For Laney
I am a rare breed,
For my soul bridges two rich ancient traditions,
And I am blessed to be a part of both worlds.
To the West, lies muck and the wild heather,
Where the proud Celt stirs up my imagination,
With stories to warm the heart on a winter’s night.
Queen Maeve and Brigid the healer call out to me,
Reminding me that my a chroi beats like a bodhran,
While uilleann pipes call to the deepest part of me
That I am of Mise Eire.
To the East, I sojourn in the lush land of the TorahThe Five Books of Moses, and the foundation of all of Jewish life and lore. The Torah is considered the heart and soul of the Jewish people, and study of the Torah is a high mitzvah. The Torah itself a scroll that is hand lettered on parchment, elaborately dressed and decorated, and stored in a decorative ark. It is chanted aloud on Mondays, Thursdays, and Shabbat, according to a yearly cycle. Sometimes "Torah" is used as a colloquial term for Jewish learning and narrative in general.,
Where I dwell among palm trees and desert oases,
With MiriamMiriam is the sister of Moses and Aaron. As Moses' and Aaron's sister she, according to midrash, prophesies Moses' role and helps secure it by watching over the young baby, seeing to it that Pharaoh's daughter takes him and that the baby is returned to his mother for nursing. During the Israelites' trek through the desert, a magical well given on her behalf travels with the Israelites, providing water, healing, and sustenance., tambourine in hand, I feel liberated,
With EstherHeroine of the Purim story and Megillat (the scroll of) Esther. She is married to the king by her cousin Mordecai and ultimately saves her people from execution., I will advocate for those who suffer,
Inspired by women of integrity, poets and prophets,
I draw in my tallitA four-cornered garment to which ritual fringes (tzitzit/tzitzi'ot) are affixed. The knots in the fringes represent the name of God and remind us of God's commandments. The tallit is worn during prayer and can also be drawn about oneself or around the bride and groom to symbolize divine protection., and let my heart beat with theirs,
And I am of IsraelLit. ''the one who struggles with God.'' Israel means many things. It is first used with reference to Jacob, whose name is changed to Israel (Genesis 32:29), the one who struggles with God. Jacob's children, the Jewish people, become B'nai Israel, the children of Israel. The name also refers to the land of Israel and the State of Israel..
The Moabite RuthAn important female biblical character with her own book. The Book of Ruth, read on Shavuot, tells the story of Ruth’s devotion to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and their return to Israel. Ruth’s story is often read as the first story of conversion. Ruth is the grandmother of King David. was indeed a rare breed,
Straddling two worlds, she trusted in the unseen one,
Embraced traditions not hers, and her faith blossomed.
St. Patrick was also a rare breed,
Trusting in his calling, he was welcomed in by strangers,
And understood the gift of believing in the unseen one.
I am a fortunate breed,
One foot belongs to our clan and the other to our tribe,
My soul naturally dances to the lilting sounds of Eire,
While my heart nigguns to the soulful songs of Israel.
* Mise Eire (mother Ireland), a chroi (heart), bodhran (Irish drum), uilleann (Irish pipes with the bellow under the elbow)
