Return.
The Days of Awe – from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur – offer us a concentrated period of reflection, introspection, repair, and renewal. This potent season invites us to account for where we’ve missed the mark, listen closely to the yearnings of our souls as we cross from one year to the next, and celebrate the grace and sweetness of beginning again.
After this, let us let go,
let the Book of Life close, let the old ways
fall like leaves during a heavy rain,
the trees like our soul cleansed and ready
to rest. In this way, maybe
the exchange of apology and forgiveness
completes a cycle
and leads to our renewal.
About This Workshop
This workshop evolved out of Jena’s role of Poet in Residence at her own synagogue during the High Holidays since 2020. Anyone who would like to create space within to prime your spirit for the Days of Awe is welcome, and no previous poetry writing experience is required.
We will generate a list of words related to these holidays together, and Jena will also provide a list of prompts based on the traditional elements of the High Holidays liturgy. Alternating periods of silent writing with optional sharing, together we will create a safe and sacred container for the poetry of return.
Past participants in this workshop at Jena’s synagogue left our time together with these words:
surprised
amazed
clarity
safety & openness
synergy
absorbing
awed