At this time of the Jewish New Year I came across this wonderful poem by UU minister Rev. Julian Jamaica Soto. I love the idea of knocking gently at your own door in order to be kind to yourself and illicit a caring response for yourself rather than trying so hard to whip yourself into shape. Rev. Soto has given me permission to reproduce the poem here. You could see more of their work by clicking HERE.
As part of the Yom Kippur, (Ne’ilah) the
prayers list sins in alphabetical order,
but not all of them, as folks have
many bad ideas.
And as they are read, the listeners
beat their chests in ritual, but
without pounding.
Rabbi says, “Knock gently, that the
door may actually open, rather than
steel itself against an onslaught.”
“Hello? Is anybody home.”
I am; having returned from a long
journey away from myself. I open
the door to let in the possibility
that after a while, forgiveness
can make way for growth and
patience can make room for
love.
-gently
. And, here is one of my own poems about Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah
When the gates of the Hebrew New Year swing open,
I, too, am given the chance to atone;
for the petty disappointments I continue to carry
for songs I could have sung and didn’t
for un-danced dances,
kisses given without heart
for words I wish I could reel back
and my resistance to gray days, rain and boredom.
For times I was not mindful
and others were harmed,
for sitting in the back row
demanding that the world entertain me,
for clinging to outcomes,
forgetting that heaven is here on earth.
My prayer is
that the process
of remembering
my sins
helps
to soften them,
wash them
into the stream
of last year
where they might flow
remembered
and transformed
by the river
of time.
~Penny Hackett-Evans
I shared your Yam Kippur "Sacred Path" post with a Jewish friend of mine. She SO appreciated it!
You are touching so many lives, Penny. Thank you.