“When God will return the captivity of Zion, we will be as dreamers (Psalms 126:2).”

Everyone dreams. What is different between our dreams and those of our enemies? Why will we be “as dreamers,” rather than dreamers?

In 1918, after one final military assault that fails, Germany is defeated. Young Adolf Hitler, blind after a mustard gas attack, and humiliated after the Fatherland’s defeat, vows to enter politics:

“As the train took Hitler to a hospital in the Pomeranian town of Pasewalk, his own pain and despair obliterated any such aspiration, but after several weeks of medical treatment be began to regain his sight. Inflammation of the mucous membrane and swelling of the eyelids had receded; ‘the piercing in my sockets’ began to diminish and ’slowly I succeeded in distinguishing the broad outlines of things about me.’ With sight came an end to depression and the mental instability that had required special treatment from a consulting psychiatrist, Professor Edmund Forster, chief of the Berlin University Nerve Clinic. Little was known about mustard gas and Hitler’s inexplicable recovery confirmed Dr. Forster in his diagnosis of the blindness as hysteria. In fact, the patient had experienced the usual symptoms of moderate mustard gas poisoning – burning, swelling, moaning, depression – and recovery in several weeks.

“Sight also brought Hitler hope and renewed interest in the events of the day. Berlin itself was in a state of virtual siege as the new Chancellor urged the Kaiser to abdicate so that an armistice could be signed. Hitler had heard stories of rebellion throughout Germany but discounted them as rumor until a delegation of Red German sailors burst into his ward early that November in an attempt to convert the patients to the revolution. … Indignation was followed by shock. Hitler took to his bed. ‘I lay there broken with great pains, although I did not let on how I felt; for it was repugnant to me to cry out at a time when you could feel that the collapse was coming.’ A little later, on November 9, a dignified elderly pastor arrived at Pasewalk hospital to confirm news of the uprisings. Revolution had even broken out in Munich.

“The patients were gathered in a little hall and the pastor, so Hitler recalled, ’seemed all a-tremble as be informed us that the House of Hohenzollern should no longer bear the German imperial crown; that the Fatherland had become a ‘republic.’ ‘ As the aged speaker eulogized the services rendered by the Hohenzollerns, he ‘began to sob gently to himself – in the little hall the deepest dejection settled on all hearts, and I believe not an eye was able to restrain its tears.’ The pastor went on to say that the war must now be ended, that all was lost and they had to throw themselves upon the mercy of the victorious Allies. To Hitler the revelation was intolerable. ‘It became impossible for me to sit still one minute more. Again everything went black before my eyes; I tottered and groped my way back to the dormitory, threw myself on my bunk, and dug my burning head into my blankets and pillow.’

“It was the first time he had wept since standing at his mother’s grave eleven years earlier (she had died in agony of cancer), in the churchyard of the Austrian village of Leonding. He had borne the fear of blindness ‘in dull silence,’ endured the loss of so many good comrades. ‘But now I could not help it. Only now did I see how all personal suffering vanished in comparison with the misfortune of the Fatherland.’ Out of his black despair came a decision. ‘The great vacillation of my life, whether I should enter politics or remain an architect, came to an end. That night I resolved that, if I recovered my sight, I would enter politics.’ There was no medical reason for Hitler’s second blindness and Dr. Forster reinforced in his initial conclusion that his patient was definitely ‘a psychopath with hysterical symptoms.’ Hitler, however, was convinced he was permanently blind.

“The shame of Germany’s surrender on November 11 in the forest of Compiegne overwhelmed him. Life seemed unbearable, but that night, or the next, Hitler was abruptly delivered from his misery, as he lay in despair on his cot, by a ’supernatural vision’ (perhaps deliberately induced Dr. Forster). Like St. Joan, he heard voices summoning him to save Germany. All at once ‘a miracle came to pass’ – the darkness encompassing Hitler evaporated. He could see again! He solemnly vowed, as promised, that be would ‘become a politician and devote his energies to carrying out the command he had received.’”

