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Concentric Shabbat at Or Shalom

Circles like an onion mid-cut once
fit with corners this small oblong room.
A sacred number, 54 souls bent on prayerful
melodic psalms harmonize us, tonight, bone ancient.

23rd Psalm’s Fear no evil comfort as aural embrace
melds minor thirds unknown ‘til this moment.
Linchpin Rabbi Faryn raises palms of joy
filled harmonies, my clarinet that propel us upward.

Toddler coughs, gripes, laughs and coos
absorb into our collective sonic now.
Toilet flush water rushes as elemental as 
we, the kahal, swing singing, guts and all.

Jazz waltz offbeat claps smile us forward
into 3,000-year-old onbeat Call to Prayer.
Stormy winds had snuffed out our power
‘til Rabbi’s praise magic fired the lights back on.

Vyvyan, not Vivian teaches the word
bringing Torah into our moment of need.
If we are each to be just grasshoppers
may we rise like locusts with swarm power.

Across the hub Robyn and I catch eyes
to sing-play response to the kahal’s call.
Merge within merge, tendrils of interplay
exuding in swirls from our sweet onion 
finding a courageous odor pleasing to God.

© Corey Weinstein 2025