Hanukkah

Hanukkah: By Jonny Thiery

You are the baklava and the honey

the menorah and the candles

You are the Jew on the morning grass

and churning wheel of goat cheese.

You are the curl of hair beside my ear

and the funny glasses that I wear.

 

However, you are not the batch of unleavened bread

or the yamaka that sits atop my head

And you are certainly not the rabbi in the synagogue

There is just no way you are the rabbi in the synagogue.

 

It is possible that you are the shilling in my pocket

Maybe even the kippah in my bed,

but you are not even close to being the dreidel on my desk.

 

And a quick look in the mirror will show

that you are neither the accountant in the bank

nor the Yom Kippur or Lent.

 

It might interest you to know

speaking of the geography of the world

that Israel is now officially a country.

 

I also happen to be an acclaimed lawyer,

a man who celebrates Passover

and even takes time to observe Sabbath.

 

I am also self-centered and greedy

and your money, I will snatch it all up.

But don’t worry, I’m not the baklava and the honey.

You are still the baklava and the honey.

You will always the baklava and the honey.

Not to mention the menorah and- somehow- the candles.