(John Toland; “Adolf Hitler”)

Hitler ysv”z, dreamed as a response to tragedy. The verse describes us as dreamers after the troubles are over and all is well. What were we before God returned the captives of Zion? Were we not dreaming all along?

Our dreams are not a response to tragedy, but maintaining a sense of reality and perspective. We will be “as dreamers,” when we have the privilege to see that reality is even better than what we believed. There will be a day when we look back on our visions of redemption were simple dreams in comparison to reality!

We remind ourselves now, that no matter how clear our vision, we will one day know that we were only dreamers; we know that there is much more to see. We are aware, even now, that our vision is limited. We want to see more. We need to see more.

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Another powerful and timely message from Rabbi Daniel Lapin to help us consider the challenges of exile, and repairing relationships: “I need to start going home to Arizona each weekend,” the long-time campaign manager told the candidate, “but I’ll be back here in Idaho early Monday mornings.” The uneasy candidate responded, “Well, if I lose, it will be your fault.”

The engaged couple was discussing whether to set up home closer to his job or hers.  He preferred closer to his job which was also near friends. Her curt response: “Well fine, as long as you don’t get upset when I lose my job for tardiness.”

The sales professional disagreed with the corporate decision to bundle services in a new way. His manager insisted that this was the way it had to be. The salesman responded, “Well, it’ll be your responsibility if I fail to reach target.”

In each of these three examples, both parties mishandled the discussion. Both people forgot they were a team with one common goal.  Instead of finding a mutually agreed-upon solution when confronting a new situation, the encounters ended with a silly ultimatum and unhappy individuals.

These real-life examples could have been more successfully handled by following these five steps:

A: Form a bond of trust. (We are a team and we will find a solution that works for both of us)

B: Agree on objective (We need to win this election/We want the best place to live/We want to keep sales growing)

C: Depersonalize the conflict by recognizing that change triggered the problem (the campaign manager’s child was ill/two people uniting their lives/corporate decision)

D: Cooperate in discovering or creating at least three possible solutions.

E: Find agreement in a solution that both parties can own.

There are small changes in life and then there are drastic ones.

See this passage:

He (Abraham) proceeded on his journeys from the south to Bethel to the place where his tent had been at first…to the site of the altar which he had erected there at first…

Many translations suggest that the phrase “at first” is repeated in that passage. In reality, the original Hebrew text uses two quite separate words.  The first ‘at first’ is the Hebrew word TeCHiLaH while the second is the word RiSHoNaH.

This verse can help distinguish between the two Hebrew words.

And I will restore your judges like RiSHoNaH and your advisors like TeCHiLaH…

(Isaiah 1:26)

Israel’s first judge was Moses:

Moses sat to judge the people…

(Exodus 18:13)

Moses was a radical new paradigm. There never was a judge in Israel before him.  However, no one is highlighted as the pioneering advisor.

Why are these two different words used in our verse about Abraham? There was nothing groundbreaking about his first visit to Bethel so the text uses the weaker word TeCHiLaH.  However, “…to the site of the altar which he had erected there at first,” alludes to the very first altar constructed by Abraham (Genesis 12:7-9) Never before had Abraham built an altar to God.  It was a new paradigm, different from the altars which others built previously, thus the text uses the word RiSHoNaH.

So we see that ancient Jewish wisdom distinguishes between minor incidents and major developments.

What is the life lesson for us? We must differentiate between small changes and paradigm shifts. A campaign manager needing to spend nearly 30% of the week away from the battleground presents a major adjustment. Getting married is an enormous life change. A significant change in corporate policy is always momentous. Recognize that the change is precipitating the problem, not your partner. Don’t act as if the change is no big deal or pretend it doesn’t exist. Instead, solve it as a team, not as adversaries. For the relationship to thrive, recognize that you both win or lose together.

Practical lessons like these emerge from subtle language differences and other startling secrets which ancient Jewish wisdom reveals. Each of my five Biblical Blueprint audio CDs delves into Scripture and extracts concrete messages from God which will improve our lives. You or someone you love will be blessed by this set. It is always a good deal and for forty-eight hours it’s an even better one.

