HAPPY HAPPY HANUKKAH! My favorite Hanukkah story and I wrote it, enjoy! Outside winter lingers over our home in a blanket of snowy white, Clouds hang low, their bellies full, ominous puffs in flight. Perched before a window camouflaged in a web of lace made of ice, I sit, watching a frozen winter day close its eyes, bringing Hanukkah tonight! My legs curled underneath me, I gaze from my position, With nothing to do but dream of gifts, my quest and only mission. I can hear my mother cooking with the greatest of ambition, Singing to pots on the stove, contriving magic like a magician. Aroma of frying potato and onion, latkes waft a delicious emission, I decided to leave my window seat, to make an acquisition. Tell mom I am only previewing latkes, giving one them an audition, With growling stomach, I left to see what I could pilfer from the kitchen. In the hall I passed my brother as he ran he held out for me to see, A worn wooden dreidel, grinned... and dared to try to beat me! A Hanukkah game of lucky spins, my chances were fifty, fifty, giving up latkes, taking the challenge, I went to see where he could be. I found my brother his face drawn down as he stood before the TV, The weather broadcast a dreadful prediction, travel would not be easy. Dad would be stuck at work, We have to tell Mom, I whimpered sadly, There could be no Hanukkah now, not with a missing member of our family. Into the kitchen we traipsed to find Mom in an apron dusted with flour, In the oven brisket was roasting, becoming more tender by the hour. Mom looked at both of us and said, How can you two look so sour? We relayed the news to her, she smiled when we expected shed be dour. Heaving a heavy sigh Mom told us, Its been snowing in the city for hours, Dad had phoned with a requenst, not to let your Hanukkah be soured. Hanukkah will come tonight, just as buds in spring bring us flowers, Hanukkah is strength, courage, and tenacity, tonight good fortune showers! Then, she pointed to the table where latkes were stacked in a tower, Now both of you eat, I have work to do, as she went to the sink to scour. Hanukkah isnt coming! I cried out loud, Against a blizzard it has no power! Hungry no longer I only wanted to hide under covers and cower. Mom turned towards the both of us, soapy hands on her hips, what? Such sad faces on Hanukkah, I will not have any of this! A blizzard no one planned for, but Hanukkah we will not miss., Then she leaned over the both of us and gave each of our cheeks a kiss. Her voice became serious and quietly she said, I have something to remiss Hanukkah is a celebration of a miracle, a light shining in the abyss, If it were not for that first Hanukkah this holiday would not exist. Remember the first Hanukkah before it all became fun and bliss. Our people lived under the rule of an evil king and heinous empire, Forcing us to abandon our ways, our religion wed have to retire. We would have worshiped as they did, Pagan Gods wed have to acquire, How could we triumph, when we had not the means to fight, fire with fire. How would we preserve our race, who would save us from this naive? The Jewish nation did not lose faith, we did not give in, we prayed, God answered us with a conquering troop of men, righteous and brave, Judah and the Maccabees had made it, to Israel they had found their way, This rebellious army attacked again and again till our enemies left in waves. Finally the oppressed were free, but our temple was left in ruins that day. The desecrated temple was put back together and made clean and bright, A jug of oil was found for the menorah to bless the temple with light. The jug only held only a small amount of oil, enough for only one night, But lasted for eight, burning as strong as our faith, as strong as our fight. After our mother finished her soliloquy, I could feel my own faith rise within me. Tonight we would celebrate our peoples history, Honor the eight nights of the oils holy mystery. Great gusts of wind shook our house, the blizzard was on its way, Hanukkah would be here, along with a storm that meant to stay. Mom looked at the two of us and said, I have one more thing to say, I want no more sad faces and I am ordering you two to play! Mom went to the cupboard lifting out a small bag of Hanukkah gelt, Golden chocolate coins, not to be eaten... but to be dealt. We both skipped off to play, I was feeling less sorry for myself, My brother was ready to spin the dreidle, the game ready where he knelt. Spilling out a few golden coins between us I took a place and sat, My brother spun the dreidle, got hey, excited he said, Hows that! He took half the coins, then so did I, we were going tit-for-tat, Till the coins were gone and I had none, I frowned and said, Oh drat! Then he gave half is coins to me and gave me another