To thread life with a single word

Once I traveled to the East of Eden, holding hands with John Steinbeck as I journeyed into a world that turned my life upside down.

I was 13 at the time. A vulnerable age for a girl. So many changes happened within and without me, all I needed (or didn't) was shattering the Earth beneath my feet with words. This book destroyed the innocent reality I was living in, but helped me build a better, stronger foundation that is keeping me stable ever since.

The novel holds all of life, with every extremities of good and evil, love and pain, hope and loss, and all nuances of relationships. Steinbeck taught me how to live, but most importantly he carved the word 'timshel' into my existence.

A Hebrew word that can't easily be translated, as every interpretation might give a slight difference in meaning. The best way to say it in English is probably this:

‘Thou mayest’

Timshel became a guiding lighthouse in my life. At one point, when it helped me reach the shore after the toughest storm of my life, it wasn't enough anymore to only carry it in my heart. I carved it permanently on my skin as well.

So I never forget

I always have a choice - timshel

A word, holding the Universe together

Like a thread of will and destiny

But in the end, the world is what I make of it.

Or rather, what I don't

But everything is up to me.

If this poem found a home in your heart, I would be grateful for a ❤️, a few words in the comments, or a small tip here or on Ko-fi. Every kindness helps me continue weaving stories and verses from the quiet corners of the woods.

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— Imola