Thought Tools by Rabbi Daniel Lapin www.rabbidaniellapin.com

“If only someone would turn my head to water and my eye to a spring of tears.” Jeremiah 8:23

I was taught and always read this as Jeremiah frustrated by the inadequacies of his tears. I imagined him weeping and wondering if he could possibly cry enough to express his anguish. I thought of this verse as I read Abu bin al-Abras: “My eyes seep sorrow; water skins with holes.”

I imagined the scene and wondered why my eyes are dry. I am not a crier by nature. I tear when I see someone who is suffering, when I read stories of the countless horrors imposed on Israel over the course of history, but I do not cry. I used to recite Jeremiah’s words whenever I felt I should cry but could not.

Perhaps, Jeremiah’s eyes were also dry. I see the prophet begging the Babylonian soldiers to chain him to the exiles; his people. I can picture the prophet of doom using every ounce of his strength to console and give hope. Jeremiah’s eyes were probably dry as he assumed his new role to lay the groundwork for Israel’s survival in exile.

Yes, his eyes were dry. They probably were filled with light and hope.

I heard a story of a young woman with five children, whose passionately adored husband suddenly died. She did not shed a tear. She took care of her children, went to work and raised 5 extraordinary human beings. Twenty five years later she married a man she did not love but who gave her comfort and security. He died less than a year later. She wept oceans of tears at his funeral.

The officiating rabbi, who had buried her first husband, asked her why she cried for this man, whom she did not have the same love, but not for her first husband, whom she adored. “Rabbi,” she answered, “for whom do you think I am crying? I never had time to cry for my first husband. I had to raise my children with laughter and light. I can only afford to cry now.”

Jeremiah’s eyes may very well have been dry. He too, had to raise his “children” and give them hope and light. He did not have an opportunity to weep as he traveled among the ruins caring for the crushed, wounded and ill.

Why are my eyes dry? Because I see life as having to be lived with that same joy and light. Yes, I can echo Jeremiah, “If only someone would turn my head to water and my eye to a spring of tears”, but even on Tisha B’Av, I see the glory of the Jewish People. I see our incredible will to flourish, not just survive. I rejoice in the thousands who study and ask. I see light in the countless acts of Chesed and compassion.

Yes, I mourn on Tisha B’Av; I mourn in awe for a people that keep through their mourning, the Temple alive two millennia after its physical destruction. I mourn in wonder that we continue to read Jeremiah’s rebukes 2400 years later as if they were meant for us. I mourn and can detect just that little sparkel in Jeremiah’s eyes.

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They have been married for so long that they don’t remember why they are fighting. They simply know that they are in an argument. There is no single specific issue. They fight. They stopped listening to each other many years ago. The only thing they do hear is criticism. There is no “reason” for them to argue other than their being so accustomed to fighting. That, I believe, is the definition of Sin’at Chinam, or, hatred for no reason. They are stuck in their argument and, when asked, admit that they cannot picture how to live with each other without arguing.

I spend a great deal of time working with people, many of whom are sinking in a quagmire of resentment and anger. People carry their anger for years, even after they have forgotten what provoked their anger. The hatred takes on a life of its own. That is Sin’at Chinam.

It is even more frustrating to observe people seeding such long-lasting resentments. One person phrases something in a poor manner, the other person is hurt, the first person is shocked that he provoked such a response and becomes so angry that he will say something hurtful and the conflict takes root. Neither one will recall exactly how the argument began, but it doesn’t matter; it takes on a life of its own. That is Sin’at Chinam.

I have often heard Rav Kook ZT”l quoted as saying, “The only way to repair Sin’at Chinam is Ahavat Chinam.” It seems that Rav Kook was focusing on the Sin’a, the hatred. I suggest that we focus instead on the Chinam, or ‘Free.’

People have difficulty acknowledging they pay a price for an argument. We pay a steep price even when we are 100% in the right. There is no Chinam – argument without a price – just as there is no Ahavah, or love without a price.

Love is not only experienced; it makes demands. Love demands patience, generosity, selflessness, understanding, empathy and much more. We make our first mistake when we think that either love or hate is Chinam – free, meaning that we do not pay a price.

