In Conversation with the Shema

If you hush, and hear, and listen, and
pay attention,
and get
quiet
you will be able to breathe in
My quiet

and then you will be able to breathe with the turtles and the bats
you will be able to breathe with the coyotes and the snakes
you will be able to breathe with the puppies and the lions
you will be able to breathe with the smallest bug and the biggest whale.

If you hush, and hear, and listen, and
pay attention,
and get
quiet
you will feel the connections
you will make the connections
and
the rain will fall where it is needed
the sun will shine where it is needed
the grains will grow where they are needed
the seas and the rivers will flow where they are needed
and you and all creatures will eat well

but

if you will not hush, and hear, and listen, and pay attention,
and get
quiet
if you take the breath within and all around you
the connection you feel,
the connection you could make
and shatter it . . .

breath will become fire
there will be no rain
the grains will dry up in the field
there will be little to eat
you will be hungry,
always hungry
floods will drown your cities.

Look for reminders.
Look with your heart.
Look with your eyes.
Look with your hands.
Look with joy and with respect.

Find the threads of connection and tie them to the edges of your self –
call them tzitzit.

Look to them and let them remind you
to hush, and hear, and listen, and
pay attention
and get
quiet
and
breathe in
My quiet.

Let the tied threads become fringes,
let the fringes become reminders
to breathe with the turtles and the bats
to breathe with the coyotes and the snakes
to breathe with the puppies and the lions
to breathe with the smallest bug and the biggest whale
to take care of one another and breathe together

and then aish, fire, and mayim, water, will be in balance
and this place – shamayim,
heaven on earth.