Best Chanukah Poems
‘Twas the night before Christmas and I didn’t care;
I had dozens of latkes I had to prepare.
The menorah was ready, with candles to light,
Waiting there by the window, a wonderful sight.
The presents were wrapped and I lined up the dreidels;
The soup was a’bubble, with floating knaidels.
The applesauce waited to chill in the fridge
In a Chanukah bowl. (Yes, I tasted a smidge.)
The cookies were baked like my grandmother taught,
(So much better than any that anyone bought)
Shaped like candles and dreidels and six-sided stars;
There were plenty to fill cookie platters and jars.
When I suddenly sensed there was something the matter.
I raced to the kitchen – the oil was a’splatter!
For while I was fixing the festive display,
I should have been frying (not quite my forte).
The first batch of latkes was burnt to a crisp
And smoke filled the kitchen (much more than a wisp),
But tying my apron for take number two,
I ditched all the burnt ones and knew what to do.
I lowered the flame and reheated some oil,
Plopping spoonfuls of batter I wouldn’t let spoil.
Then I conjured my childhood and Chanukahs past,
When I had no idea years would fly by so fast.
And I pictured my nana and grandma, as well
As my parents, my grandfathers and Aunt Sydelle
And my brothers and sister and cousins galore
And my uncles and aunts I’ve not mentioned before.
While my latkes were frying, so crispy and gold,
I remembered how Chanukah used to unfold,
When we played with our dreidels and gathered our gelt,
In our family’s embrace and the love we all felt.
So I cooked the new latkes with patience and care,
Knowing that with my kids and my grandkids I’d share
All the pent-up emotions I’ve hidden inside
With a platter of latkes, now perfectly fried.
And to all who will celebrate Chanukah time,
I do hope there’s a lesson for you in this rhyme –
For the very-best feelings our childhoods instill,
Through traditions, our hearts and our bellies will fill.
December 7, 2022
Never had a Christmas tree
or some mistletoe
No wreath of holly on my door
just a mezuzah there, you know
No stockings stuffed with candy canes
or Christmas decorations
Never sang a hymn to Jesus
Torah's my inspiration
Yet just as Christians can appreciate
the flames of Chanukah lights
So too can a Jew like me
sense magic Christmas night
Travels make the mind wise
Wise enough to know
Everywhere you go is change
That comes either fast or slow
The Sun can be an enemy
Or the sun can be a friend
Weather it is in the desert
Or in the cold and wind
The rain goes where it needs
And sometimes strays too long
Watering vegetation, flooding
Thousands of homes
The rain can be an enemy
The rain can be a friend
We cannot make it’s limits
But we can try to defend
Time is sometimes limited
And sometime time is free
But when it comes to Revelation
We don’t know when it will be
Remember time can be your enemy
Or time can be your friend
Don’t play with time and you’ll find
Time will let you be
Wine is always available
But rarely is it free
Wine can change your feeling
And wine can give you sleep
But wine can be an enemy or
Wine can be your friend
Wine can destroy in seconds
And bring a trial to an end
Love can often find us
And makes slaves of the free
Love can also bind us
To the strongest tree
Love can be an enemy
or love can be a friend
The Love of Christ it finds us
and makes us all believe
War can bring us freedom
War can bring us sin
War can make us hero’s
And traitors deep with in
War can be an enemy
War can be a friend
War can bring us liberty
And cripple us while we live
Religion gives us reason
To fight the horrors of sin
We cannot love our brothers
without a god within
But religions can be our enemy
Or religion can be our friend
The cause of war and prejudice
And where hopes and prayers begin
God can give us assurance
That this is not the end
There will always be a something
And on that you can depend
But God can be an enemy
Or God can be a friend
To choose between Heaven or Hell
You have to listen to Him
The winter season brings in
the festival of light
in its wake
The battle which took place over a millennium ago
Still echoes in Jewish hearts
all around our blue orb
Shining eyes will watch
candles glow
Potato latkes will be
devoured
as soon as they leave the frying pan
As driedels spin
the commemoration begins
The struggle of brothers long ago
Brings light into the blanket of snow
Not all about a fancy tree
or menorah made of gold
Though holidays be times of joy
there's a story to be told
Maccabees fought the mighty Greeks
to uphold Israel's proud tradition
Christians fete the Savior's birth
Prince of Peace and their religion
And with each story lessons to be learned
without regard to fame or fortunes earned
Instead they teach that God's made happy
when the poor and lonely are not spurned
Identity
What a strange word
It exists for those with longings
for the mystical past.
