Articles written by Michael Deqel - Page 4

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About me - Michael Deqel

Poet and photographer Michael Deqel holds degrees in psychology, creative writing, and English literature from the University of Minnesota. He studied Torah and Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) in the US and in Israel; he's also been an anti-racist activist and

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Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Drug addiction: 143 of 302
Two Sketches (Drug Addiction, Before and After)"who cares" cartoonI guess I don't want toreally I just sit hereI could sometimes even tryor so it seems butI guess if I wanted toI would.Wouldn't I?"secret" cartoonIt's not about fathersmotherschildrenor loversnot commitmentsscrewing upor anythingexceptlivingitasitis. More..
Religion & Spirituality > Judaism The Principles of faith in Judaism: 2 of 4
The Covenant Between Ha'Shem (G-d) and the Jewish PeopleThe principles of Jewish faith have at their center Study of Torah (the Five Books of Moses). Central to Torah is the Covenant between Ha'Shem and the People (literally, "The Name," used in place of G-d so as not to inadvertently take The Name in vain). The central lesso... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the Middle & Near East Should Shimon Peres remain president of Israel or should a new leader take charge?: 2 of 4
First, the President of Israel is largely a ceremonial and cultural position, with little to do with "taking charge" of the country. Israel's parliamentary system is led by the Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. So, in that sense, it doesn't matter a whole lot if Peres is President or not.The previous president faced substantiated ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Commentary: Using torture in the War on Terror: 14 of 24
The cost of using torture outweighs any supposed benefits.The current U.S. government argues that it has received useful information to help fight terrorism by using torture. However, according to the director of the Center for Torture Victims at the University of Minnesota, there is only one reason for torture: intimidation.... More..
Travel > Vacations Combining volunteering with your vacation: 6 of 10
Want to help make the world a better place? Want to get away from it all on a great vacation?How about doing both at the same time?More and more people find a vacation while volunteering to be the best vacation of all. From high school and college students on summer break to retirees on "perpetual" vacation, the new trend is ... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Writing: 329 of 505
O Promise Me I never want to promisemore than I can deliver, so I do not promise mebut let's be friends and never write each otherletters. And in my letterI won't tell you how I want to hide my trailinstead, a story teller will claim that a book wrote these poems,and not the pulse or the steam then paths will be erased.Perhap... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Neglect: 17 of 26
NeglectWater drips from the untended faucet of despair,no food on the table, the house in disrepair.Along comes a spider, a friend beside herto fill empty moments as though with care.The rhyme answered, a simple lureto draw the child down city streets, unsureof where home is, mother or father,he lies in folds of wolf's fur.Wh... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the Middle & Near East Will Mahmoud Abbas be able to unite the Palestinians or will new leader have to try?: 3 of 4
While Mahmoud Abbas seemed at first blush to be someone who would transform the Palestinian government from the corrupt former government, he has neither managed to do so nor managed to gather popular support in the Palestinian Authority areas. The victory of Hammas last spring and the defacto existance of two Palestinian are... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Tips Breathing life into your fictional characters: 56 of 72
Characters need more than three dimensions. First, they need to be described concretely, so readers can picture them. Second, they need to have a voice, a way of speaking and thinking that is unique to that character and that reveals the characte. The voice should be clear enough so that a line or two of dialogue will be reco... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Nature's seasons: 125 of 158
Night WavesMoonlightas a windstormUproots treeswaves buildingstwists roadsunsteadies feetStirs brown trees throughtheir own green leavesthen strains to followfrom Autumn to Winter. More..