by Shir Lovett-Graff

The week I binge an anime show / is the same week I practice a tahara [1] / in the first episode / they lose arms and legs / and bodies / deconstruct and reconstruct / from metal, skin and souls / they call it / transmutation / they transmute their limbs / deconstruct themselves / and reconstruct their hands / to practice again / the only rule / they can’t bring back the dead / in my first tahara ritual / I wash her body / a grandmother / comb her tangled hair / keep her head steady / a precious vase / full and empty / it made me question / the softness of my mother / her swollen lungs / my own body / existing / however long / we transmute this grandmother / into gentle rest / sprinkle dirt / like snow / upon her linens / pray to collect / her beauty / upon returning home / I watch the second episode / learn about creatures made of souls / and memories / from people who died / aren’t we also souls / and memories / from people who died / don’t we also transmute / each touch / a renewal / each glance / a blooming /

[1] Tahara, meaning “purity,” is a Jewish ritual cleansing of the deceased, often performed by members of a local Chevra Kadisha, meaning “holy society.”

______________________________________________________________________

Shir Lovett-Graff is a writer, organizer, and student at Harvard Divinity School studying conflict transformation and spiritual care. Their creative work has been published in Silver Rose Magazine, EcoTheo Review, West Trestle Review, SWWIM Every Day, Poetry Online, and more.