You are now entering the Jewish Currents archive.
Channel Esther: Ahava
by Esther Cohen
I WAS AT A MEETING
about God Knows What
Peter working on
a trailer for his movie
Noah called to say
Chesray’s labor
had begun
she would come
to our apartment
with her doula
we were waiting waiting for life
to begin real person
arms, legs
and a heart
fluorescent lights
all exhausted
nervous then in awe
Could This Be What Life Is
could it be this simple
Ahava born at 6:45 am
she who brings love to the world
eight pound baby
and we stood there
knowing
what happened
as common as air
as common as breath
as common
as life
Esther Cohen’s books include God Is a Tree, poetry, and Book Doctor, a novel.
I’m Arielle Angel, editor-at-large of Jewish Currents. Before you go, there’s something I need to ask.
We’ve seen over and over how the mainstream media falters in telling stories on our beats—whether it’s antisemitism, Israel/Palestine in American politics, Jewish identity, or the American left. At Jewish Currents we’re committed to uncompromising analysis and longform reporting on these issues and more—stories you won’t find anywhere else. In a media landscape that obscures injustice and flattens discussion, we’re changing the conversation. But we need you.
If you believe in this work, please consider making a donation—or even better, a recurring one—to ensure that we are able to keep publishing stories like this one. We can’t do it without you.
