BELLYBUTTON TIME

A Passover afterthought—
While growing up in the Midwest
Both of my family’s
Annual Passover Seders were
Seen as solemn occasions led by
Elders, commemorating
Bitter tears shed by our ancestors, who
During biblical times, had been
Forced to endure the cold-hearted lash of
Slavery for centuries in Egypt ...
And so, what has changed
—Dramatically—between
Seders conducted during my youth and
Seders created to educate
Children, today, concerning
Everyone’s need to take
A proactive part to liberate
Those, who, remaining enslaved
Have yet to experience the joys inherent
Within the universal concept of
Brotherhood, which develops with
A flourish whenever
People work together in hopes of
Regaining and maintaining
Every person’s right to
Ring the bell of freedom throughout
The USA and beyond ...

Whereas yesteryear’s Seders were
Long, solemn and boring
Our family Seders, beginning when
My three sons were a trio of
Rambunctious little boys, continue to be
Geared toward steering young
Compassionate hearts to actively
Participate in the retelling of
Our story of Jewish emancipation with
An element of merriness so as to
Memorialize the Passover story in
Such a well balanced manner as to
Encourage our children’s trains of thought to
Engage with pages of the Haggadah so as to
Retain a well rounded view of
Our ancestors’ lives during slavery
As well as after the parting of
The Red Sea when
The Jewish people had, most likely
Wandered in circles, no compass to
Guide them, through desert terrain for
Forty years until slave mentality had
Worn so thin that inner strengths, which
Had need of time to develop, saw
A liberated people enter
The promised Land, attitudes focused upon
The original creation of the now thriving nation of
The Jewish State of Israel, which
Having been officially reclaimed and
Named in the aftermath of WWII’s
Horrific Holocaust, we can be seen
Rejoicing during certain portions of
Our seders, today ... And just as
Some things are bound to
Change (the birth of democracy) while
Others (tyrants enslaving people) stay the same
We, who support a democratic philosophy
Stand united upon the unyielding
Conviction ofbour belief that
All precious children, the world over, today
Deserve the same Human Rights of
Liberation, freedom and merriment that
Inspired a downtrodden, whiplashed
Multi-generation of slaves to stand up and
Follow their courageous leader, Moses, right up to
The border of The Promised Land, where, with
Two tablets, comprising
The Ten Commandments in hand
The populous was granted entry while
Moses was not—(do you know why not?)

If there’s
A time to dance
A time to sing
A time to cry
A time to laugh
Then let’s designate
A time, right now, to
Check out
My two year old great nephew, who
Can clearly be seen in the video below
Feeling absolutely free to
Contemplate his belly button as
Munchkins the world over have been
Known to do no matter what
Anyone else thinks is proper or not ...
🙋🏻‍♀️😄🌈🌻