Parsha Poetry, Year 2: Noach / נֹחַ

בְּרֵאשִׁית / Bereishis / BEREISHIT / Genesis 6:9-11:32: Read it;  hear it; colour it.

Click for printable PDF version.  And don’t forget to read last year’s poem!

Copywork and parsha activities – updated weekly.

Thanks to Ted for this week’s art, liberally borrowed from his Parsha Cartoon.

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“What are you doing?” the neighbours all said,
“What are you building back there?
Why are you making a boat with a bed,
And building a cage for a bear?”

“I’m building a boat,” old Noach replied,
“Building it sprawling and grand,
And very soon now, we must all head inside
For the floods, they will cover the land.”

The neighbours just laughed, a hilarious mirth,
Screeching, “who the heck told you that?
In case you can’t see, this is mighty dry earth,
So why build that box for a bat?”

“Look around,” Noach growled, “just look and see,
“What a mess we have made of this world.
With murder and mayhem, it’s pure misery,
And there’s worse that will soon be unfurled.”

“Who are YOU to tell us that stuff?”
His neighbours cried indignantly,
“Think you’re so special?  Well, we’ve heard enough!”
And they scattered eventually.

“But wait!” Noach cried, calling them back,
“Stay here, there’s a little more time!
The rains aren’t coming ‘till I drive this last tack,
Come join in this journey sublime!”

But the tack was driven, sank deep in the wood,
And those droplets, they started to fall;
The neighbours all cheered, “This rain will be good!
More silver and gold for us all!”

Then all of his neighbours wandered away,
Ignoring the old man’s sad cries.
“Come back to Hashem,” he whispered at last,
“For this rain is just tears from His eyes.”