Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Hamesh Orot

Hamesh Orot


Five lights on a hill

Flicker, extinguished here

They flare up in a different sphere

Bright in the night

Light in the deep darkness

They burn eternal flames,

G-dly sparks carried within.

Amalek, rises to break our will

Our land, we do not forsake

Despite those you kill.



Hamesh, five souls departed

But their lights remain

In this worldly home

And the next one

Despite the blood that stains

The floors of the home

Which was their family abode.

The light it grows strong

Because it knows where it belongs.

Five lights on a hill

Burn, beacons to the world beyond

Of humanity destroyed by brutal beings

Who have no excuse to give,

For their deed but to proclaim

Their lust to kill is greater than

Natural compassion for a sleeping babe,

Rudely awakened in her parents’ blood,

She wails and a monster with a knife turns back

Pitilessly to slit her throat

Ending a three month sojourn.

She is a small blue and white sack

Among four others

Cut down without mercy

By Evil Angels bent on destroying

The peace of Shabbat.

Master of the Universe,

Where were the Good Angels?

Were they late in coming?

Because there were many to save that night

Even as an Arab woman is delivered

Of a live baby girl

By the same medics

Who took three month old Hadas z’l

Shroud wrapped from a home on a hill

Light as a toy

But a heavier burden none should have to bear

Who tried to save young Elad

When two evil angels walked to destroy

Hamesh, the number of books in Torah

Five lights on a hill

Will burn bright

Remembered

Because you cannot break our will

Despite those you may kill

G-D the ultimate Judge, decides

Who is worthy and

Who breaks the peace that others build.

Pink Thongs in Darwin

Pink thongs in Darwin


People sit on the side walks

Talking

Litter blown against shop fronts

Like leaves in autumn

Coloured brilliant hues

Of women and children, barbeque

Fires roasting fat steak meat

But no lean hunters - they gone long ago

And in their place, men with bellies

Swollen hard with white man tucker

Suck on metal cans

Their forlorn faces marked

By the alcohol trace lines

Etched deep in their soul

Cutting it off from their land.



Families cluster

Sheltering as

Wet season rains down

Skies open wide

Birds flitter through trees

Leaves hang down

Water runs from the guttering

People curl inside

Against the weather

Piled in corners.

A man in kaki, he comes

Carrying a pile of pink thongs

In cellophane packets

Which he hands out.

A trade like Indian glass beads

Sold for a song, a drink, some sugar bag

And loose billy tea.

It stinks see

The land these people owned

It belonged to them

It healed them

It kept them clean and clear.

Now down we dragged them

Broke them men

Took them women

Took them children

See

But we give them pink thongs,

Plastic and cheap,

Some cheap, shitty hip hop songs,

Beer, white food to kill them

Take them art

Take them apart

But no put back together

Cause we too smart.

We just creep

Around them

Like cockroaches waiting for them carcasses

To lick clean.



Ilana Leeds

Saturday, April 23, 2011

A Pesach Breakfast

A Pesach Breakfast recipe




It is so difficult to broaden menu choices when we are restricted over the Pesach holiday. But you can do it and this is a tasty easy-to-prepare breakfast for the family. You can add cheeses if you like or leave it parve. We peel all our vegetables and fruit over Pesach because of the prohibition against using Chometz and the fact that much farm produce is sprayed with all manner of insecticides and other.

Ingredients

One brown onion (finely diced)

Two large zucchinis (peeled and diced finely)

Two large firm tomatoes(peeled and fine diced)

A dob of oil or margarine (kosher Le Pesach)

A sprig of continential flat leaf parsley (washed and inspected).

Cumin

Paprika

Salt

Method

Heat the oil or margarine and add the oil and fry until it starts to caramelise

Add the zucchinis and cook a few minutes before adding the tomatoes and washed parsley. Cover and simmer on a low heat for about six to eight minutes or until soft and tender. Stir frequently.

Add the spices and salt and cover for another minute after adding and stirring well.



This is a great accompaniment for an omelette or sweet potato cakes or a hash brown of grated and fried mashed sweet potato. You can use fresh cream cheese / sour cream as a dressing if you want to have a milk meal.