The Birth of Israel

November 29, 1947

Millions of Jews the whole world over

Hold their breath

Huddled around their radios

Straining to hear the latest bit of news

Hoping against hope

That the 20th century

The bloodiest of them all

Might still hold the seeds of promise

For a tired people

An ancient people

A wounded people

Fresh from the killing fields of Europe.

The United Nations meets to decide the fate of the Jews!

For or against partition of Palestine and the Yeshuv!

Australia votes yes!

Egypt votes no!

America votes yes!

Jordan votes no!

Canada votes yes!

Syria votes no!

Argentina abstains!

Chile abstains!

United Kingdom abstains!

A million Jewish hearts beat as one!

Then, suddenly, the final vote tally is taken!

Thirty three for, thirteen against, ten abstain!

Like a thunderclap from the heavens!

Partition wins!

There are to be two states!

One Jewish, one Arab!

Hope is reborn!

The Jewish People again have a homeland at last!

After two thousand years of exile!

A Jewish homeland at last!

Hope!

Hope renewed!

Hope restored!

With the simple stroke of a pen

Hope, Hatikvah, again triumphs over despair!

No more need Jewish children

Shake and tremble in their beds

Homeless no more!

Stateless no more!

Powerless no more!

 

Cheering and crying

Dancing in the streets of Tel Aviv!

The world has changed

The tide has shifted!

 

From out of the ashes of Auschwitz

The Jewish Phoenix has arisen!

Resurrection! Redemption!

Shout it from the roof tops of Jerusalem and Haifa!

Shout it from the valleys of Galilee

And the orange groves of Jaffa!

Shout it from the mountaintops of Mt. Sinai and Mt. Hermon!

Am Chai Yisroel!

The Jewish People live!

 

jhmarkowitz

Philadelphia, Pa. 2010

 

I Took A Shower Today

I took a shower today

I felt the need for expiation
For salvation

It was worth a shot

Nothing else that I do

Or have done

Seems to be working 

I have come to believe

That sin

In all of its many

 Manifestations and variations

 Is at the root of all disease

Health is wealth
Sickness is sin 

After the shower

I felt better

Cleaner

As for the expiation of

All of my sins

No

None of that

But as I said before

It was worth a shot

PS -Where is John the Baptist
When you really need him?

Jhmarkowitz

Philadelphia, 2014

 

 

 

Last Call For New Poems

Jack Henry Markowitz releases a collection of ‘new poems’

‘Last Call for New Poems’ is a testament to the diversity of human experience 

PHILADELPHIA – Storytelling is a well-loved tradition that has accompanied human civilization throughout the ages. As a storyteller, Jack Henry Markowitz is familiar with the magic that is inherent to stories. In his book, “Last Call for New Poems,” he narrates a story of life using the mesmerizing medium of poetry.  

“Last Call for New Poems” is a collection of the author’s original poems. It is a cornucopia of pleasures, life lessons, experiences and essential wisdom. It dazzles in the range of subjects that it explores, some poems are personal in nature while others explore more topical and universal subjects but Markowitz’ distinctive literary voice makes each poem immediate and emotionally accessible. The author has once again succeeded in demonstrating the power of poetry to touch the heart, uplift the spirit and even transform lives.  

Personally valuable and universally significant, “Last Call for New Poems” is a testament to the vast and colorful diversity of human experience. Most of all it reveals how human experience can be shared and celebrated together through the powerful medium of poetry.

 

For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to www.Xlibris.com.

 

ONE

One heart
One soul
One world
One love

jhmarkowitz
philadelephia, pa. 2014

The Kool Aid Drinkers & Other Poems

‘The Kool Aid Drinkers and Other Poems’

by Jack Henry Markowitz

This book is a compilation of relatable poetries about life and its intricacies 

PHILADELPHIA – Author Jack Henry Markowitz reveals a collection of his recent poems in “The Kool Aid Drinkers & Other Poems.” This book provides a wide array of poetries that are topical and personal in nature, painting a vivid and relatable picture of life.
 

His works vary from his day to day experiences to simple musings about the intricacies of life. Some chronicles his days as a teenager who tries to fit in into a fast-moving world, bewitched by girls and the allure of love. Others tell about the difficult days when he has to take any job to provide a roof on his head and food in the table. Several of them voice out political leanings and liberating thoughts about society and freedom. A few talks about the beauty of nature and the simple joys it brings to man.
 

Mostly written in free verse, Markowitz’s compilation of poems are insightful and filled with lessons that one can get out of a hard life. His experiences are mirrored in his works – from growing up to overcoming difficult odds. Candid, thought-provoking and often humorous, “The Kool Aid Drinkers & Other Poems” will let readers glimpse the life of an ordinary man who leads an extraordinary life.

For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to www.Xlibris.com.

 

A Family Recipe For Mayhem

first take a pinch of
space-time
then add a spoonful of
gravity
scramble up
two sticks of
the weak force
with half a stick of
the strong force and
pan fry until brown

then chop up
a portion of
the up force while
stirring in
several ounces of
the down force
then add a beaker
of electro-magnetism
and bring to a boil

add to the mix
a jigger of gin

shake well
and pour
then wait patiently
for the party to begin

jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, PA. 2014

I Caught A Shark

It was late in October and
I was vacationing
down the Jersey Shore
when I found myself driving
to one of my favorite
fishing spots at the far end
of the Long Port pier

I had gone on impluse
having poorly
planned the day
and I did not have any
bait for my hook
and all of the local
bait and tackle shops
had already closed
for the season

There were
other fishermen
on the pier
already at work
trying their luck
so I thought
I would ask them
to share their bait
with one of their own

No such luck
they said as
they all jealously guarded
their individual stash while
laughing at me for thinking
I could go fishing with no bait

I said that Jesus
would provide me with bait
(after all he had a fondness for
men who fished the seas
or so I have been told)

The day wore on
and I fished with an empty hook
yet not even a nibble
(well what did you expect
mocked my fellow
fishermen apostles)
when suddenly
the Chinese man
next to me
pulled up a
baby sand shark
(not much of a catch
to men who
were intent on catching
a more edible fish)
Throw him back
they warned
before he takes a finger

I had a better idea
Why not cut up the
shark for bait
and we could all share
the spoils
a suggestion that was
quickly approved by the others
and I was given the honor
of doing the deed
for us all

I picked up my
trusty gutting knife and
turned the shark
belly side up
ready to
slice him open
when
like Abraham
something bigger than me
stayed my hand

As I craddled the shark's
perfectly evolved body
I could sense
his life force
even through my
wet frozen fingers
and I could feel
his perfectly toned muscles
as he wriggled and struggled
to save his own life

My fellow fishermen apostles
incredulously watched as
I suddenly
tossed the squirming
baby shark
back into the sea
where he swam away
with renewed vigor

Why'd you do that
the others asked
You're the one
who wanted him for bait

I just shrugged
my shoulders
too embarrassed to say
that I was still able
to feel the shark's
beating heart
even through
the frost bitten
numbness of my
cold dead hands

jhmarkowitz
Philadelhia, Pa. 2013