tis the season poem #6
advent and hanukkah are now here
a story: a student lived at my house
a while back I found him rummaging in
the attic among his stuff stored there
what are you looking for? my menorah
I told my mom I’d use it I can’t find it
we both searched gave up returned
to the kitchen I found a long fat sweet
potato in the bin will this do? with his
swiss army knife andy bored a row of
nine holes inserted nine candles – for
the next three years we celebrated
hanukkah with sweet potato menorahs
later when andy married my wedding
present was a ceramic yam menorah
fashioned for me by a local potter I
trust it’s in use right now in sunny new
zealand where andy teaches – I’ll ask
©2018 Jacqueline Jackson
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2018.
