After Shul
Before Rosh HaShana, a friend said, "tell me a trait of mine you think I should work on." So, of course, I made her tell me one of mine. So she said, "well, you're a bit of a perfectionist." And I silently added, "to the point where I won't do something because if it's not perfect, it's not worth showing."
Well, while walking home from shul last night, I was thinking a poem. I wrote it down tonight and it's not that great. But I thought it might be a healthy exercise to do something I'd never do--like post a silly poem that I kinda take more seriously than I should. So there. Here it is. And that's that.
The streetlights shine golden on the wet, dark streets
and me and my mother
we stroll home from Shul on this Yom Kippur night
both freezing
left
right
left
right
and the streetlights shine golden on the wet, dark streets
and the misty rain feels cold on my face
I think about the davening I’m coming home from
and I think about the rain that
hasn’t stopped since last Friday
left
right
left
and the streetlights shine golden on the wet, dark streets
and me and my mother
we try not to slip
on the wet,
dark
streets
as we stroll home from shul
on this Yom Kippur night
left
right
and the streetlights shine golden on the wet, dark streets
and my shoulders hurt from hunching them
to keep the hood in place
of my camel-hair coat
that’s getting soaked in the misty rain
that’s hitting my face
and wetting the streets
that haven’t been dry
since before last Friday
but that’s okay, because under the streetlights,
on this cold,
terribly cold,
Yom Kippur night,
they look golden.
left
And how many times
have I walked down this street?
and how many times
have I walked down this street
on a Yom Kippur night
when it was freezing
or raining
without minding it?
because on Yom Kippur night
there’s a feeling you feel
that I’d try to describe,
but I can’t.
so instead
I’ll just tell you
that the streetlights shone golden on the wet, dark streets
and my mind took that in.
***
Shul: synagogue
davening: prayer
(a little contextual note: we were walking in the rain because we can't drive on the Sabbath and Yom Kippur is The Sabbath of Sabbaths.)
Well, while walking home from shul last night, I was thinking a poem. I wrote it down tonight and it's not that great. But I thought it might be a healthy exercise to do something I'd never do--like post a silly poem that I kinda take more seriously than I should. So there. Here it is. And that's that.
The streetlights shine golden on the wet, dark streets
and me and my mother
we stroll home from Shul on this Yom Kippur night
both freezing
left
right
left
right
and the streetlights shine golden on the wet, dark streets
and the misty rain feels cold on my face
I think about the davening I’m coming home from
and I think about the rain that
hasn’t stopped since last Friday
left
right
left
and the streetlights shine golden on the wet, dark streets
and me and my mother
we try not to slip
on the wet,
dark
streets
as we stroll home from shul
on this Yom Kippur night
left
right
and the streetlights shine golden on the wet, dark streets
and my shoulders hurt from hunching them
to keep the hood in place
of my camel-hair coat
that’s getting soaked in the misty rain
that’s hitting my face
and wetting the streets
that haven’t been dry
since before last Friday
but that’s okay, because under the streetlights,
on this cold,
terribly cold,
Yom Kippur night,
they look golden.
left
And how many times
have I walked down this street?
and how many times
have I walked down this street
on a Yom Kippur night
when it was freezing
or raining
without minding it?
because on Yom Kippur night
there’s a feeling you feel
that I’d try to describe,
but I can’t.
so instead
I’ll just tell you
that the streetlights shone golden on the wet, dark streets
and my mind took that in.
***
Shul: synagogue
davening: prayer
(a little contextual note: we were walking in the rain because we can't drive on the Sabbath and Yom Kippur is The Sabbath of Sabbaths.)
posted by BrownsvilleGirl at 4:02 AM
sabbath of sabbaths? did you get that from Bush's speech?
ive never poetry that jewish before...search my blog for salsa. it might make u laugh
so im not gonna lie - im not the biggest fan of poetry in general but i feel like with poetry all that matters is that it means something to you and you are passionate about it. and i like that i inspired something- i wish i could say that u made me less racist and anti semitic- but that would be a lie right there!
HAHA! Well, I didn't think Shabbat Shabbatot will do, Aaron. :)
silly poem?
this is hakol material.
you never mentioned you write poems. I am expecting one or two for the next issue.
Lurved that choppy feeling of your words! Neither am I a poetry fan, but this piece was fun!
Happy New Year!