How can the finite,

dare to approach the infinite?

By what innate courage,

do I dare to reach for the worlds beyond my grasp?

The crashing of waves,

The roar of the fire.

The shaking of the earth,

And the tornado's howl.

Such forces are beyond my comprehension.

And yet curiosity's seed found fertile ground in me.

For I long to experience

that which should consume me.

A paradox of longing,

For that which must be beyond.

I have not forgotten the choice you have given,

Challenging me to choose life, in a world full of glorious death.

But how can mere mortals approach your glory?

By what path may we experience your splendor?

In the stillness a door way opens,

revealing paths back to You.

For you made us in Your image,

and want us to taste the grandeur that is seemingly beyond our grasp.

You beckon us to knowing,

In the music of a birdsong.

As my voice rises to join it,

I hear the music of the cosmos echo within me.

By the gift of the mind,

in the science that counts and measures.

In each sheaf of paper fulfilling the task you gave us,

To name and to know your creation.

For to some you are known in your universe,

Hinted at in the names of all you have made.

Song and science are both mighty tools,

Providing glimpses of Your might.

Remarkable as they are,

my longing remains.

I feel the incompleteness,

as I fail to comprehend that for which I was made to adore.

So you gave me a body,

Formed of the clay of the earth.

Flesh and bone encase the soul,

and their very limits provide the keys to your universe.

For I know you in the raindrop that rolls down my arm,

bringing a chill to my skin.

In every tiny drop,

I feel the oceans roar and hear the rivers gurgle.

I see you in the dancing of candle light,

As Shabbat takes me outside the realms of time.

For the flickering of those tiny flames,

Contains a seed of the fire that races across the prairie.

I taste you in the spring breeze

that carries the flowers gift to my lungs.

And as the wind hugs me close,

I know that with just a simple spin it is mighty enough to tear down empires.

I feel you in the gentle earth that roots me

As bare feet kiss the soil that sustains me.

For this is sacred ground

As I relax into the solid earth,

I remember that it is you who moves the immovable.

My G!d, how awesome are your works.

How wondrous this place you have made.

Written on May 11, 2020 as part of a workshop on Psalms run by Velveteen Rabbi through My Jewish Learning.