Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE MENORAH, by HARRY AUSTRYN WOLFSOHN Poet's Biography First Line: For ages imprisoned in shadow Last Line: The course of our future years! Subject(s): God; Israel; Jews; Light; Synagogues; Judaism | ||||||||
FOR ages imprisoned in shadow, I had longed for a glimpse of the light; And so when the sun in his glory, Bewildered and dazzled my sight, I acclaimed him my God and desired To pour forth my soul to this One, To bow down midst worshiping strangers, And pray, as they prayed, to the Sun. I abandoned my temple and altars, Denied my Menorah its flame, For is there not one Sun in Heaven That shines upon all men the same? On every tongue but one language, In every heart but one prayer? Oh, all the world is my temple, I'm one of the worshipers there! But evening came with the twilight, And lo! Now my Sun-God was gone; And far the sun-worshipers scattered When the last glow of light was done. Then all of them lit their own candles, Each followed a star of his own, And there in his own light's glimmer He worshiped a God of his own! And so I relit my Menorah By its light my own God I extol; And by the dim flaming Menorah I seek to discover my soul. Its oil is a life-giving fountain, Its wick as our union appears, And I see by its flame ascending The course of our future years! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE RABBI'S SON-IN-LAW by SABINE BARING-GOULD A LITTLE HISTORY by DAVID LEHMAN FOR I WILL CONSIDER YOUR DOG MOLLY by DAVID LEHMAN JEWISH GRAVEYARDS, ITALY by PHILIP LEVINE NATIONAL THOUGHTS by YEHUDA AMICHAI SOUNDS OF THE RESURRECTED DEAD MAN'S FOOTSTEPS (#3): 2. ANGEL ... by MARVIN BELL THE ARCH OF TITUS by HARRY AUSTRYN WOLFSOHN |
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