About this book
and I found//the cry of my soul//buried//in ancient text//opened//like comforting arms// when I needed it most.
In her sixth volume of poetry, Rabbi Suzanne Brody embarks on a journey of transformation and self-actualization. Drawing from her experience as Jewish educator, time spent in Jerusalem, and her love for text study Brody has crafted a delicate poetic cycle narrating of resilience in stillness, perseverance in patience as well as of the beautiful sense of liberation that new chapters can bring.
About the Author
Rabbi Suzanne Brody is the author of five books of poetry and one novella: Dancing in the White Spaces (2007), Etz Chayim She: Modern Poems Grown from Ancient Texts (2015), Mermaid Tears (2020), Lunch with Rav Dimi (2021), Unearthed (2022), and Serah’s Secrets (2022). Her poetry has also featured in newsletters, prayer books, and conference summaries. A graduate of Wellesley College, Suzanne also has a PhD in neuroscience, and received rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, CA. Her writing is infused with her passion for her family, education, and Judaism. In addition to writing, Suzanne has worked in both formal and informal educational settings, designed and taught numerous courses, participates in the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Laws and Standards, and serves as a JEA (Jewish Educator’s Assembly) Board Member.
Advance Praise
This eclectic collection of poems in Rabbi Suzanne Brody’s latest publication felt like snacking on a bag of flavored jellybeans while blindfolded. Each page offers a unique surprise, different from the one before. Each poem, with its own unique flavor, elicits a distinct feeling ranging from sweet, amused wonderings to spicy cries of frustration, pain, and longing, to simply savory, enjoyable nuggets. It’s a medley of Brody’s inner-voice and personal insights. Through her writing, we are invited into the thoughts and emotions of one woman who plays many roles–teacher, mother, rabbi, and artist. Topics stretch from the mundane business of cleaning up students’ glitter to weightier topics such as egalitarianism and Biblical texts. Lovers of poetry will surely appreciate this intimate display of self-reflection and observation.
—Dori Weinstein, author of the YaYa & YoYo series
"Chrysalis Summer"
In the heat of July
I begin to emerge
blinking
in the strong light
of returning hope.
I remain
rooted
slowly freeing myself
from emotional tangles
and testing relationships
ready
to begin wandering
on the path
to becoming myself.
"Stepping Stones"
We line our garden
with a rainbow
of values,
finding paths
through the mind
into heart and soul.
We tug on collective memory,
sending up prayers
on wings of song
as we skip
from one lesson
to another.
"Glitter"
It’s been four weeks
since laughter
bounced off these walls
and bodies careened
from one idea to another.
The broom and vacuum
have come and gone
more times than they can count
but glitter still sparkles
in unexpected places
waiting
for next year’s students.
"The 10 Senses"
Beyond the 5
they teach in kindergarten
lurk another 5,
imagination
soul
connections
personal synesthesia
and the magic mystery
we can’t quite define,
or maybe
there’s an infinite unfolding
of ways we encounter
our own worlds.
