shin ש

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.