The world has many cultures
it is easy to get lost
in the wilderness called identity
without, one is a cloud in the sky
varies according to the weather.
Wouldn`t that be wonderful
to belong to no one but oneself.
Eight days and nights of Chanukah
is a little much for me
I've gotten to that 'golden age'
where it's really hard to be
Happy, happy, happy
morning, noon and night
I'd just like to go to sleep
once I light the lights
The lights shine brightly
And our souls are touched by this
Peace to all of you
Lights shining in
the night celebrate
the re - birth
of
the
spirit
Lights open the door
to the heart's deepest wishes
Only celebrated by
a very small percentage
of the world
But it continues to bring glory
to those who let it into their hearts
I broke my ties at seventeen,trying to find myself a life:
Sold my bike for sixty-five dollars,bought a ticket for a ride.
I was headed out to Oregon,on that crisp and frosty day.
I was living free..... I'm on my way!
We hit weather back in Idaho,the roads were iced and slick,
As we drove into a mountain pass,the snow was three feet thick:
the wind kept blowing us back and forth, the bus began to sway,
It's a long way down......I'm on my way!
The day God sent His angles,to carry me away:
to place my feet on firmer ground,to keep my body safe:
the day God sent His angles,to carry me away:
and to keep me safe....I'm on my way
As the wind would push against us,the bus would slide away,
closer to that mountain Clift,I clasped my hands to pray!
We were all about to lose our lives,we couldn't run away:
and I felt at peace....I'm on my way!
The day God sent His angels,to carry me away:
To place my feet on firmer ground,to keep my body safe:
the day God sent His angels,to show me the way,
And He's kept me safe....Along the way,
Cutting through the consciousness
of the U.S.A.
Children of Chuck Berry and Elvis
Girls gyrating wildly in the corners of the space
While the odor of beer
fills the room
My ears are full of sound
And I jump up and down
Glad I came to this place!
The noise drowns my sorrow
So who cares about tomorrow?
This poem was inspired by Chuck Berry's song "Hail. Hail Rock and Roll"
Wasn't that the name of a rock band?
Or perhaps something from Star Trek?
The world was not created in 7 days
However, after Adam and Eve ate the deadly
apple the world changed
The metaphor is excellent - The Bible is a poetry book
The light from the past still has relevance
Even if we are now in the computer age
The old verities still have power
The world exists
So do we
You can scoff at existence
Find it a kind of cosmic joke
But it has been said before
Readers - This is not our fate
At night life goes beyond limits
Shameful and fearless evaporates
Boys and girls tiptoe out of their abode to peculiar places
Blankets dances all the night
Even the gloomy is hailed with glamorous compliments
The sinner has a prerogative to sin
The dark hides us from the views
Only two witnesses are present
The moon and the stars
I've always loved predicting
Which will be the last to die.
I'm rarely right but still each night
I study them and try.
They start out on an equal plane
But who knows why they change.
Like human life spans, variance
Will always seem so strange.
So as the end draws near, I watch
To see which burns down last.
Just one more night and then another
Chanukah has passed.
On the first day of Chanukah
my true love sent to me
A Zionist in a pear tree
On the second of Chanukah
y true love sent to me
Two free- marketers
and a Zionist in a pear - tree
On the third day of Chanukah
my true love sent to me
Three democratic socialists
Two free - marketers
and a Zionist in a pear tree
On the fourth day of Chanukah
my true love sent to me
Four moderate democrats
Three Democratic Socialist
Two free - marketers
And a Zionist in a pear tree
On the fifth day of Chanukah
my true love sent to me
five Republican operatives
Four moderate democrats
Three Democratic Socialist
Two Free Marketers
And a Zionist in a pear tree
On the sixth day of Chanukah
My true love sent to me
Six ultra - liberals
Five Republican operatives
Four moderate Democrats
Three Democratic Socialist
Two free-marketers
And a Zionist in a pear tree
On the seventh day of Chanukah
My true love sent to me
7 Independents
6 ultra -liberals
Five Republican operatives
Four moderate Democrats
Three Democratic Socialist
Two free marketers
And a Zionist in a pear tree
On the eighth day of
My true love sent to me
8 Free Thinkers
7 Independents
6 Ultra Liberals
Five Republican operatives
Four Moderate Democrats
Two free marketers
And a Zionist in a pear tree