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The One Who Blessed Our Ancestors, Ruaḥ HaOlam, Breath of the Universe, heal me…. | |
I have been asked to write a healing prayer
So I tried
But I can’t do it
I don’t have the soothing words
I’m in pain
Right now
And it’s been going on for a while
And it looks like it’s going to last longer than it takes to write this prayer | |
So instead
I offer to you
A pain prayer | |
A friend died suddenly
And I miss her.
I lost my job
And my despair is showing.
I don’t have a partner
And I’m lonely
I’m losing my home
And I will never be comfortable again
My body hurts
And I’m becoming my pain. | |
Did I name any of your sorrows?
Do you want to name them now? | |
What was solid is porous,
What was secure is scary.
And everyone wants to hurry me through my grief.
It will be so much better, they say, when this is over
You will be transformed!
Yes, I say, but into what?
Yes, I say, but I’m not there now!
Yes, I say, but please, let me mourn first. | |
“Refah’aynu Adonai V’Nayrahfay
Heal us God, and we shall be healed.”
Can this be true?
“Elohai neshamah
Shenahtahtahbi,
The soul placed within me is pure
And cannot be lost.”
So I’m searching, where is that pure soul?
Where is that healing of the body, mind and spirit,
Is it in the music?
Is it in my friends?
Is it in prayer? | |
Then I listen to the music
And I am transported away from the hurt.
I look around at my community
And I feel taken care of.
I write this prayer
And speak to God. | |
I guess this is a healing prayer after all. | |
Barukh Atah Adonai, The One Who Blessed Our Ancestors, Ruaḥ HaOlam, Breath of the Universe: | |
Heal me. |
אמן׃
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Amen |
Trisha Arlin’s prayer-poem “Heal Me,” was first published online on her website.
 Trisha Arlin is a liturgist, teacher, performer and student of prayer in Brooklyn, NY and was a part-time rabbinic student at the Academy of Jewish Religion (AJR), 2012-18. Trisha was the Liturgist-In-Residence during the National Havurah Committee’s 2014 Summer Institute, has served as Scholar or Artist In Residence at many synagogues where she has read, led services and taught her class, Writing Prayer. since the pandemic began, Trisha has been on Zoom teaching prayer writing, sharing her liturgy and doing readings with Ritualwell, Haggadot.com, for synagogues around the country as well as small freelance groups. She is a founding builder of Bayit’s Liturgical Arts project. Trisha received a BA in Theater from Antioch College in 1975 and MFA in Film (Screenwriting) in 1997 from Columbia University. In 2009/2010, Trisha was an Arts Fellow at the Drisha Institute. In 2011, she graduated from the sixth cohort of the Davennen Leadership Training Institute (DLTI). A longtime member of Kolot Chayeinu/Voices of our Lives, a progressive unaffiliated congregation in Brooklyn NY, Trisha’s liturgy has been used at services and ritual occasions and in newsletter there and at venues of many denominations around the world. Her work has been published in her book, Place Yourself: Words of Poetry and Intention (a collection of liturgy and kavannot. Foreword by Rabbi Jill Hammer, Artwork by Mike Cockrill. 2019 Dimus Parrhesia Press); the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion; Seder Tefillot, Forms of Prayer: Prayers for the High Holydays (Movement for Reform Judaism); B’chol Levavecha (CCAR Press); Beside Still Waters: A Journey of Comfort and Renewal (Bayit & Ben Yehuda Press); A Poet’s Siddur (Ain’t Got No Press); Studies in Judaism and Pluralism (Ben Yehuda Press) and can be found online at TrishaArlin.com, at RitualWell, and of course, the Open Siddur Project. You can support her work by buying her book, making a one time donation through PayPal @trishaarlin or monthly support via Patreon.
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