Reflection 17 Elul 5783 - September 3

I’ve always had a noticeable 
Affection for children.  As a teenager
Young ones seemed fond of me
And I of them.  When I come upon
A child in a stroller or perhaps on a 
Walk, and if the circumstances are
Not too awkward, I will say hello, and 
Offer a smile and be
Thrilled by a bold retort, or shy aside.

In this penitential period, awaiting the
New Year and the Day of Self-Reproach,
Such encounters offer some extra profit
To the seasonal ruminations, as I
Find myself envious of the children:
I envy their poverty of those possessions
Which I have in so much over-abundance,
Of which I am so wealthy, and still yet oddly
Greatly treasure, for my regrets are
Hard-earned, with so little effort.