When one person hears an insult he has a choice whether he is willing to ‘pay,’ meaning to invest effort in understanding what the other said or meant, or what the other was feeling that led him to speak the insult. When we are willing to ‘pay’ we will be able to find a solution.

However, if we focus on ‘Chinam,’ our desire to have love without having to pay, we will certainly be unwilling to ‘pay’ to repair a situation of Sin’a – hatred.

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Rabbi Abba bar Kahana opened his discourse with the verse, “Let out your voice with joy, O daughter of Gallim.” (Isaiah 10:30) Isaiah said to Israel, “Rather than you should utter songs and praises before idols, sing with a joyous voice the words of Torah, sing with a joyous voice in the synagogues.” “O daughter of Gallim,” as the waves are conspicuous in the sea, so are the patriarchs in the world. Another interpretation of “Daughter of Gallim:” is to read the text as “Bat Galim,” – “Daughters of Exiles.” Daughter of Abraham, of whom it is written, “And there was a famine in the land, and Abraham went down into Egypt.” (Genesis 12:10) Daughter of Isaac, of whom it is written, “And Isaac went unto Abimelech, King of the Philistines, onto Gerar.” (26:1) Daughter of Jacob, of whom it is written, “And he went to Paddan-Aram.” (28:5) (introduction to Midrash Eichah I)

Rabbi Abba is saying that we, the Daughters of Exiles, should let out our voices in joyous songs of Torah and service of God. We can learn from the Patriarchs, who were also exiles, how to sing even when exiled. All the Patriarchs used their exile experience to their advantage. All of them acquired great wealth in exile. All achieved new heights and enhanced their reputations. They did not live as exiles, but mastered their situations, because they continued to live and sing with joy even when forced to leave their homes.

The Jewish people have suffered terribly in the millennia of our exile, and yet, we have thrived. We produced countless Torah works. We maintained our commitment to Israel with so much passion that we were able to return, rebuild the land and the language. We continued singing no matter how much we suffered.

The concentration camp inmates who risked their lives to light Chanukah candles were truly the Daughters of the Singing Exiles. The Russian and Polish Jews who dressed as royalty every Shabbat, no matter how poor or desperate, were all Daughters of the Singing Exiles. The people exiled from Spain, who wandered all over the world building new and vibrant communities were all Daughters of the Singing Exiles. Rav Breuer and the Satmar Rav, who arrived as older men in the US after the Holocaust and built their respective communities were truly Daughters of the Singing Exiles.

These Daughters knew the suffering of exile intimately, yet they thrived because they were Daughters of the Singing Exiles.

Rabbi Abba well understood that those reading Jeremiah’s words while in exile would be tempted to sing with the other nations. They would be attracted to a life of singing, of joy without exile. Rabbi Abba reminds them and us that the real singer is the one who can sing even when in exile, who has song in his heart and soul, and who can emulate the Singing Exiles.

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“There on the poplars – Aravim – we hung up our lyres (Psalms 137:2).” In view of the bitter experience of the exile, especially prior to Ezekiel’s revelations, there would have been ample reason to destroy their harps since they had nothing about which to sing and be happy. After the news of Ezekiel’s visions, and the guarantees of their future redemption, they hung the harps on the Aravim, the kind of trees whose very name has the dual meaning of guarantors and willows. This is why they did not hang them on any other type of tree.

The reason they did not destroy their musical instruments altogether was so that they would be able to play those instruments once the time for redemption would arrive (Romemot El, Rabbi Moshe Alshich).

Tools: Meta Prayer: Praying to Become a Better Davener

We have the idea of praying even when we don’t feel like praying, just as a marathon runner will practice running before the big race. We practice singing songs in response to redemption; we hang our musical instruments within reach, to be fully prepared for the proper song when the time arrives. We are praying for the privilege of singing the song of redemption.

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“Oh my soul … be prepared for him who knows how to ask questions.” T.S. Eliot

“Yours, my Master, is the righteousness..

