On this, the twilight of Tisha B’Av,
as dusk rushes at us
as grief envelops us
as the tantalizing darkness tempts us
as our collective misgivings suffocate us
we sit in mourning of our collective losses —
yet, after the eclipse, we promise to direct our countenances
towards a brighter future, made whole and holy by our Divine partnership.
Tonight, we swallow sunken hearts in sorrow
and yet acknowledge there’s an allotted time and place for grief
sadness
despair
madness
and a time to pocket these feelings for higher purposes.
God of All: gift us with Your Presence.
Help us navigate the rocky shores
that beckon us to shipwreck our lives in grief forever.
God of All: May the memories of all those we’ve lost — both this year and in primal, ancestral timelines —
Be for a blessing, always.
And may we, on this twilight of Tisha B’Av,
direct our grief to action.
