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by Darcy Wallen (Author), Joan Ellis Shatkin (Editor)
Dear Reader, Before you is a unique compilation of the poetry of my maternal grandfather, Michael Franklin Ellis - a.k.a. "Gramp." This short manuscript highlights a selection of verses from his 13 published books of poetry annotated with parallel Torah excerpts. Do not let the brevity of this volume deceive you regarding its inherent depth! Before my mother's passing, she assisted me in choosing various verses to include here, that were remarkably and intuitively Torah-aligned. Most of Gramp's poems are witty and philosophical; some are outright sarcastic or sardonic. It was to the latter, more negative and 'critical' poems (the Torah tradition would call "Mussar-style"), that Mom gave a thumb's down - these were rejected outright. In life, she always glossed over the negative and put a positive spin on things. Gramp had no formal Torah education, nonetheless, his poetry sounds as if it is informed by or taken straight from classic Rabbinic literature such as: the Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash, Biblical commentaries, Mussar and Chassidic Philosophy. Although brought up in a Jewishly-identified and culturally involved Jewish family, we were not Torah observant or knowledgeable of the traditions that The Torah and its commentaries provide. After close to four decades of living a Torah observant lifestyle and thirstily studying Torah whenever I can, while revisiting these poems, I am continuously amazed at Gramp's intuitive, Torah-like, Kabbalistic and Chassidic bent. I am sure you will be in awe at the similarity too, as you read through this book and see the parallel Torah quotations we have included herein. You will see how Gramp's humor and personality shines through with wit and wisdom in the upbeat style of the witty, Chassidic aphorism. Darcy F. Wallen (a.k.a. Rus Devorah Wallen) Granddaughter of Michael Franklin Ellis, ob"m Daughter of Joan Ellis Shatkin ob"m and Dr. Samuel Shatkin, DDS, MD, ob"m