And ours is the shamefacedness…” (Kinah 19)

“They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25)

“He said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the Garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, so I hid.’ And He said, ‘Who told you that you are naked? Have you eaten of the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” (3:10-11)

“I was afraid,” not, “I was ashamed.”

Adam and Eve were not ashamed because, “They sewed together a fig leaf and made themselves aprons.” (3:7) They were ashamed by their nakedness, not their sin.

Perhaps they could have responded, “Yours, my Master, is the righteousness,

and ours is the shamefacedness,” and things would have developed differently.

This Kinah is our opportunity to recreate that moment in Eden and respond as Adam should have.

We will “be prepared for him who knows how to ask questions.” A simple step that can repair worlds.

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“They drowned and slaughtered Cohanim and Leviim who once maintained the tiers of my Temple platform. When, in the valley of Hamath, my Cohanim were murdered…” The final phrase refers to Kings II 25:18-21: “And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door; and out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war; and five men of them that saw the king’s face, who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the city. And Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.” (The Murdered Cohanim)

“So Judah was carried away captive out of his land.” The exile was not complete until Nebuchadnezar executed Seraiah, Zephaniah, and the others. He had already murdered Zedekiah’s, the King of Judah, children before his eyes just before blinding him and sending him in chains to Babylon. Nebuzaradan had massacred the Cohanim. Why did he gather this group to bring to his king? Why did he not execute them in Jerusalem? Why was this considered the final step of the exile?

The city was conquered. The Temple was in ruins. Nebuzaradan had done his job well, but Nebuchadnezar was not an active participant. These people who represented the spiritual life of Israel – Seraiah and Zephaniah; the military – “officer that was set over the men of war;” and royalty – “five men of them that saw the king’s face;” and the citizens – “threescore men of the people of the land, that were found in the city,” were Nebuchadnezar’s opportunity to land the final blow on Israel.

The mission was not completed until the King himself could complete each stage of the destruction of the nation. At this point it was no longer a war waged between two nations, but between Nebuchadnezar and God. This was not to be only an exile from their land, but for Israel to feel exiled from their God.

All our enemies over the generations have attempted to sever the relationship between Israel and God. Nebuchadnezar was not the first. He is long gone, and our relationship with God is still strong. Ultimately, he lost and we not only survived but thrived. knowledgeable

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The black and white photograph of a tree covered in snow is magnificent. It is even more powerful than a color picture. The stark contrast between the light and dark allows me to experience the chill of the snow. I can almost feel the powder that could be fresh white buds, in my cold fingers.

The snow is unmarked and reflects the shadows of the tree on either side. The light powder seems to be weighing the branches all the way down to the ground.

The tree is alive. The mountain in the background doesn’t seem real: it’s just slightly taller than the tree that is more branches and snow than trunk.

I was transfixed by the picture and, recognizing the mountain, felt transported to Yosemite National Park. It is a place of wonderful memories of a joyous unbounded spirit, free to celebrate the possibilities of life.

Then…

I read the caption: Ansel Adams: The Mural Project 1941-42 – “Snow Covered Apple Orchard”

One minute I am delighting in Yosemite, and the next, I am standing in an apple orchard in the spring, singing a blessing over the fragrance of the fruit, anticipating the first bite into a perfectly fresh apple. The caption changed my experience of the photograph.

I experience Tisha B’Av differently when I read the stories in the Bible, Talmud, and Midrash than I do when I read the Kinot – Lamentations. The words of the Kinot are powerful. They overflow with allusions to verses from all over the Bible, ideas from the Talmud and stories in the Midrash. The authors of the Lamentations create images that direct my feel of the Tisha B’Av stories. The Kinot post captions on the photographs in my mind. The Lamentations tell their tales. They imagine the scene for us. They were sufficiently powerful to be included by Jews all over the world, throughout the ages, as an official part of the Tisha B’Av service.

They are only captions. Each poem and eulogy is just one way of viewing the photograph. They are intended to stir our own internal machinery so that we can begin to picture each scene for ourselves.

