When I arrived in Israel to song-lead for NFTY in the summer of 1995, I spent my first night on a cot on the porch of an apartment overlooking the houses of Jerusalem. When I woke up with the sun rise the next morning, I took out my notebook and pen and wrote the following poem. Then, I promptly lost it for eight years. When I was unpacking a box after my move to Texas, I found these words and set it to music.

There's a race
For my soul
There's a race
Each morning
A race between God and Man

If man wins
The alarm buzzes
I awake
Not fully rested
Dreary-eyed, tired, and soul-less

If God wins
The sunlight hits me
And I awake
So gently
In silence, with a sense of calm

I wake with no buttons to push
I may not even know the time

So I awake
Say Modeh Ani
Thank You God
For returning to me
My soul which You guarded while I slept

There's a race
For my soul
There's a race
Each morning
This morning, in Jerusalem, God won

Copyright © 2003 Z-TAK Music