Blessing of Kislev

smiling asian kid with black long hair holding a glowing heart that appears to be made out of wire with glowing lights in the background

This poem emerged from an exploration of the component words of Kislev: kis (pocket) and lev (heart) and the interplay between them. You may wish to reflect on these words and the suggestions below and express your discoveries through writing, movement, drawing, and/or sound.

  • Sense/imagine a pocket (or pockets) in your heart, or a heart that is carried in a pocket.
  • Sense/imagine (y)our hearts carried in a pocket that is wide and deep enough for a myriad of feelings, memories, dreams, longings, questions, and experiences. What treasures are carried in this heart pocket?

May we be blessed with the gift of Kislev, both in the darkest time of this month, in the delicate kindling of new, growing light, and throughout the turning of the year.


Blessing of Kislev

Simple treasures
nuzzled into felted folds
warm in the ample pocket
embroidered
in deepening spirals
stitching stitching
luminous threads 
the tiny songbird
in my heart
alights
humming humming
safe 
free

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