Terumah — offering (Exodus 25:1–27:19)
For Addie
What I have is for you.
Everything – every penny
and every object.
The air that surrounds us
I have gathered so you
could breathe it.
What I have is for you.
My skin and my words.
I say them, hoping
they’ll go into your ears
and you’ll keep them.
I have so many things
lying around. Collect them.
Organize them into rainbow
colors if you must.
What I have, even the things
in my name, especially the
things in my name
are all yours. My name
is your name. Use it freely.
What I have is for you.
All of my time – don’t
count the seconds.
They are infinite and
they are all yours.
What I have is for you.
This is my offering.
Build something important
with it. So in a thousand
thousand years
they’ll still talk about it.
What I have is for you.
Let me fill your pockets.
Let me be
your entire
inventory.
Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 29 books including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.” Visit him at www.JewishPoetry.net
