Abraham, Abraham, and me
In honor of both Abrahams, I’m wishing for more unity, love, and healing for and between all peoples. Plus I'm sharing an old poem I've given new life to.
In January, inspired by my One Word for 2024, which is Author, I spent an hour each day writing … okay I’m ready to use the word … my book of poetry about Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar.
Now that January is in the rearview mirror, I’m taking the next step: This month I’m compiling all the poems I’ve written for The Life of H: Sarah, Reimagined, into one document.
This is turning out to be a big project: Each time I think I’ve found all of them, I find another little bundle of poems I’d nearly forgotten about tucked away in some corner of my computer files. It seems I’ve written more than 100 pages of poetry on this topic! Which is somewhere between obsessive and impressive, I think.
So I have my work cut out for me this month, too!
Speaking of February, this also happens to be my birthday month, and Abraham’s. Abraham Lincoln’s that is.
I have no idea on what day Sarah’s Abraham was born (and I’m quite sure they wouldn’t know either, as birthdays weren’t a thing in the Ancient Near East).
But we do know some things about Abraham’s origin story.1 . Here are some of them:
The Bible traces Abraham’s lineage back to Noah.
Abraham was born in about 1813 BCE.
We don’t have a birthday for him but he was born either in the Hebrew month of Nisan (around March/April) or Tishrei (around September/October), depending on which account you favor.
He was born in a city outside of Ur (in the southern part of modern-day Iraq) to his mother, Aathla’a, and his father, Terah, a priest who made ritual statues (teraphim or idols).
Astrologers at the time predicted that he’d be a powerful person. This threatened the king and prompted Abraham’s mother to hide with him in a cave to protect him from harm — or worse.
But none of that is what Abraham is most known for. He is credited with being the father of monotheism, and for being the father of all nations — and the three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
It is that plurality and the other Abraham’s (the one whose birthday I share) attempt to unite a divided nation, that I wish to celebrate today.
Listen to this Week’s Poem: ‘What Hagar Knows’
This week’s poem is one that I rediscovered in an overlooked file this month. It was drafted in the early stages of my investigation into writing The Life of H, back in the late 1990s! I’ve revised it a bit to share with you now as we celebrate two Abrahams who were each leaders, and who navigated difficult territory.
In this week’s poem, Hagar narrates the climactic chapter in Abraham’s life, when he is asked to offer his son up as a sacrifice to God.
Before you hit play, note that this poem references child sacrifice; a challenging subject. Please make your decision about if and when to listen accordingly.
“What Hagar Knows,” ©️Copyright Tzivia Gover, Third House Moon, LLC, all rights reserved.
Your turn
Writing poetry about the Akedah and other moments in Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar’s story has unlocked deep wisdom from the Bible, while also helping me write about and heal some of the most difficult challenges I’ve had to face.
If you’d like to learn more and write with me, join one of these online opportunities:
Holding Each Other
Drop in for 30-minutes of Creativity and Comfort through Poetry, Feb. 15 @ 12:00 pm-12:30 pm EST. FREE
In this challenging period, Ritualwell (Reconstructing Judaism) brings us together to lift each other up with prayer, song, and creativity. Each week a different poet/liturgist leads the group with an expressive prompt. This week it’s my turn to lead with poetry! Bring a pen and paper and join us in this comforting space.
👩🏻💻 Are you curious about how to use poetic forms to reimagine Sarah’s story (or that of any of the biblical Matriarchs)?
📝 Want to learn a new poetic form, just for the fun of it?
🙋🏻♀️ Join me and find your place in the ancient texts.
In this upcoming workshop, I’ll share some of the poetic forms and techniques I’ve been using to unearth the feminine wisdom in Genesis. Everyone is welcome, no matter your faith tradition, experience with poetry, or knowledge of Sarah’s story.
In this 4-week course, we will learn how reclaiming the stories of Sarah and the Hebrew matriarchs through poetic writing can empower us to know ourselves more fully—and access the gifts of wisdom, healing, and joy that are our universal birthright.
For more on celebrating Abraham Lincoln and leaders who dream, read this post:
I’m dreaming with you,
I am using the word “know” loosely here. There is no archeological or historical evidence that Abraham actually lived. But he lives on in legend, so the story is real in that sense.