Mukoli

Two Poems

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Sukkah (a heart poem)

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בַּסֻּכֹּת תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים כׇּל־הָאֶזְרָח בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשְׁבוּ בַּסֻּכֹּת׃ 
You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths,
Leviticus, 23:42  

As I took a bite of pre-packaged fruit from a plastic fork  
You messaged me to let me know you were at home,  
too tired to drive to Chabad, the long, black suits so far away,  
too wary for words, for swaying in a Saturday morning Tallit,  

You wrote to me while we were at a swim team potluck,  
Your tender letters and succulent words, nefesh in motion,  
I took in quickly and savored, a sedentary tongue brought to life  
On my almost Kosher paper dish, dairy with no meat products,  

Words meant not for the sukkah, gleaming in the light breeze  
From the air conditioners and detailed instructions,  
Syllables in conversations like butterflies in the Negev,  
Seeing through the third and fourth fingers of cement walls,  

z’man simchateinu, your kiss under the stars and your fire in my eyes,      
Living in our treasured booth, watching tv and enjoying the kids,   
And I’m missing the lulav of your lips and your arms,   
The beating rhythms of your speech, ruach made whole  

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Blues Song: (To sing to a Delta Blues rhythm)

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הַ֥לְלוּיָ֨הּ | שִׁ֣ירוּ לַֽ֖יהֹוָה שִׁ֥יר חָדָ֑שׁ תְּ֜הִלָּת֗וֹ בִּקְהַ֥ל חֲסִידִֽים: 
Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord a new song;
His praise is in the congregation of the pious.
Psalm, 149:1 

Getting up this morning, I said my “Shema”  
Oooh getting up this morning, I said my “Shema,” 
“Shema Israel,” but I couldn’t get too far.  

Heard some people chanting, made my hair turn grey,  
Yeah I heard some people chanting, made my hair turn grey,  
“From the River to the Sea,” and I could only walk away …  

Standing at the mountain, felt these old bones fall,  
I was standing at the mountain, felt these old bones fall,  
So I got up, I finished with my praying, 
(and happy in the Lord I proclaimed) “Adonai Echad!”   

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