This Day: a prayer for parashat nitzavim

You feel like ghosts,
all of you standing here
under the mountain,
trembling,
shivering like the aspen

in sunlight,
beautiful and fragile.

I could not block out the noise -
God's thunder
God's demand,
but I heard the tender beat
of each heart that passed

and stood 

and trembled there,
and I was calmed.

Even with so many -
the all of us from before
and now
and yet to be,
God stood with us in that

triumvirate of time.

We lift out eyes in praise.
God likes praise,
loves prayer and devotion,

and smoke mixed 

with a little blood.

There was none of that 

on this day,

just ghosts 

and awe,

mixed with a
bit of fear.

We are all here,

together on this day,

we ghosts of now

and then 

and yet to be,

with God's voice

crashing down from the mountain.

resonating up from the ground

this holy ground,

a Voice filled with blessings

and curses,

surrounding us with 

the promise of love.