Tabernacles: all Jews rock Him,
lulavim and etrogim,
palms and citrons, willows, myrtles,
homes revealed like unshelled turtles,
roofed to let the stars shine through,
putting heaven in our view.
Seven autumn days of Sukkos
sukkah seats beneath our tukhes—
labeling the feast Sukkot,
if you are Sephardiglot—
plus Shemini, called Atseres,
airhead Jews upon their terrace
outscore friends who in their dwelling
aren’t the sukkah roses smelling.
Tennis court, and sauna, pool,
aren’t what frum Jews think quite cool.
In that fixing-up debacle,
Jews stargaze the Tabernacle!
It’s the best way to enhance
homes, because we find romance
under palms where we discuss
Moses and the exodus,
and the “Clouds of Glory” cover
God gave Israel, called His lover,
for the festival of seven
days when wilderness was heaven.
Gershon Hepner is a poet who has written over 25,000 poems on subjects ranging from music to literature, politics to Torah. He grew up in England and moved to Los Angeles in 1976. Using his varied interests and experiences, he has authored dozens of papers in medical and academic journals, and authored “Legal Friction: Law, Narrative, and Identity Politics in Biblical Israel.” He can be reached at gershonhepner@gmail.com.
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