A beer can, phone book, a grapefruit
and an Advent wreath
with four candles
in its nest of greens
Two weeks
Two lit
Third one's the Pink
a life three quarters spent?
Next weekend
Saturday-- The Sabbath
falls in Hanukkah
“Blessed art thou, Lord our God
King of the universe
who dost create lights of fire...”
I'll light that third-- the pink one
like a barbarian wise woman
who traveled too far along life's way
to find a Jewish baby, wrapped in rags
...or, was it the old guy that night
lying in the street
outside a New England bar
“Oh Christ! Ya gotta be kidding me!”
Nope, He was there alright
Wallowing in the freezing slush
amid his helpless drunken cries
No cell phones then
Scrapped my pizza plans
On foot alone
waving in frustration
in the passing headlights
a turquoise, wind-crazed scarecrow
_
“Someone's gotta stop?
Someone has to help us, don't they?”
_
Now there are two beer cans
a grapefruit, and a phone book
beside the advent wreath
Third candle lit and leaning out
for hope along the way
In memory of--
Louise McDermott, my daughter's godmother who gave us the Advent wreath.
and Joannie Handleman, my best buddy in music and crime who taught me her family's traditions and Yiddish expressions.