I am black and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem … Do not look down upon me. (Shir haShirim 1:5-6) : When she [Shekinah] has great love for her beloved, because of the impulse of love that she cannot endure, she makes herself extremely small until nothing can be seen of her but the tiniest point.
I do not know
I do not know
In this smallness
In these narrows
How to expand or
Where to swell
The concealed of concealed
The mystery of mysteries
All this smallness from love so great
The difficulty of difficulties and
The painful predicament
All this smallness bequeathed by You
I can not endure
another diminishment
from your lips
haShem, do you remember
That small point of stillness?
Or have you become too loud
With a roaring that drowns the sea?
I can’t hear myself
Over these lions.
Please take them back.
Please take me back.
Please take yourself back
When two crowns could rule
When I could blossom like trees
When I could expand into words
When there was space
There is no offering I can bring to forgive you.
Except to forgive my Self.
eish zarah 