Parsha Poster #45 – Va’etchanan: Fiery wordsAnd you approached and stood at the foot of

Parsha Poster #45 – Va’etchanan: Fiery words

And you approached and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire up to the heart of heaven, darkness, clouds, and thick gloom. And God spoke to you from within the fire; you were hearing the sound of words but you were not seeing a likeness, only a sound. He told you of His covenant that He commanded you to observe, the Ten Declarations, and He inscribed them on two stone tablets.
— Deu. 4:11-13

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Get High

I’ve taken back my mother tongue,
each letter more humbling than the next,
breaking myself open against the words of sacred texts
to let G!d part my lips and
tongue-kiss me alphabetically.

Deep in my all-too-human bones I know
that lowly exile
Holds holy redemption.
My point of reference is shackles, chains, abuse and starvation.
I claw my way from bondage to liberation on the daily.
I step into the sea, then pray that it will part for me.

I cross the desert,
not knowing where I am going,
I stay rolling in clouds of glory,
I arrive at Mount Sinai
to tell it I survive.

I am alive.

PoetRachel Kann is a modern-day mystic who’s a resident writer for Hevria and been featured on Morning Becomes Eclectic on NPR and as The Weather on the podcast phenomenon, Welcome to Night Vale. This is an excerpt from a piece that was first performed at Write Club Los Angeles and first appeared in print on Hevria. Visit her at rachelkann.com