Miriam
Kendi Hertz was my maternal grandmother and a woman who loved people…
My grandmother’s family immigrated to Manhattan
from Hungary when she was just a child. She lived in New York City her whole
life and became president of many charitable organizations there, working
endless hours for the benefit of others. Her life was devoted primarily to her
husband, her children, and to helping others. Following her demise the biggest
synagogue in Manhattan overflowed with attendees, many who were left with standing
room only.
Poetry was, for my grandmother, a very solitary,
meditative practice, which she engaged in all her life. My mother, Nannette,
gathered my grandmother’s poems into a book for informal publication after she
left us. The following is how my mother introduced her own mother’s poetry:
“These are the poems of a heart overflowing, of
someone whose active works of love and friendship always took precedence over
self-involved pleasures. She loved poetry, especially its music—many of her
verses are songs. Her voice is contained in statements simple and direct,
unabashed emotion pouring out—as it did in her life. These will appeal to all
who enjoy an uncorrupted taste of honey. Mother would have dedicated her poems
to the needy, the hurt, to all her loving friends, and to her family. For us
her love was boundless.”
Sunset
Soft
winds are singing their surging song,
Shimmering
waters reflect the trees
Where
faith is renewed and hopes belong,
And
love is wafted in buoyant breeze.
Mountains
tower on every side,
Vast
riches
Parade
this glen;
Green
verdure rises anew with pride,
Contentment
fills the souls of men.
The
sun is blinking his lazy eye
As
he nods “goodnight” to all,
Slipping
down over the mountainside,
A
glittering golden ball.
Oh,
resplendent burst of falling light,
Bless
us all as you leave!
Give
courage to man to live upright
In
the hush of the quiet eve.
Graham M. Schweig is
a scholar of comparative religion who focuses on the religions of India and
comparative theology. He is a specialist in love mysticism, yoga philosophy, bhakti traditions,
and sacred Sanskrit texts, which he has been immersed in -both as a student and yoga practitioner- for over forty years. He did his graduate studies at Harvard University
and the University of Chicago, receiving his doctorate in Comparative Religion
from Harvard. Schweig taught at Duke University, was Visiting Associate
Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Virginia, and is a regularly invited
lecturer at the Smithsonian Institution. He is currently professor of
philosophy and religious studies at Christopher Newport University, Virginia. Some of his books include, Dance of Divine Love: The Rāsa Līlā of Krishna from the Bhāgavata
Purāṇa, (Princeton University Press 2005), and Bhagavad Gītā: TheBeloved Lord’s Secret Love Song, (Harper Collins
Publishers 2007). Together with his partner, Catherine Ghosh, he founded The Secret Yoga Institute though which various workshops and RYT500 yoga teacher-trainings are offered. You may connect with him via e-mail: Graham@secretyoga.com
~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~
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