No Party, a poem by Trisha Arlin
So anyway, God,
Here I am. Alone
On Hanukkah.
No party at shul,
No table covered in aluminum foil,
Adorned with menorahs
The families bring from home.
No cantor leading the blessing,
No tedious contest between latkes and hamantaschen
(Fried potatoes vs. dry prune pastry?
Don’t waste my time.)
Speaking of, no latkes in the social hall basement,
Or at the party at my neighbors’, no parties at all.
No presents, from anyone, why should there be?
I’m too old for getting presents
And there are no children to buy for.
So why bother lighting the menorah?
Who for, me?
All alone on a jewishly insignificant minor holiday?
Feh.
Fire hazard.
But in a year of lonely death and negligence,
In a year of right wing thugs and fascists,
In a year of proud racists and anti-semites,
I buy an electric hanukiah for the window.
It has small tasteful blue LED bulbs
That are hard to see before the fifth night,
Faint light in the winter darkness
But nevertheless
They proclaim,
A JEW LIVES HERE!
And I imagine all the Jews
All over the world,
Waiting for the sickness and the evil to pass,
Doing the same.
Amen.
Hag Urim Sameakh/Happy Festival of Lights!
-Rabbi Tamar
