https://opensiddur.org/?p=32985Blessing for Rosh Ḥodesh Av, by Kohenet Ilana Joy Streit2020-07-22 16:36:46A blessing for announcing the new moon of Av, for Rosh Ḥodesh Av, and for the whole month. A poem of grieving and gentleness as part of collective liberation.
Textthe Open Siddur ProjectIlana StreitIlana Streithttps://opensiddur.org/copyright-policy/Ilana Streithttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/Rosh Ḥodesh Av (אָב)תחינות teḥinot21st century C.E.58th century A.M.English vernacular prayer
A blessing for announcing the new moon of Av, for Rosh Ḥodesh Av, and for the whole month. A poem of grieving and gentleness as part of collective liberation.
[Financial contributions are most welcome, and support further creation and sharing of Ilana’s creative work. You can see and hear more of Ilana’s creative work on her Patreon page. Or to make a one-time contribution, Venmo (@Ilana-Streit).]
Teach us, Mother Courage,
to weep
Teach us, Brother Honor,
to arrive with open arms
Teach us, sweet inner Wisdom,
to slow down and see the
earth crying out
inside of us
Teach us, Silence,
not to speak
not to speak
not to
Teach us, Love,
to grow into ourselves
to grow towards each other
to do the painful work of unweaving
so that we may reweave all of it
all of us
whole
Teach us too that to weave
we must also be willing to undo
the stitches of pain
to sit with them, tease them open
to sit with them
this year,
let us look upon the pile of old
gnarled yarn
that used to be part of us
and not dance around it
but just sit with it
and listen to it
May our fingers become so tender
and gentle
that we can touch even the most
bruised parts of ourselves
and each other
with love
Weaver of Blessings: poet, liturgist, singer-songwriter.Interpretive, radical, earthy, feminist.Based in Greater Boston, MA.You can see and hear more of Ilana's creative work on her Patreon page. Or to make a one-time contribution, Venmo (@Ilana-Streit).
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