How Can This Be?

Motzei Tisha Bav 2024
Eicha?
How can this be?
How can we still
Be waiting
Yearning
Hoping
For the Geula 
And it still
Has not arrived?
How can we have
Gone through
Another Tisha Bav 
Another fast
Cried
Mourned
About the past
While hoping 
For 
A brighter future
And it still remains
In the future?
Eicha?
How can this be?
How can we still 
Be waiting
Yearning
Hoping
For change?
And the change 
We wait for
Still hasn't 
Come to be?
What change
Do we have to make
Within ourselves
To bring about
The Ultimate change
The change 
We are waiting for
So desperately?
We went through 
The motions
And hopefully 
Aroused 
Emotions
We sat on low chairs
Didn't eat
Or drink
Tried to connect 
And tried to think
We watched videos
That awakened
Even the strongest
Of hearts
Our hearts
Opened up
To the pain 
Of our brothers
And sisters
Who are mothers
And fathers
Sons 
And daughters
Who experienced 
A painful year
We shed tears
We felt the pain
Of galus
In a way
We haven't felt
In previous years
And now...
We continue
To wait
We hoped
There would be
A change
For our nation
We dreamed
Of the day
When it all
Would change
And we wished
Today 
Would have been
That day
But Hashem
Who knows
And sees
Beyond what we
Can see
Knows
That we need
A little more
Time 
Perhaps
The time
Is almost
Here
We hope
And wish
And dream
And yearn
And pray
For the day
When the time
Will be ripe
Until then...
Hashem...?
Please give us
The strength 
To continue 
Hoping
Wishing
Dreaming
And praying
Please help us
Notice
What we need
To change
What we need
To do
So we can
Come closer 
To You
And help us
Take the steps
To come back
To You.
It was a hard day
A heavy day
And we need You
To carry us through
Whatever comes next
Please, Hashem
Look into our hearts
See our yearning 
And our desire to
Connect
To You
To come back
To You
And bring us back
Bring us home
To You.

Why Will I Cry?

Erev Tisha Bav 2024
This year
Why
Will I 
Cry?
Will I cry
For the hostages
Waiting
Yearning
To be released?
Will I cry
For their families 
Waiting
Yearning 
Each moment
Filled with agony
Each day
Feeling like
Eternity 
Not knowing
What their loved ones
Are enduring 
Or if they are 
Still alive?
Or will I cry for
The soldiers
Who are no longer
Alive?
Will I cry for
Entire families
Murdered
On Simchas Torah?
Or will I cry for
Those injured
Stuck in hospitals
In pain 
Recovering 
Slowly?
Will I cry for
Those who lost
Limbs
While fighting 
To protect
Our nation
Our country 
Our people?
Or will I cry for
The wives
Of chayalim
Who have to endure
So much pain
Separation
Uncertainty 
Loneliness
As they yearn for
Their spouse 
To come back?
Will I cry for
The mothers 
Who lost their sons
And daughters
In this war?
Or will I cry for
The siblings 
Who lost 
Their brother
Or sister 
And won't ever see them
Again
In this lifetime?
Will I cry for
The lost souls
Those who don't know
What they're missing?
Or will I cry for
The ones
Who threw it all away
Because they were
Cast away
Despised
And hurt?
Will I cry for
The families
Stuck in fights
Not knowing
How it started
Or how to fix it?
Or will I cry for
The ones
Waiting
To start a family
But can't 
Because they don't have
A spouse
Or can't yet
Have children?
Will I cry for
The children 
Who can't live at home
Because their home
Is at risk
Of rocket fire?
Or will I cry for
The children
Who are living 
In their homes
But live in fear
Of an attack
And can't sleep
At night?
Will I cry for
The soldiers
Who have witness
Things
No one
Should ever see?
Will I cry for the survivors
Of the attacks 
On Simchas Torah
Who went through trauma
Watching their friends
Lose their lives
Before their eyes?
Or will I cry for
Each one
Who was killed
While trying to escape?
Will I cry
For the many homes
That were destroyed?
Or will I cry
For the One
Whose Home
Was destroyed
And is the root
Of all destruction 
We witness
To this day?
Hashem...
Look at Your People
Look at our pain
See our anguish
See our yearning
To come back to You
To be reunited with You
To come home
Bring us all home
So we can once again
Witness
The Kingdom of David
Restored
The Bais Hamikdosh 
Rebuilt
The Kohanim
The Karbanos
The Leviim
The Singing 
The Clarity
The Connection 
And the ultimate
Reunion
Between us and You.