Poem for Wednesday

Awakening
By Lynn Gottlieb

Shekinah gazed upon the sleeping form of HeShe.
"I shall divide this being
So HeShe can find loving companionship
Like the other creatures in the garden."
HeShe lay asleep in the grass
Curled up like a snake in the warm sun
Dreaming of angels.
Shekinah thought,
"Which part of the body
Shall I take to form the woman?
Perhaps from the mouth
So she can tell stories like Serach,
The woman who smells of time.
Perhaps the eyes
So she sees the inside truth of things
Like Soft Eyes Woman Leah.
Perhaps from the neck
So she walks with pride
Like the daughters of Zelophehad
Who are Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
Perhaps the ears
So she hears my laughter
Like See Far Woman Sarah.
Perhaps the heart
So she flows with tender mercies
Like Soft Heart Woman Rachel.
Perhaps the arms
So she heals and restores with touch
Like the Hebrew midwife women.
Perhaps the legs
So she goes out seeking wisdom
Like Truth Seeking Woman Dinah.
Perhaps from the flower of her passion
So she enjoys the fruits of her body
Like Shulamit."
Then Shekinah blessed every part of the woman's body saying,
"Be pure of heart
And always know you are created in My image."
Then she awoke, first woman.

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The above is a poem by a Renewal movement rabbi that radically reinterprets Genesis, in case that may offend. And speaking of offense, I've stated this before, but I will state it again, in light of recent events, namely a court decision yesterday to block a law that put an outrageous burden upon pregnant women, which made me ecstatic, followed by a couple of posts that showed up on my Friends list objecting to this legal decision, which made me see red:

If you believe that terminating a pregnancy is wrong for you, I completely support you and your beliefs and your right to discuss those beliefs as they apply to yourself. In fact, I feel exactly the same way when it comes to myself, my body and any fetus I should conceive, though I have had the fortune never to have been raped, impoverished, betrayed, seriously ill during pregnancy, or pregnant at a time in my life when carrying a fetus to term would have placed an intolerable burden on my health, livelihood, family or emotional stability, so I fully acknowledge that I cannot know how it feels to be pregnant and devastated.

If you believe, based on your personal experience or your religion or your gut instinct, that abortion is wrong in any and all cases no matter the circumstance, and you have the means or the connections to support a woman through a pregnancy that may threaten her health, her career, her solvency or her sanity, I think it is wonderful if you offer to give her that support, so long as you understand that in the end it will be her choice, not yours, to decide whether to end her pregnancy. I've done the same for friends who announced that they were planning to terminate pregnancies about which they expressed ambivalence. It's a true blessing if you can help a woman achieve the choice she would make in an ideal world where every mother would be given the financial support, nurturing environment and health care that all mothers deserve, and where every child would be welcomed with support that was emotional, material, financial, educational and ongoing past the earliest stages of life.

If, however, you believe that your religious and moral beliefs, or the religious and moral beliefs of your church or your political party, should supersede or dictate the laws of the United States on the issue of reproductive rights, I will fight you with every legal means at my disposal. And while I accept and support your legal right to declare your beliefs in print, I will not allow you to espouse anti-choice views on my personal Friends page on LiveJournal. The decision to post anti-choice screeds is your moral right. The decision to take you off my friends list is mine. I will certainly understand should you wish to do the same, because I will continue to encourage people to support organizations and politicians who support freedom of religion and control of our own bodies in matters of sexuality and reproduction as loudly and as often as I can.

On a happier note, a few recs: 's "Kindred Spirits" (post-trilogy Faramir and Elrond), 's "The Wooden Horse, or, A Mighty Erection" (a hilarious parody/commentary on The Iliad and Troy), and all the various bits of M&C art has been posting; I don't want to link to them because they're not on LiveJournal and therefore there's no place for people who like them to leave appreciative comments.

ETA: Happy Birthday !