You Cannot Get Away from Being Plural

October 14, 2016

Dear Subscriber:

Each week we examine a theme from a variety of points of view. This week’s theme is atonement, in honor of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, which falls on October 12.

Today’s poem is about the relationship between your sins and mine.

I welcome comments on my poems at http://nicholasgordon.blogspot.com.

Yours,

Nick Gordon

You cannot get away from being plural;

On you must rest the burden of my sin.

Moreover, your self-portrait is a mural,

Kaleidoscope of all you’ve touched within.

In what you say I find my inspiration,

Perhaps unfairly making you my guide.

Penitence presumes that expectation,

Uniting others’ sins with yours inside,

Relating my pretense to your false pride.

© by Nicholas Gordon

Hear or watch me recite this poem and listen to the music I chose for it at http://www.poemsforfree.com/youca2.html . For more poems for Yom Kippur, go to http://www.poemsforfree.com/yomkippurpoems.html .

This week’s theme: Atonement.

October 10: Yearning Is a Function of Atonement

October 11: Ye of Little Faith, You’re Welcome Here

October 12: You Wonder Whether Fate Is Accidental

October 13: Yom Kippur Remains a Day of Morning

October 14: You Cannot Get Away from BeingPlural