Can a candle pierce darkness? Can it thaw a broken heart?
I rub my hands together like a match. This Hanukkah will be different.
I am not a Maccabee, but I am among their ranks. To advertise light: how fanatical, how fantastical.
The hills of Judea howl with anger. My heart burns like the end of a match.
I am not warm yet but I am not cold, either. I realize I’ve been writing in tears.
Stand over me like a Shamash.
Bend your arms around me like a flame.
Tell me even amidst all this darkness we will find light.
As I count out the holes, I realize there are too many candles missing to fill a menorah.
3 Responses
Thank you wonderful Rabbi Alex
Thank you for this remarkable, prayerful, timely poem. May you go from strength to strength.
In a lighter vein, I noticed a typo that Spell Check would not find because it is not human. However, in the last line, the version above says” candies” when I trust that you meant “candles.” 🙃
We are the light in the darkness. Even if the darkness seems great, one light, even a flicker can bring hope. Never let what’s going on dim your light.