Making the Ketubah
Leiah Bowden describes the breathless wait and sacred preparation to decorate a ketubah, or Jewish marriage contract.
I pray for the holding open
of the rock at the edge of hope.
I pray for the light never to go out.
I pray for my eyes never to close.
I pray for my love always to breathe
in and out
echoing the expanse of the cosmos
in and out
forward and back
into my arms and back again
as we dance
our steps of exploration.
For exploration can only be
in the leaving.
And so as I travel beyond myself
and across the boundaries
I have never imagined
I pray the light into holding
I pray my love always open
I pray my steps always landing
where I can breathe.
(c) Leiah Bowden 2020