Waking Up Again Poem by gershon hepner

This morning I woke up again, and thank
the Lord for that, but wonder: does He sleep,
and stay in bed for hours, pulling rank,
forgetful shlufing shepherd of his sheep.
There’s little we can do if He won’t wake;
By making noise we’re likely to annoy Him
if He’s decided that He wants to take
a break from all the Yidden and the goyim,
as Baal did on Mount Carmel when the Prophet
Elijah called on him to pay attention.
If He’s asleep we’ll simply have to rough it,
behaving without Him like decent menschen.
Let Him have his priorities while we
have ours. Hey, if sleeping dogs can lie,
why shouldn’t he become an absentee
when He feels bored? He needn’t justify
His ways to us; just let Him sleep, perchance
to dream about a world that He created,
and maybe when He wakes give us a glance,
and find out why we feel exasperated.

Inspired by a poem by Leonard Cohen, WHOSE “Book of Longing, ” with music by Philip Glass has been released as a CD that is reviewed by David Hajdu in TNR, January 30,2008 (“The Sound of One Hand Composer”) .

THIS MORNING I WOKE UP AGAIN
This morning I woke up again
I thank my Lord for that
The world is such a pigpen
That I have to wear a hat
I love the Lord I praise the Lord
I do the Lord forgive
I hope I won't be sorry
For allowing Him to live
I know you like to get me drunk
And laugh at what I say
I'm very happy that you do
I'm thirsty every day
I'm angry with the angel
Who pinched me on the thigh
And made me fall in love
With every woman passing by
I know they are your sisters
Your daughters mothers wives
If I have left a woman out
Then I apologize
It's fun to run to heaven
When you're off the beaten track
The Lord is such a monkey when
You've got Him on your back
The Lord is such a monkey
He's such a woman too
Such a place of nothing
Such a face of you
May E crash into your temple
And look out thru' your eyes
And make you fall in love
With everybody you despise

1/18/08