shin ש
the letter
shhhhhh
the sound
awe
the feeling
at its base
the foundation
for those who believe
three pillars rise up
giving strength
and structure
reaching unwaveringly
skyward
the י yod that
tops each pillar
the eternal presence
the spark of spirit
the shin of
shaddai שדי
the nurturing g-d living within
the shin of
shalom שלום
a greeting for those who enter
a shelter for those who roam
a blanketing peace for all
the shin of
shema שמע
hear o’ israel
the prayer of faith
shin ש
always alive
ever present
sweetly comforting
shin is a letter in the Hebrew alphabet; it is a component of many Hebrew words with spiritual significance, the three in this poem (shaddai, shalom, shema) are a few examples. the significance of each are described within the stanza in which it appears.
yod י (the “o” pronounced as the “oo” in foot) is also a Hebrew letter which carries spiritual significance in the Bible and is described within the poem as well
the word g-d within the poem contains an intentional substitution of a hyphen instead of an “o” – t
raditionally in judaism, the word of g-d is not spelled in its entirety in non-sacred texts as non-sacred texts are often ultimately destroyed. in a symbolic gesture, g-d (the name hence the “spirit”) should not be destroyed with it.
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