Chapter 3: Counting
For several months, the world was counting.
Its children were counting, too. Counting clouds passing in the sky, counting candies
stashed in a drawer, counting friends, trying not to forget their names.
The Jewish woman never stopped counting,
not since she first saw that she could bring forth life.
Today is the 6th day
of the 6th week,
tomorrow is the 7th week
of the 2nd month of
watching my husband alone
on the porch, wrapping teffilin
7 times around his arm
hours later, my daughter
traces 7 lines on his skin.
We are women used to counting.
Breathe in, out, 2, 3.
A baby was born at home
in the early morning,
after 7 days of confinement,
birds resting in the streets
with no cars to scatter them.
3 days later,
her husband cleaned dried blood
from under the bed.
The kallah circles her chatan
7 times before he gives her
the ring. Count 7 days
from Shabbos to Shabbos.
Count 7 days before immersion.
Count carefully.
We are women used to counting.
7 weeks of children
and parents together,
all day, learning to count, learning
the letters, counting
the letters in their names.
My son learned
to walk in a small circle
at the foot of the staircase,
my daughter knows not to touch anyone
or anything. Can I touch you, Ima?
We’re surprised by how quickly
the numbers pass, or in some cases,
how slowly.
For 40 days in the time of the great flood,
it seemed the world would end.
The water rose, then stopped,
one boat floating at the top,
light as air,
close to the moon,
alone.
The moon
governed our cycles
since the beginning of time,
every 28 or 29 days we celebrate
since before Moses climbed the mountain,
we were already counting.
We were always counting.
It takes 40 days for the soul to enter
the body in the womb.
But from when do you count
the first day?
Today is the 6th day
of the 6th week.
Tomorrow is the 7th week
of the 2nd month of
watching my husband alone
on the porch, wrapping teffilin
7 times around his arm.
Hours later, my daughter
traces 7 lines on his skin.
We are women used to counting.
Breathe in, out, 2, 3.
A baby was born at home
in the early morning,
after 7 days of confinement,
birds resting in the streets
with no cars to scatter them.
3 days later
her husband cleaned dried blood
from under the bed.
The kallah circles her chatan
7 times before he gives her the ring.
Count 7 days from Shabbos to Shabbos.
Count 7 days before immersion.
Count carefully.
We are women used to counting.
7 weeks of children
and parents together,
all day, learning to count, learning
the letters, counting
the letters in their names.
My son learned
to walk in a small circle
at the foot of the staircase,
my daughter knows not to touch anyone
