A Hanukkah Poem

‘Twas the month before Hanukkah
The leaves had been turning
Though it should have been cold
The weather was burning.1

Thanksgiving had passed
Black Friday came and went
We avoided buyer’s remorse
Despite the money we spent.

But the music had started
(A bit later, to be fair)
The onslaught of Christmas
Could be felt in the air. 

As the days continued passing2
The music would swell
My irritation would grow
With the chime of every bell.

I don’t mind Christmas music
And the decorations are pretty
But for a Jew in America
This time of year can be _______.3

You can’t take a step
Without seeing red and green
The same songs are always playing
And the Santa lines are obscene.

We went shopping at the mall
To buy clothes, gifts and such
But the crowds and the prices
Became a bit much.

It gets hard, here and there,
To remember the reasons
Why we put so much effort
Into celebrating the season.

But my wife, in her wisdom,
Pulled off a stunning trick
That’s made the holiday season
Feel slightly less thick.

She taught our son, E,
That the decorations he’s seen
The baubles, bunting and even
The nativity scenes,

Are for Hanukkah. In fact,
At all the pretty sights,
E squeals with excitement,
“Look! Hanukkah lights!”

Never mind that the colors
Are not usually blue and white;
It matters very little
Compared with his delight.

He loves our Jewish holiday
The candles, songs and food.
He’ll even sing the dreidel song
While bathing in the nude.

We’ll teach him about Christmas
When he’s grown a bit more.
The key for him, right now,
Is that he’s Jewish at his core.

And so it’s E’s reactions
That help me power through
I try to see the world around me
From E’s point of view.

Tonight we’ll light the first candles.
The flames will burn so bright.
And we’ll start our celebration of
The Festival of Lights.

Happy Holidays.

 

(Post-script:
It’s ironic, I suppose,
That E’s message is so strong.
Jesus referred to the mouths of babes;
Maybe he was right all along.)


1. Seriously, what was up with the weather this fall? It was still in the 70s in November and alternated between the 40s and the 60s around Thanksgiving. It was like Adam Sandler was talking about Mother Nature instead of Oprah (scroll to the bottom).

2. Unlike the Bears offense, by the way, which has continued to be awful despite having a quarterback with a power arm, three receivers over 6’3″ and a fantastic running back. I’ve officially begun rooting for losses so we can get a higher draft pick.

3. Uncomfortable.

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