#anywhere #anytime #cog #systems #failingsystems #parsha #parshatshemot #broken #workhard #hardwork #erosion #thingschange #usvsthem #them #us #keepyourheaddown
The beginning of the book of Exodus brings us to Egypt generations after Jacob and his family immigrated there during the famine. For a period of time the descendants of Jacob prospered. They multiplied and grew and grew. The Pharaoh who knew Joseph died and as the memory of Joseph faded, the Egyptians felt the need to eliminate this people whose numbers were increasing in their land. And so the system began to change and the the Egyptians began to impose more work and violent edicts against the population.
This poem tries to imagine an individual within a political system when things go slowly wrong. What do people think as conditions around them continue to change and their right to live freely changes?
Please note that I have chosen a male to be the subject of this poem, but please let us assume that the pronoun "he" is a universal pronoun rather than an exclusively male pronoun.
ANYWHERE, ANYTIME
Once there lived a human
Any human
Anywhere
Anytime
One human among humans
One small part of the whole
He worked hard
His head down
Shoulders strong
Brought food to the table
A warm home
and family
And there were mornings
And there were evenings
Life was good
Time passes
Days pass to months
Months pass to years
Work and more work
Head down
Shoulders squared
Hands strong
A change
Barely perceptible
Hints, Innuendo
New commands
New leaders
Veiled glances
Small restrictions
So small
"It’s ok"
Keep working
Providing
"It will be ok!
Just keep your head down
It's nothing.
This will pass."
And life was different.
Time passes
Days pass to months
Months pass to years
Work and more work
Keep your head down
And the changes flow
Like the tides
Tides wash over the past
Day after day
Month after month
With each tide
Erosion begins
Erosion of values
Erosion of norms
Erosion of rights
Erosion of civility
And the human
Keeps his head down
Trying to work
Trying to provide
"It will be ok
It has to be ok!"
Stares and glares
Strangers in our midst
Doors shut,
windows shuttered
Refusals
Rejections
Food is scarce
Put he pushes on
Head down
Shoulders slumped
Hands clenched
"It will be OK."
"The tides will turn."
After all
He believes in man
He believes in systems
He believes in fairness
He believes in "the us"
He cannot be "the them"
He can't be
He has worked too hard
And there were mornings
And there were evenings
And things were not good
Time passes
Days pass to months
Months pass to years
He works and works
Back breaking work
Less pay
Little food
Hunger
Head down
Shoulders slumped
In shame
Chased, blamed, cursed
Where are the humans?
Where is the humanity?
Where is the system?
Where is the fairness?
And the changes flow
harder now and faster
Like the tides
Tide after tide
Day after day
Month after month
With each tide
He breaks
We break
Society breaks
Where are the values?
Where are the norms?
Where are the rights?
Where is the civility?
Once there lived a human
Any human
Anywhere
Anytime
It could be you
Exodus 1:8-11 Translation from Sefaria
וַיָּ֥קָם מֶֽלֶךְ־חָדָ֖שׁ עַל־מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יָדַ֖ע אֶת־יוֹסֵֽף׃ A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־עַמּ֑וֹ הִנֵּ֗ה עַ֚ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל רַ֥ב וְעָצ֖וּם מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ And he said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us.
הָ֥בָה נִֽתְחַכְּמָ֖ה ל֑וֹ פֶּן־יִרְבֶּ֗ה וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תִקְרֶ֤אנָה מִלְחָמָה֙ וְנוֹסַ֤ף גַּם־הוּא֙ עַל־שֹׂ֣נְאֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַם־בָּ֖נוּ וְעָלָ֥ה מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground.”
וַיָּשִׂ֤ימוּ עָלָיו֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מִסִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן עַנֹּת֖וֹ בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיִּ֜בֶן עָרֵ֤י מִסְכְּנוֹת֙ לְפַרְעֹ֔ה אֶת־פִּתֹ֖ם וְאֶת־רַעַמְסֵֽס׃
So they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor; and they built garrison cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.