A Blue-Chrome Sky | An Israeli Poem - 27 December, 2025 A blue-chrome sky The rain, or rather the on-and-off deluge, has polished the skies to a bright chrome. Large clouds strive to hide our solid sun but the light pace like a hidden metronome Flood-filled grays tried its best to reign But the blue would often glow through Or at least sent a few bright rays Turning the storm clouds a lighter hue Dark and charcoal and ash-grey colours With loud noise and scary-looking shadows Eventually fracture over our ancient hilltops In Israel the melody of light never stops. Flood-filled grays tried its best to reign But the blue would often glow through Or at least sent a few bright rays Turning the storm clouds a lighter hue In Israel the melody of light never stops Zichron Yaakov, 27 December, 2025
Photo by Ken Bosma Israelis are often described as prickly pears - thorny on the outside but sweet on the inside! It is the first day in an ulpan (Hebrew class) in Israel and one of the new immigrants raises his hand and ask: "Excuse me teacher, but can you please tell me how to say 'Please', 'Thank you' and 'I apologize' in Hebrew." The Israeli teacher (clearly baffled) looks at him for a while and then asks, "Why?" One does not hear the 'magic words' too often here in Israel. And yes, Israelis can also be quite rude. Let me count the ways: They elbow you out of loosely-formed "queues" They steal parking spaces right in front of you If When they get mad they yell and/or swear loudly Their dogs do its 'business' in front of your house and nobody picks it up They love to interrogate you about your salary, religion or why you aren't married. And if you are married they ask why you do not have children. Or...