big grin, Come on little sis, see what you can do, so I took another spin. The dreidle danced in a circle and then landed face up on shin, Two coins in the pot and just like that, a new game was about to begin. Outside ice pelted our roof as the storm kicked up a gear, Dusk was slipping into evening, Hanukkah was almost here! The clock on the mantle told us the hour was drawing near, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Hanukkah we both let out a cheer! We raced to find our mother it was time for us to light, The first candle of Hanukkah on Hanukkahs first night. Then through the window pane I saw the storm directly in my sight, I knew where to place the menorah, where it should be shining bright, At the window so dad could find us in the sea of white, Even in this blizzard he could make it home, he might! Our silver menorah sat polished and waiting with candles straight, I counted the Shamus at the center and then other eight. Mom was waiting too, as she sighed and said,Such is fate, One less here to welcome Hanukkah, and on our table one less plate. Then screams of angry wind surged from a direction I couldnt locate, Buffeting the frame of our house, now the blizzard was at our gate! Outside a great howling wind forced a mighty blow, A crack of a tree branch, a crunch as the oak met snow. Dont worry about that, Mother Nature is only putting on a show. Our mom retorted, as the lights went out all except for the glow, Of our menorah, lit before us, as Mom prayed in a voice sweet and low. Then we followed her out, the two of us skipping behind her in tow, Placing the menorah at our window, I said,Dad we miss you so! Dark night engaged blinding white, leaving no place for a moon, In the window flickered the only light, as we stood in a darkened room. The reflection of the burning flame lifted away all feelings of gloom, It was Hanukkah and I was sure my father would be on his way home soon. Mom started to sing, Oh Hanukkah then my voice joined the song, My brother took my hand and squeezed and then he too sang along. Suddenly! Two great spherical lights appeared that didnt belong! Two great rays beaming at the three of us, now what was wrong! Frozen to the floor we watched as our front lawn was set aglow, Two beacons of light illuminating through falling sheets of snow. Against the brilliant aurora flashed a lumbering moving shadow, On its way towards us over snow drifts, who is this Eskimo? We three exchanged a glance and in that instant we knew, That was no Eskimo at our door, it was too good to be true!, Jumping and clapping hands I yelled, I told you, I told you! Then my brother tore out of the room, to the front door he flew. In walked our father shaking off snow, scarf and gloves, Hanukkah has brought us a miracle, brought home the man we love. Winters worst did not keep him from us, although it gave him a shove, Was it the magic of this Hanukkah holiday, or was it help from above? All together in the darkness electric light put out by the storm, The story of how our fathers journey home began to take form. Marooned in a skyscraper apart from my family, oh how I mourned, I stationed myself in the lobby, feeling so pitifully forlorn. Then as I sat contemplating my fate I heard and could have sworn, From somewhere out on the street, someone was blasting a horn! Wondering if this noise was just for fun, or was it to worn, Id have to venture into artic weather so I got properly adorned. Swiftly, I left the lobby and onto the street to see what was wrong. Good for me the driver was only testing out his new foghorn, Good for me, I got to meet the very amiable, Mr. Hawthorn! Mr. Hawthorn owns a great behemoth of a truck, Tonight he was on his way to our town, as would be my luck. It was the first glimmer of hope I had since the storm had struck, Now on Hanukkah I am home, instead of being alone and stuck. As we came upon our street all the houses looked the same, Colors and shapes completely smothered, till I saw the flame. I knew our house from all the others, as I am sure of my own name, Stop here, this is it Mr. Hawthorn!, loudly I proclaimed, And thank you for getting me home in a storm most untame. We circled around the menorah, wed have to get flashlights quick, The flames were holding on to the last bit of the candles wick. Then from the kitchen came the buzz of the fridge, the clock started to tick, We all cheered, A miracle of light!, as my dad turned on the switch. In the darkest winter month, visits a holiday of delight, Hanukkah has come, the festival of lights. Even the fiercest winter wind with the sharpest, acute bite, Cannot delay Hanukkahs arrival, not with all of its might.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 03:08:56 +0000
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