Read the poet as a builder:<\/p>\n
Moving ink blocks about<\/p>\n
The construction paper,<\/p>\n
Cementing a letter here,<\/p>\n
Plastering a word there,<\/p>\n
Drilling a trope to an en-<\/p>\n
Jambment and nailing a<\/p>\n
Rhyme to hold the stanza<\/p>\n
In place; glue, his metaphor<\/p>\n
And with it he tightly binds<\/p>\n
Narrative to personification;<\/p>\n
That strict ruler of his, measuring<\/p>\n
In metrical feet of the stressed<\/p>\n
Or unstressed syllable verities,<\/p>\n
(Perhaps iambic, anapestic, or<\/p>\n
Trochaic feet for all we know);<\/p>\n
Similes are like his beams and<\/p>\n
Sheetrock the weak portmanteaus<\/p>\n
They support\u2026 This builder<\/p>\n
Builds not what the botanical<\/p>\n
(And punitive) would call a<\/p>\n
Prose garden but an oasis of<\/p>\n
Poe-trees, their fruit dripping<\/p>\n
In-tense, creative juice<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
To build something beautiful<\/p>\n
He gives.<\/p>\n
To build something eternal<\/p>\n
He takes.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He takes of himself and gives<\/p>\n
It to something greater<\/p>\n
Higher<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
They shall make for Me a sanctuary
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
And I will dwell in their midst<\/i><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We are all building; the alternative<\/p>\n
Is destruction and let\u2019s not go there.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We are builders, constructing a home<\/p>\n
For the Divine in a place not so conducive<\/p>\n
To the light that is Purity and the warmth that<\/p>\n
Is Truth<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Each our own: each building with the tools we<\/p>\n
Know: some swing the blatant hammer of clarity,<\/p>\n
Others maneuver the threaded needle of subtlety.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Each in our midst, our depths, a sanctuary is built,<\/p>\n
Defined, refined and Divined \u2013 and then of matter<\/p>\n
Spirit and He, the creator of all builders and materials<\/p>\n
Dwells within their<\/i> midst<\/p>\n
Their<\/i> plural: within each and every one<\/p>\n
A sanctuary lives<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But how to start; where to begin?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Let them take for Me a portion
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
From every man whose heart is generous
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
You shall take My portion<\/i><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Begin by taking of myself, take what<\/p>\n
My generous heart allows, separate a<\/p>\n
Little something from the things my<\/p>\n
Body hordes; take a portion of the down<\/p>\n
Low and give it on high, exalt it, construct<\/p>\n
With it a temple, a sanctuary, a spirit of<\/p>\n
Soul built on the matter of body \u2013<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Translating Terumah<\/i>: 1) Separation; 2) Exaltation<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Separate a portion of the things you possess, take it<\/p>\n
And dedicate it, give it, build with it something Divine,<\/p>\n
And see as the portion separated is elevated and becomes<\/p>\n
Exalted<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As the poet the builder we are all poets, all builders,<\/p>\n
Composing verse after verse of Divine ink \u2013 a good<\/p>\n
Deed, another verse, a sweet smile, another verse,<\/p>\n
A mitzvah, another verse \u2013 building a little more<\/p>\n
And a little more of the sanctuary \u2013 light candles,<\/p>\n
Another room lit, make a blessing, another door<\/p>\n
Swings open, eat kosher, another tapestry woven<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
And within their midst the Divine dwells, glows,<\/p>\n
Shines forth from face to face, soul to soul, each<\/p>\n
Our personal sanctuaries \u2013 the small verses we write<\/p>\n
The little acts we do \u2013 our personal sanctuaries beckoning<\/p>\n
The ultimate sanctuary of all \u2013<\/p>\n
The dwelling place of the Divine<\/p>\n
Upon the Temple Mount<\/p>\n
In Jerusalem<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mendel Jacobson is a writer, poet and journalist living in Brooklyn. His weekly poetry can be seen at jakeyology.blogspot.com<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Read the poet as a builder: Moving ink blocks about The construction paper, Cementing a letter here, Plastering a word there, Drilling a trope to an en- Jambment and nailing a Rhyme to hold the stanza In place; glue, his metaphor And with it he tightly binds Narrative to personification; That strict ruler of his,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":168,"featured_media":45009,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-media"],"yoast_head":"\n