Today, When I Could do Nothing

Share it
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Today, when I could do nothing,
I saved an ant.
It must have come in with the morning paper,
still being delivered
to those who shelter in place.
A morning paper is still an essential service.
I am not an essential service.
I have coffee and books,
time,
a garden,
silence enough to fill cisterns.
It must have first walked
the morning paper, as if loosened ink
taking the shape of an ant.

Then across the laptop computer — warm —
then onto the back of a cushion.
Small black ant, alone,
crossing a navy cushion,
moving steadily because that is what it could do.
Set outside in the sun,
it could not have found again its nest.
What then did I save?

It did not move as if it was frightened, even while walking my hand,
which moved it through swiftness and air.
Ant, alone, without companions,
whose ant-heart I could not fathom—
how is your life, I wanted to ask. I lifted it, took it outside.
This first day when I could do nothing, contribute nothing,
beyond staying distant from my own kind, I did this.

– Jane Hirshfield

Sign up for eternal bliss and inner peace. (JK, but we will send you fabulous emails once in awhile.)

Woohoo, thanks for signing up!

Stay tuned for occasional emails about all things Jewish.

Your saved faves, all in one convenient place!

Why make an account and save your favorite JewBelong stuff? Because someday Jack is going to get off his ass and pop the question and you’re going to get to plan that wedding you've been thinking about since third grade.

sign up

or

log in

Every time someone signs up for our emails a Jewish angel gets its wings! Subscribe here.

Congratulations! You're in.

Hey, can you watch the phones on Friday? We have a thing.

Congratulations! You're in.

Hey, can you watch the phones on Friday? We have a thing.

email
Remembered your password? Log In

Log In

It makes us happy to know that you’re back. Have a great day!


Don't have an account? Sign up
Forgot your details? Reset password

Why make an account?

Because why use any of your precious brain cells to remember where you kept those great readings that you’ll use someday at Jeffrey’s B Mitzvah? Make an account, keep the readings there. Easy peasy. The only thing you’ll need to remember is your password, and from personal experience that’s hard enough.


Already have an account? Log In

Congratulations! You're in.

Hey, can you watch the phones on Friday? We have a thing.

got it