30 Poems in 30 Days: Fundraiser for the Ithaca Sanctuary Alliance

  DAY 20                                                         Chi                                           (during the time of Covid)                                             Fran Markover                                                                                                                             The force is elusive during these viral days                                          so I Zoom with Amanda, acupuncturist.                                          She revisits the hurts on my body, teaches                                          acupressure, explains inflammation, pain,                                          how to cool or heat channels that suffer,                                          blocked from chi. We begin with warm-ups,                                          bumblebee breaths. I place fingers on my                                          ears, head, eyes, then hum. My head thrums.                                          So this is how

  Day 19 is Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year and celebration of the birth of the world.  We have given our poets off today, but here is a famous poem by Marge Piercy: The Birthday of the World     Marge Piercy On the birthday of the world I begin to contemplate what I have done and left undone, but this year not so much rebuilding of my perennially damaged psyche, shoring up eroding friendships, digging out stumps of old resentments that refuse to rot on their own. No, this year I want to call myself to task for what I have done and not done for peace. How much have I dared in opposition? How much have I put on the line for freedom? For mine and others? As these freedoms are pared, sliced and diced, where have I spoken out? Who have I tried to move? In this holy season, I stand self-convicted of sloth in a time when lies choke the mind and rhetoric bends reason to slithering choking pythons. Here I stand before the gates opening, the fire dazzling my eyes, and as I approach what jud