Poem: Vayechi

This poem was originally posted on January 8, 2020.

I revel in the fake spoiler.
We can’t start a single episode
of any television show without
me turning to my wife and
telling her

This is the episode where
everyone dies.

So I hope I’m not giving
too much away when I tell you
this is the last you’ll see of
our first family.

Jacob, the final patriarch
dead and buried in the Holy Land.

Egyptians accompany Jacob’s burial party.

Can you imagine how quickly
war would end if we went

to the funerals of our enemies?
Joseph, the dream catcher
dead and not yet buried
in the Holy Land until his body’s
cameo in the next book.

And like any good ending
the fate of all the characters is revealed.

Judah will make leaders
Levi scholars
Issachar seafarers

Dan will grow olives.
Everybody has a part to play.
Even the step children are blessed.

A little bit of the magic leaves too.
Jacob wants to tell his sons
the secret of the end of days.
But at exactly that moment
the Divine Spark vacates the premises.
You can’t give away all the secrets
or no-one will watch the sequel.

This franchise has legs and
some things have yet to be written.

Be strong, be strong
and we will be strengthened.