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Shir Hadash
  • Home
  • About Our Havurah
    • About Our Havurah
    • Clergy
    • Poetry Corner
      • Shelby Allen
        • Exodus 10:4
        • Learning To Speak
        • Learning To Swim
      • Ellen Fisher
      • Kimberly Gladman
        • The Words of Neferet
        • What the Psalmist Knew
      • Elizabeth Mark
      • Naomi Myrvaagnes
        • Isaac Tells Of His Journey
        • Rebekah Speaks Her Prophecy
      • Joel Reisman
      • Ruth Seidman
        • Elul–Spiritual Preparation
        • Lessons From The Mothers
      • Keith Tornheim
        • Adonaijireh
        • Borrowed
        • East Wind, West Wind
        • Elizabeth
        • If God Asked
        • Isaac at the Sacrifice
        • Pebbles of Remembrance
        • Rinsing Fatherhood / Childhood
        • Rosh Hashanah Reflections
        • Sarah
        • Spirit Boat
        • The Outing
        • The Testing
        • The Yellow Balloon
        • Tikkun, Leil Shavuot, 5773; Two Poems
    • Havurah Photos
    • About Reconstructionism
  • Calendar / Programming
    • Calendar / Programming
    • Calendar
    • Programming
    • Adult Education
    • Social Action
  • Services
    • Services
    • Overview of Shabbat Services
    • Detailed Guide to Shabbat Services
    • High Holidays
    • How to be a Gabbai At Shir Hadash
    • Gabbai Reference (pdf)
    • Divrei Torah
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Member
    • Donations
    • Directions
    • Members' Pages
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    • Home
    • About Our Havurah
      • About Our Havurah
      • Clergy
      • Poetry Corner
        • Shelby Allen
          • Exodus 10:4
          • Learning To Speak
          • Learning To Swim
        • Ellen Fisher
        • Kimberly Gladman
          • The Words of Neferet
          • What the Psalmist Knew
        • Elizabeth Mark
        • Naomi Myrvaagnes
          • Isaac Tells Of His Journey
          • Rebekah Speaks Her Prophecy
        • Joel Reisman
        • Ruth Seidman
          • Elul–Spiritual Preparation
          • Lessons From The Mothers
        • Keith Tornheim
          • Adonaijireh
          • Borrowed
          • East Wind, West Wind
          • Elizabeth
          • If God Asked
          • Isaac at the Sacrifice
          • Pebbles of Remembrance
          • Rinsing Fatherhood / Childhood
          • Rosh Hashanah Reflections
          • Sarah
          • Spirit Boat
          • The Outing
          • The Testing
          • The Yellow Balloon
          • Tikkun, Leil Shavuot, 5773; Two Poems
      • Havurah Photos
      • About Reconstructionism
    • Calendar / Programming
      • Calendar / Programming
      • Calendar
      • Programming
      • Adult Education
      • Social Action
    • Services
      • Services
      • Overview of Shabbat Services
      • Detailed Guide to Shabbat Services
      • High Holidays
      • How to be a Gabbai At Shir Hadash
      • Gabbai Reference (pdf)
      • Divrei Torah
    • Contact Us
      • Contact Us
      • Become a Member
      • Donations
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      • Members' Pages

More poems by Kimberly

Poetry Corner

“What the Psalmist Knew” uses the golden shovel poetic form, which was invented by contemporary poet Terrance Hayes with his poem of that name. In this form, the last words of each line, read in order, form a line from an existing poem (Hayes's poem is an homage to “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks). I used it here to express what I feel when I read one of my favorite lines of Scripture, Psalms 98:8.

What the Psalmist Knew


After 98:8


The summer wind is warm for you. Let

it cradle you, and rock. And when the

autumn's earthtilt goldens light, and rivers

chill, hear solace crackling in brown leaves. Through clap

of thunder, grip of ice, know you rest in hands

of earth and sky. Beneath the

naked mud, or snow, or drought-land, hills

ache with hidden green. Make a leap

of faith: drink in the sunrise, for

all revolves, and pain is no truer than joy


Kimberly Gladman


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