In My Tribe

In My Tribe 

Psalm Challenge 83

Each week I am trying to be more inquisitive about the Psalm coming up.
At first I wondered how I would keep track of the number, could I even understand those mystical sounding songs written by Asaph? or who really? How can thousands of years go by and something is not lost in the translation? Especially with the inherent bias of the translators.
It helps to read the other entries, hosted on the website below. The photos, extraordinary.
The songs after all, will mean something different to all of us as individuals. They leave some mystery for us to be inquisitive about. Clever, of course, since we humans so often ignore the obvious or direct communication.
This week I managed to research on Monday and have pretty much thought about the meaning, the various interpretations, the co-occuring modern wars, conflicts, uprisings and random acts of senseless violence near and afar on our fair planet. Wish me luck with my poem.
for other entries:
Psalm Challenge...

In my tribe

i saw my father buckle

under the weight of poverty
created by too many children
not enough to go around,
well,
nothing much extra i should say
we never knew we were poor
in my tribe

my mother worked like a dog for men
who took credit for her know how and skill
and they smiled at her
and that was enough for mom
i love her so

in my tribe
we came from the old country where
the bastards drove us out
took our land
killed our men
for religion, land and money
oh and
power

in my tribe
we got stronger
with each passing blow
each setback,
each
hungry moment

i saw the photos of jews
killed by nazi's,
read the stories
of germans gone bad.
my relatives
my father was caught up in WW 2,
sailing the South Pacific while his brother and
other neighbors fought
against the people who drove his grandfather
from prussian farmlands.
we were danish now i know
it can get confusing sometimes
whose tribe you are really in

in my tribe
i sometimes imagine how genghis khan conquered
some of my people.
is he also my blood?

Blood aside,
in my tribe
we were taught to respect and love
honor and obey,
fight against oppression, poverty, hunger and shame.

I read the story of Ezekiel and foreseeing nazi plunders
fearing the end of abrahams children
i finally started to see the blending of judaism and christianity
and why it is so despised
by
the despicables.
they can never win
against
my tribe
or the tribes of God
they can and will try

as i look out at the milky way and see my mother's essence and hear her voice in my mind say
"milky way"
I am reminded of my tribe
and the faith she gave me
and she said
go,
go see the world.

she studied jesus
and mystics
and the bible
in my tribe