Draw Near
You, the masterful Artist,
breathing life into life into me.
You stitch the cosmos into
intricate garb, enrobing Yourself
with galaxies. On Your fingertips are nebulas, yet
in Your palms, Your people find shelter.
You paint the depths of the velvety seas,
bestowing wonder and mystery upon every pearl,
colors as yet undiscovered flowing from Your palette.
Oh God, who else would create--
who else could create--
this dazzling domain
I am blessed enough
to call home?
Who else but You
would draft so carefully, so artfully,
arranging every last, perpetual detail,
from the flames of faraway suns
to each bristle in the paintbrush
held safely in the hand of the artist
who embodies Your mitzvot?
Oh God, who else would
have the compassion to
place syllables and sounds
on the tongues of ancient peoples,
to coax chaos into language
so that my ancestors could praise Your name?
Oh, God, let me study at Your easel,
let me read at Your bedside,
and God, let me love the world a little better
for You having drawn me into it at all.
Katherine Orfinger is a writer, artist, and MFA candidate at Rosemont College. She holds a BA in English from Stetson University. Katherine’s work has appeared in Beyond Queer Words, Outrageous Fortune, You Might Need to Hear This, Touchstone, Aeolus, and others. Katherine draws inspiration from her Floridian hometown and Jewish faith. She currently resides in Pennsylvania.
Amethyst Review 