Jacob's angel

unseen yet rubbing thick against my soul

with a painful ache comfortingly sweet

Jacob's angel kneads  my nerves

into a struggle akin to an Old Testament feud

i tussle with the rawness of God

thee masseuse who drags me

o'er the rocky desert floor

full with the intensity

of the healing wound of Fire

i'd like to flee from God's arms

rail against the rough guidance received

but might miss the comfort God's presence would bring

rubbed down with peace in the oil in his arms

the medicinal balm my sore nakedness needs

*Live the truth of Love with all its light and pain.

*Reflections of Sue Halpern:

  -...silence is a great equalizer, eliminating disagreements about politics and inferences made from accents.

  -Here we can live in a community and have solitude, thanks to the silence...

  -...silence is the road to take if you're looking to pray.

  -Perhaps the Old Testament is easier to read if you know the New Testament is coming.

  -...poverty that is voluntary and chastity that is wholehearted go against the grain of our ambitions.