What would it have been like to be just one person, among two million, and hearing the spies’ report through the grapevine? By the time I hear the report, I see and hear everyone else crying in fear. They people who pass the story along to me post their captions on the photograph, as the spies did on their trip to Israel photo collection. Before I can process what is happening, I hear that God is angry and has decided that we will all die out in the desert. There is no caption on that photograph!

I read that Jeremiah wakened the Patriarchs and Moshe so that they would advocate for Israel. How would I picture the scene without the guidance of the Rabbi Eliezer HaKalir in Kinah #26 (Artscroll Kinot: Page 278)?

I stood in Worms, Germany and could close my eyes and picture the massacre of 1096 during the First Crusade. The picture I had in my mind as I stood over an ancient Mikvah filled with garbage has a different caption than the scene in Kinah #25 (Page 270) or the scene in Kinah #33 (Page 316)

The captions help us, but we cannot allow them to limit us. I try to close my eyes after each Kinah to picture the scenes described and wonder how I would have felt had I been there. I try to create my own captions. They make my Tisha B’Av real.

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Ashrei: Singing to Heal: Singing so We Can Sing More:

“Now the spirit of God had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from God tormented him. Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from the Lord is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from the Lord comes upon you, and you will feel better.”

So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And God is with him.”

Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”

So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers.

Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

Whenever the spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him (I Samuel 16:14-23).”

Psalm 146: Finding the Small Things to Discover God

Flower in the crannied wall,

I pluck you out of the crannies,

I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,

Little flower -but if I could understand

What you are, root and all, and all in all,

I should know what God and man is.

(Alfred, Lord Tennyson; Flower in the Crannied Wall)

“The Maker of heaven and earth,

The sea, and everything in them

Who remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed

And gives food to the hungry.

God sets prisoners free,

God gives sight to the blind,

God lifts up those who are bowed down,

God loves the righteous.

God watches over the alien

And sustains the fatherless and the widow,

But He frustrates the ways of the wicked.”

The verses transition from, “Maker of heaven and earth,” to the hungry, blind, widows and orphans. We praise God to Whom the flower in the crannied wall matters as much as the heaven and earth. We commit ourselves to look for the small signs of His love and creation, so that we can better “Know” Him.

Psalm 147: Healer of the Brokenhearted so They Can Sing

For the truth itself,

That’s neither man’s nor woman’s, but just God’s;

None else has reason to be proud of truth:

Himself will see it sifted, disenthralled,

And kept upon the height and in the light,

As far as, and no farther, than ’tis truth;

For,-now He has left off calling firmaments

And strata, flowers and creatures, very good,-

He says it still of truth, which is His own.

Truth, so far, in my book;-the truth which draws

Through all things upwards; that a twofold world

Must go to a perfect cosmos. Natural things

And spiritual,-who separates those two

In art, in morals, or the social drift,

Tears up the bond of nature and brings death,

Paints futile pictures, writes unreal verse,

Leads vulgar days, deals ignorantly with men,

Is wrong, in short, at all points. We divide

This apple of life, and cut it through the pips,-

The perfect round which fitted Venus’ hand

Has perished utterly as if we ate

Both halves. Without the spiritual, observe,

The natural’s impossible;-no form,

No motion! Without sensuous, spiritual

Is inappreciable;-no beauty or power!

And in this twofold sphere the twofold man

(And still the artist is intensely a man)

Holds firmly by the natural, to reach

The spiritual beyond it,-fixes still

The type with mortal vision, to pierce through,

With eyes immortal, to the antetype

Some call the ideal,-better called the real,

And certain to be called so presently,

When things shall have their names

(Elizabeth Barrett Browning; Earth’s Crammed With Heaven)

Psalm 148: Each Creation Has Its Song

Let this day’s air praise the Lord—

Rinsed with gold, endless, walking the fields,

Blue and bearing the clouds like censers,

Holding the sun like a single note

Running through all things, a basso profundo

Rousing the birds to an endless chorus.

Let the river throw itself down before him,

The rapids laugh and flash with his praise,

Let the lake tremble about its edges

And gather itself in one clear thought

To mirror the heavens and the reckless gulls

That swoop and rise on its glittering shores

(Robert Siegel: Rinsed with Gold)

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