A Priestly Blessing – A poem for Parsha Nasso (Aliyah 4)

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May God bless you and keep you
 May God's face shine upon you and be gracious to you
 May God look upon and grant you peace."

May God bless you and keep you
.

That’s all I need
the Lord, the One, the Eternal
the Nameless, or, at least,
the One with the unpronounceable Name
To monitor my comings and goings
To monitor my staying-puts
To sound the appropriate alarms when
something goes astray.
Intervention isn’t necessary.
Just a little beep to say watch out.
A holy collision warning system.
No extra charge.
It just comes with it.


May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you
.

I need this like I need mirrors.
To make sure my hair hasn’t gone rogue.
To let me know there’s chocolate or
anything from meals gone by on my face.
Just a little word or two out of the mouths
of my closest confidants telling me
you should take care of this.
They are the light that shines on my face –
That morphs my countenance into
something acceptable.
If I have any favor left
it is from Them.


May God raise God’s countenance

toward you and grant you peace.

It is interesting that One so high
has to raise anything to me
who exists so close to the bottom
I could write an encyclopedia about
the soles of shoes.
But peace must always be lifted.
It is the hardest work.
Imagine the muscles required
to lift peace, when so much of the world
pushes it down.
I will take peace from wherever it is given.
I see it on the Face of anyone with breath.

These poems are offered free for your enjoyment. If you use them as part of an event, meeting, educational or liturgical setting, please consider tipping the author.

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