Tattoos / Freedom

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Tattoos

She first held my hand the week we were told not to.
We were told not to, but it felt so right.
It felt so right, I could almost understand why God said no; no human should be allowed to experience this amount of joy and love from such a simple interaction.
Such a simple interaction, yet it’s got my heart racing and wanting more.
I’m wanting more, and
When she first kisses my cheek it rights wrongs I didn’t even know were happening.
What was happening was this:
I wanted to tattoo myself with this week’s parsha,
the chapter calling me and my love an “abomination”
I wanted to kiss her, in front of everyone,
in an act of defiance so loud
even God would not dare intervene

 

Freedom

They say that on Pesach,
you go through your own exodus.

You ask, and God helps you to get through it.

 

It’s been many years of asking,
of hurting myself,
longing to be freed.

 

I would question:

how can I ask, when there’s no feasible solution?
but this year
He answered.
The answer was not what I expected
because the answer was do it.
the it that was a constant thorn in my side
bloomed over Pesach-
turned into a rose I can’t let go of

My answer was to accept it
and being with her-
I have never felt more free

 


Photos credits: Rachel Turner 

Aliza Rhein is a 20 year old college student studying sociology and law. She grew up in an Orthodox Jewish community and loves spending time with her family on Shabbat.

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