It’s A Matter Of Belief

I believe in the laws
Of karma
And in the doctrine of
Reincarnation
Meaning
Endless cycles
Of death and
Rebirth
Is this a Jewish idea?
Not necessarily so
Although the Torah
Does talk about
The resurrection of
The dead
When comes the
Messiah
I believe less
In the coming
(Or second coming
If you prefer)
Of the messiah
Than I do
In the coming
(God willing)
Of a
Messianic era
When
Justice shall flow
Like a mighty stream
And all humans
Will live in harmony
As brothers and sisters
And when
The lion will lie down
With the lamb
And when we
Shall all beat
Our swords
Into plowshares
And neither
Shall we
Learn war
Any more

Will I live
To see the dawning
Of such an era
In my own
Lifetime?

Perhaps
Perhaps not
I am not
Holding my
Breath
Do I believe
That the world
As it presently
Exists
Needs a savior?
I would
Answer
In the affirmative
For
Long lays the world
In sin and error
Pining
And men
Have forgotten
That the soul
Has its worth

Brothers and Sisters
Let’s face it
The world
Desperately
Needs
All of the help
That it can get

jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011