Pesach

 By Rabbi Pamela Frydman © 2009

 

I left the womb Barth home

With its endless staples and sweets for Pesach,

With friendship and conversation

Even more delicious than the tasty Pesach morsels,

 

To wander the streets of galut

With sights and sounds and smells of hametz

Being consumed under my very nose.

 

I traveled to my boy,

The consummate Pesach cook,

Who gladly deferred to mom tonight

As he and his roommates feasted on my

Simple meal of baked chicken, tsimmis and broccoli

While talking of academic accomplishments,

Plans for the future, summer,

And our foray at the end of chag to the land of hametz.

 

In the kitchen, we talked of earlier feasts,

Of matzo balls and chicken with duck sauce,

And stirred fried veggies and matzo meal latkes,

Prepared in this humble college abode

Between soccer and work

Basketball and BBB board meetings.

 

Later, before the TV with movie blaring,

They consumed matzo and grapes in that order

Like Eli and Micaela with Yish and Miriam,

Between turns at Nintendo and Wii,

Also features of this college abode.

 

The rituals prepare ror a new generation

Embracing the pasty leaven-less treats

That satisfy with the promise

That better days are coming as we count them.