Your friend does something and it hurts you,

you have to talk about it, don’t know what to do.

You’re upset by their actions deep inside your heart,

you think badly of him or her and it tears you apart.

These negative thoughts are stuck in you like glue;

you have to talk to someone, the question is who.

Your first thought is that you’ll talk to another friend,

you’ll vent about this guy, it will help your heart to mend.

That’s a common inclination, the easy way to go,

it will soothe you for the moment, but will not help you grow.

It’s called “lashon hara,” such a bad show,

resist the temptation to gossip, just say no.

Take the harder high road and speak directly to your friend,

speak honestly—with kindness—and all will be well in the end.

Rabbi Neil Fleischmann, an ordained rabbi from RIETS, has taught Torah for over 30 years, primarily at The Frisch School, where he coached the award-winning poetry team. As an integral part of the Yeshiva Poetry Society, Fleischmann is a passionate advocate for the arts within the Torah world. He was named New York’s funniest rabbi and has performed stand up comedy, as well as presenting as scholar in residence, across the city and country. His literary work includes the haiku collection, “In The Field,” and he has contributed close to 20 poems to the “Stories of Our Lives” anthologies, parts 1 and 2. Currently, Fleischmann is working on a book of parsha poems that combines meaningful content with whimsical formatting. You can reach him at [email protected].