after-life

Bechukotai presumes there's quid pro quo
and sufferers have earned their lot in life
while Babylon's a player in the show
in God's hand to chastise His errant wife
but still, we struggle with Akiva's death
who should have prospered for his merit's sake
he praised the Lord with his last dying breath
whose flesh was torn off with a Roman's rake
indiff'rent cosmos out of our control
whose patterns aren't scaled to human size
throws up conundra to try a Jew's soul
or drives us to tell comfortable lies
we sing the praise of God on His high throne
to reassure ourselves we're not alone