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.