It begins, you imagine,
as something captured —
a ball of blue atmosphere
or a pocket of darkness
pushing against its seams
until they split apart
and it rushes out in joy
to your window.
How the trees shake and sway,
letting loose their yellow, calling
Let go the wreath of sadness
crowning your head.
From “The Days Between: Blessings, Poems, and Directions of the Heart for the Jewish High Holiday Season” (Brandeis University Press, 2014).
Marcia Falk is a poet, scholar and translator from Hebrew and Yiddish. Her books include “The Book of Blessings,” a re-creation of prayer from an inclusive, non-hierarchical perspective, and “The Song of Songs: Love Lyrics from the Bible.”