A Poem for the High Holidays

two people holding fire poi
We are at the beginning
         Of new cycles
         In a world that is ours
         Transcending time and space.
 
We are in the middle
         Of taking stock
         As we look to next steps
         And ponder choices that follow.
 
We are at the end
         Of the last season
   Musing, reflecting on what we learned.
          We become aware that
               Before us lies the expanse
                      Of the next beginning.
 
We ask: What now?
 
We find ourselves
                     Alone
             Communing inside
    With images, thoughts and senses that translate to
       Joy, sorrow, gratitude,
        Fear, yearning, confusion,
                     Resentment
                     Contentment
 
We find ourselves
                     Communal
In actions, deeds, and meetings
               In song and
               In shared words of prayer.
 
We pause to look at
             Those who surround us
And to look inward at ourselves.
 
             What do we see?
          Faces to remind us that
    In minds
               In hearts
                          In souls
              Lie memories linking past
                          To present
                           To future
                And we see in those
                    Connections
             Sparks of creation
                         That fly everywhere.
Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on email
Email

Ritualwell content is available for free thanks to the generous support of readers like you! Please help us continue to offer meaningful content with a donation today. 

Related Rituals

Shop Ritualwell - Discover unique Judaica products

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

Jewish Spiritual Autobiography

 Writing a spiritual autobiography helps you to discover how teachers, touchstones, symbols and stories have led you to make meaning and understand the sacred in your personal story. In this immersion, join Ritualwell’s Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, a writer and spiritual director, to map out and narrate your most sacred life experiences. Four sessions starting May 16, 2024. 

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.

The Reconstructionist Network