the love that burns deep in your heart
the love that consumes everything
all that you think you are and
might ever be
bequeath it to your children
breathe it exhale it
shout it in the streets
dream it in your sleep
sing it when you wake
bind it tightly to your limbs feel
it entering your bloodstream
nail it pound it into warped
splintered door jams
carve its name in hearts on trees
then leap back and watch
as branches shoot up
yearning toward
the heavens.
(Deuteronomy 6:5-9)
Yedid Nefesh 
I love this. Shabbat Shalom, Brant! (and all…)
Wow! I must have always skipped over that section! So very strong and beautiful.
You’ve captured the essence of this prayer, Brant. Your poem made me weep and smile at the same time. Lovely!
What Carole said… I’m at the Baltimore Yearly Meeting (Quakers) this week, and we’re ‘wrestling’ with Palestinian and Israeli matters. Reading this lovely poem re-centers me. Shabbat Shalom, friend, and by big thanks for who you are!
Reconstructionist mezzuzot should sport this! 🙂 Really, it could go viral at weddings–although you might have to swap out “sheets” for “streets.” Thank you for the inspiration.
Brant,
Thank you for the beautiful poetry, and relief from the cares of the day.