For a week I've put it off
but now no more. The time has come
to scrape the wax from my menorah.
Layers of color perhaps might remind me
of something uplifting -
Instead it's just wax,
inconveniently dribbled.
The job goes slowly. Patience ebbs,
harvesting more aggravation
every time I wield my skewer.
This whole thing is too much trouble
for a job I'll soon undo
with messy drips of new-bought candles
bringing back the bygone nights,
menorah glinting, crowned with flame,
light eclipsing wax-scrape rage
I won't recall this tiresome chore
when festive candles blaze again
But I don't care, it's irksome now,
digging dross from candlesockets
dredging clean the magen david
thirty-six angles of painstaking detail
it's delicate work but it has its own rhythm
I do not realize at first
that I've stopped feeling quite so nettled
clearing out the long-cold wax
gold, red, blue, a blended violet
big chunks snapping cleanly off
I find the work has calmed me down
scrapings pile up to show me
all the progress I have made,
and flames that burned with joy last year
return to me their bright potential.
Dunk it now in steaming water -
tiny specks of parrafin
float upwards to the placid surface;
down below, the naked metal
gleams in readiness again
as if ablaze within the bucket.
I am ready now as well:
Bring on the latkes, dreydels, gelt -
let's light candles.
Flame is clean.
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For the saving rituals that hide in hard-to-reach places. Tonight - 12/1/10 - begins the octonoctal countdown, so I'm going to be thematic and lay this on you. Have a good holiday, whatever you celebrate, whenever you happen to read this.
There's another story hidden just below this narrative, and I think it's a good one.
What gentle, galloping lines!
Matt's right. So's JP. Me? I like it too.
Wonderful poem! You nailed the experience. Love the title! Perfect.
Yes, you absolutely nailed the experience. May all your latkes be crispy!
thanks so much, JP and Matt and James Lloyd and Bill and of course Gina - it is great to hear from you and especially to hear that this has resonated for you.
Oh, just lovely, Daniel. A wonderfully emotive piece that captures so much.
While packing for several months away from home, I had looked at my menorah, lucite, covered in colored candle drippings like yours, and said, pack it, and pack the lovely, thin, multi-colored candles, but I forgot, and where I am now living, the closest thing to Hannukah candles might just be tiny twisted birthday candles at the local Wal-Mart. Menorah does not resonate here as anything other than a foreign language, no matter how nice the Wal-Mart folks are!
Thank you for this. I feel the burning lights and all the inherent good, despite the hard work. The truth of being Jewish. ***
oh Cherise, I so appreciate these words. Thanks for filling in the candle-sockets.
I really like this, Daniel. I'm not as taken with poetry unless it's something like this that sings.
Mazel tov! Congratulations on creating this fine poem. *
Susan, Frank, good to hear from you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.