Operating Instructions (a poem sparked by Pirkei Avot)

Judah the son of Tema would say: Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, fleeting as a deer and mighty as a lion to do the will of your Father in heaven. -- Pirkei Avot 5:20

Be bold as brass,

polished until you gleam.

Be fearless and daring; courageous.

Be distinct to the eye.

Be imprudent. Be bold as love.

Be light as a pinfeather.

Swift as a cheetah running

at full tilt, fleeting

as an eager football player's

triumphant return to the field.

Be as mighty

as an unexpected synonym,

as the thirteen-petaled rose,

as the Niagara Falls of justice

thundering endlessly from Eden.

Everyone serves something. Choose

hope's pulse and flicker,

creation's compassionate heart.

 

The quote which sparked this poem is emblazoned on one of the sukkah decorations which came in the sukkah-decorating kit I ordered online. I love the Biblical similes.