(Wendy Cabell, July 7, 2020, translation of the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God to Russia)
Cantillation
(upon viewing the Blachernae Icon of the Mother of God)
Today, a verse comes.
"Pain is. A cup too full."
Frozen, Storming. Like
that's all there is.
And it’s true.
Today, a verse thrums.
"Pain is a cup. Too full."
Debris, Churning.
Unraveled, could breathe.
And it's true.
Today, a verse hums.
"Pain is a cup too. Full."
Breathing, now. Waters stir.
How is it, He dwells here too.
And it's true.
*Cantillation marks are a sort of melodic overlay given to the text of Torah scrolls when they are chanted aloud. These marks also lend sentence structure...critical since ancient Hebrew is without vowels, capital letters or punctuation. Cantillation marks are seen as "flavors" giving taste to a text, pointing to the soul of the words. A sentance's structure hints at its deeper meanings. No wonder then the variations, the wide range of Bible commentaries. Some call it unity in diversity. Even opposites, in this view, aren't a horizontal opposition, but rather a vertical set of layers. Different levels of meaning for one whole.
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