One Last Tefillin Post

The Union for Reform Judaism's great "The Torah: A Women's Commentary" features a great poem about Tefillin in the section for this week's Torah portion, Parashat Bo.  The poem is written by Rabbi Elizabeth Tikvah Sarah, a Bristish Liberal rabbi.  The Commentary uses this poem as a comment on Exodus 13:9, 16.

Here is the poem:

Meditation for Tefillin

I cannot                                                                                                                       
bind myself                  
to You                       
I can only                    
unbind myself              
continually and            
free                             
Your spirit                 
within me   

So why
this tender-cruel
parody of
bondage
black
leather
straps
skin
gut and
sacred litany of
power and
submission
which binds us
Your slave-people
still?

My own answer is
wound around
with every
taut
binding and
unbinding
blood rushing
heart pounding
life-force surging
              pushing
              panting
              straining
              struggling to
              break through
              to You