Sefirat Ha'Omer in Haikus
- Leann Shamash
- 6 hours ago
- 6 min read
#haiku #sefirathaomer #sefira #parshatemor #emor #jewishholidays #countingtheomer #vayikra #sefervayikra #jewishholidaycalendar #theomer #littleprojects #49days #sevenweeks
Hello Everyone,
It seems that for each of the years that I have written Words Have Wings, I have written with some ideas for counting the Omer. I guess this will be another one of those posts.
I'll say what I have said before. I love the Omer! I don't know why?!? Maybe just because it is a challenge? Maybe it is like a little game that I want to finish; to compete against myself to see if this year I will win the challenge? It might be easier than doing a marathon (?) I don't know why, but maybe I shouldn't think of it too hard!
Last year I failed on night one. What a shanda?! This year I am doing better, with some help from alarms; otherwise I would surely fail. One friend told me she puts her Omer counter on her pillow each morning. That is a handy tip for someone who wishes to remember to count each night!
The art of counting the Omer has reached so many people over the years. My Ai friend tells me, Yes, counting the Omer—the 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot—has gained significant popularity in recent years, evolving from a largely traditional observance into a widespread, modern spiritual practice. This trend is driven by a desire for mindfulness, personal refinement, and the integration of digital tools. (Here is an article describing its increased performance in liberal Jewish circles.)
The process of counting is a deep spiritual practice for some. Recommended and recently gifted to me is Rabbi Yael Levy's, Journey Through the Wilderness which, using the Sefirot, give a new way of relating to each of the 49 days from a different perspective. Also recommended was The Counting of the Omer by Simon Jacobson
I have my own way of counting. Rather than a spiritual exercise, I use it as a finite period of time in the early spring to begin and complete a project. Yes, I could do this project even if I were not counting, but the counting adds a level of commitment and, yes, excitement to the venture. As they say, "nothing ventured, nothing gained!" With that in mind, my project this year is to do a series of Haikus each day marking the progression from the cusp of the end of winter to the cusp of summer.
I have a particular passion for plants, leaves, trees and things that grow, so this is an easy challenge. I've largely written my Haikus while I walk Trixie and as I prepare my wild and crazy garden for the summer months. The Haikus have been a constant source of joy for me plus I enjoy the sheer adventure of noticing spring with the occasional tug of war between early spring and early summer. I have written many haikus for these first 26 days and have taken many one handed photos. I won't include all of my Haikus here, but will include some from the first few weeks. The writing is uneven, writing on some days more and some days less or none. Welcome to my Omer journey! This post is long....feel free to float to and fro among the Haikus...and let me know if you have a favorite or one of your own to share!!!!
As you begin to read, remember that a Haiku goes in the rhythm of 5-7-5 syllables per line.
In some of these Haikus I have taken the liberty of occasionally breaking up a line into two parts. Feel free to catch me on errors. They are probably there!
A PS before I sign off on this intro, and that is that this is an unfinished post....We are only halfway done with this count. I hope that I will be able to complete it to day 49, B"H, for there is so much more to notice! Please keep in mind that these Haikus are not perfect; they are merely my observations as we march through these special weeks. As for you, you don't need the Omer to notice! Just look up, down and all around as you walk. A camera phone is a helpful tool.
With thanks to Parshat Emor for kindly listing the list of the Jewish holidays of the year and a deeply felt shout out to Torah for the concept of Sefira!!!!
All the best and Shabbat Shalom!
Leann
Winter exists in
Shades
Of grays, blacks and snowy whites
Green hides underneath
Eyes see shades of green
Heart recalls cold wet and gray
Two worlds co-exist
Day 3- written after Shabbat while we were in the hills of Georgia for Pesach.
Children play and run
On sliding emerald hills
Memories are built
Day 4
Spring arrives in fits
and starts
Halting
Pulling back
Winter, spring tug of war
Sticks, twigs large and small
on the forever pine floor
Each hosts a story
Moss, a tease of green
In barely hidden places
On winter mornings
Beware of small stones
Jut sharp along twisted paths
Small stones yield big falls.
