, for courage
to do and to become,
not only to look on
with helpless yearning
as though we had no strength.

For Your sake and ours
speedily and soon, let it be:
that our land may be safe,
that our lives may be blessed.


- Rabbi Jack Riemer

2 comments:

  1. I would like to publish this poem in a local newspaper. Is it in the public domain? Do I need to get permission from Rabbi Jack Riemer and how do I reach him? I will give Rabbi Riemer credit in the publication of course. Thanks for your help

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  2. Hi Jeanie. I checked the Rabbi's internet blog. It seems he's still posting on the site which is has a collection of contributors on it. Start here at this link and go forward. And of course, you have my permission here for this specific article. All the best. Russ (PS... I occassionally check the comments section. Best to contact me at Rslater2@comcast.net). Thx

    https://reformjudaism.org/author/rabbi-jack-riemer

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