My Lookalike at the Krishna Temple

Download or read book My Lookalike at the Krishna Temple written by Jacqueline Osherow and published by LSU Press. This book was released on 2019-03-06 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In My Lookalike at the Krishna Temple, Jacqueline Osherow considers expressions of spirituality from cultures all over the world and investigates previously unexplored aspects of her relationship to Judaism and Jewish history. While some poems reflect on practitioners of self-imposed isolation, from the monks in Fra Angelico’s frescoed cells to Emily Dickinson to the Kotzker Rebbe, others explore topics as varied as architecture, geometry, faith, war, and genocide. Osherow finds beauty in Joseph’s dreams, the euphony of crickets, and the gamut of symmetries on display in the Alhambra. The scent of lindens serves as a meditative bridge between Darmstadt, Germany, alien and unnerving, and a familiar front porch in Salt Lake City, where the poet freely engages with the natural world: “Don’t worry, moon; we all lose our bearings. / You don’t have to rise. Stay here instead. / I’ll spot you; we could both use an ally / and rumor has it disorientation / is the least resistant pathway to what’s holy.” Osherow takes readers on a journey as tourists and global citizens, trying to find meaning in an often painful and chaotic world.