Unhealthy Excercise Poem by gershon hepner

My helpmeet’s turned into a walker
instead of runner that she was.
Even though I’ve been her stalker
she doesn’t run away because
she hurt her hip by falling while
she exercised, which is unhealthy.
(My only exercise is when I smile,
for all I’ve got to make me wealthy
is smiles I have and like to share
with others, like my helpmeet.) Since
she fell she needs more care,
and I have got to be her prince,
and help her walk until she heals,
which hopefully will happen soon.
Tomorrow will be Shevat. It feels
to me that she’ll wax like the moon,
and reach full strength before it’s Tu,
the fifteen of the month when she’ll
be like those fruit trees that renew
their blossoms then, the biggest deal
for fruit that later they produce.
She is of course my tree of life,
not only fruit for me but juice,
not only helpmeet, but my wife.

Inspired by Linda’s return home yesterday, two days before Rosh Hodesh Shevat, having hurt her left hip while walking along Monte Mar on Sunday, January 10th. Tu BiShevat is the 15th of the month, on which we celebrate the New Year for trees.

Although Linda has a prosthesis in her left hip, it appears that she did not damage to her hip, but since she depends on her walker I am inspired to write a poetic running commentary. This is not the first poetic running commentary she has received, since my poem was also inspired by one that Moshe-HAyim Bravo had sent her an hour before I wrote this. This is his poem:


What is a fall when I stand,
A failure when I succeed
Cursing the walker at every step?

The stairs painful to climb,
The fear to fall in decline,
Melting at every “How Mom?

I walk around with a walker,
Without a glass to my lips,
Without a fire burning inside,

For every love received
For every love given,
For every love taken

I walk around with a walker
For every prayer answered,
For every bad poem written

Say to me: ”walking again”!
After all: What is a fall, if I stand?
A failure, when I succeed?

I am the prophet who does not see,
The poet who does not write,
I am only the friend with the walker

Inspired by Linda Hepner learning to walk again; -)

© Moshe-Hayim Bravo


1/15/10