Cars spring down Walnut
Passerby’s stroll happily
Hats off, scarves be damned!
Sidewalk cracks survive
Water ice freeze warm
and repeat
Winter leftovers
Home Depot whooo hoooo!
Starved for spring they rush to buy
Twelve bags of brown mulch
Monday, April 13
Rabbits scurry through
The yard searching for any food
Trixie loves their poop
Before a blue dawn
The lonely trill of bird song
Welcomes the new day
Tuesday, April 14
As if overnight
A shy daffodil unfurls
Radiant yellow
My white winter hat
I can’t seem to part with it,
even though spring is here
Runners bravely tread
Down Commonwealth Avenue
It’s marathon time
Bought some chicken wire
Got to keep those bunnies out
Hungry mouths nibble.
April 15 (day 13)
Early spring is spent
On my knees nose to the ground
Trying to recall
It’s suddenly here !
Temperature over 80!
and the flowers POP!
Rub the fuzzy leaves
Sniff the earthy, minty scent
Must be red bee balm
Who would ever trade
A morning just like this one
For anything else?
April 16 (day 14)
It rained hard last night
I heard it against the roof
Grass will green today
Out come the pink boots
Just slip my feet in and out
Keeping my feet dry
Ouch! Chicken wire
It is so hard to work with
Better wear your gloves.
Trixie loves the sun
In the yard she eats black mud
Feast on rabbit poop.
All of a sudden
Look
and green is everywhere
Up, down, all around
Give me a spring day
I’ll tell you what I can do
all around the yard
Night 17
Petals fall swiftly
Sidewalks now are colored pink
Before you glance they’re gone.
It is that one week
Don’t miss it!
Winter is conquered!
Robins everywhere
Beak to the ground
Keep Pulling !
Worms hide underneath.
They’re here, hear ye now!
Stubborn weeds have reappeared
Rapacious, they spread !
On Shabbat mornings
I meander on stone paths
A fairy world unfolds
Saturday mornings
Meander gently onward
afternoon unfolds
Trixie takes delight
Noshing on fresh mud most days
Mud holes everywhere
Sunday April 19
What still lingers on?
Cool temperatures come and go
No consistency
Brrrr, shiver, it’s spring?
Once again it’s cold outside
Rain and leaden skies
Monday, April 20
It’s a special day
Patriots Day has arrived
Marathon Monday
There’s nothing quite like
Digging in the April dirt
Moving uprooting
Tuesday, April 21
Sunny frosty morn’
Ice coats delicate blossoms
Sparkling in the sun
Six AM sunshine
The days are getting longer
Time to walk the dog
Do I really need
A fence around every plant?
Oh, hungry bunnies….
Like a mirror bright
The lake lies still and peaceful
Music of bird song
Birch tree of white bark
Paper thin in shades of white
Flowers like earrings
Wednesday April 22
To be a wood chip
I would always wonder why
and where I was from.
Thursday, April 23
A sandy dirt path
leads past a quiet calm lake.
So many footprints
A lone figure stands
In the clearing
by the lake
and prays quietly.
Finally warmer today
The sun shows her face again
I don’t need my hat
Flowers can be large
or as tiny as a pea.
Why, I wonder why?
Skunk cabbage
in the mud leave spread wide, green
a true sign of spring.
Here I sit alone
In the magical garden
Scents of mint rising
Two thin trees embrace
They lean in closer, closer still
Their lips never meet.
Many more where these came from, but I will conclude here.
The blessing for the Omer:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל
סְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר.
"Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who sanctifies us with mitzvot, and commands us concerning the counting of the Omer."
(Thanks for this idea, SK!)
Other Posts on Words Have Wings About Counting the Omer
Oh Golly, We Forgot to Count the Omer!!!
It's Just Another Day Counting The Omer
The Omer- 49 Days of Gratitude
In 49 Days
Counting the Omer
Other Posts on Words Have Wings on Parshat Emor
The Light
עֹ֖מֶר
I love the fella praying in the woods. I hope he finds his way home!!
Great Read.