The Straight Path – a poem for Parsha Ki Tavo

And it will be, if you do not obey the Lord, your God, to observe to fulfill all His commandments and statutes which I am commanding you this day, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. ~ Deuteronomy 28:15

When I was there
when half of us were
up one mountain

shouting blessings
and the other half
up another shouting curses

I can’t remember which one
I was standing closest to.
I can hear them both

every time I put my ear
to a sea shell or
when the shofar blows.

Not warnings to be
good or bad, but the
consequences of

which one we choose.
The bad far outnumber
the good. This is the

Biblical equivalent of
scaring us straight.
The last thing you want

is to be eaten by birds.
Trust me on this.
Those little dinosaurs

are waiting for their
chance to take it all back.
So as tempted as you may be

to go left or right
it is the straight path
which keeps you at the table.

It is the straight path
which keeps the bread
in your kneading bowl

from being cursed.
It is the straight path
which keeps you from

confusion, illness, insanity,
It is the straight path
which keeps the worms

from devouring your grapes,
which keeps the rain
from turning into dust.

It goes on and on.
Stay on the straight path
my friends. It may be more

narrow, but it will forever
keep you from returning to
the narrow place.

Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 28 books including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.” Find him online at www.JewishPoetry.net