Sweet – a poem for Rosh Hashana

According to ancient words
we are like apples. Obviously sweet,
but also we show up before blossoms.

Rugged and bold, ready to usher in
a new year and the Fall.
Ready for change and newness.

After a whole year of the news that
the news brings, which often isn’t sweet
which has us lean into our sour palates.

Like any sensible eastern European
I’m a fan of salt and potatoes, but this
one time a year, let’s put them aside.

Take our challah for the biggest Shabbat
shape it like the comfort of our Earth.
Drop in raisins, which we can do

anytime, but we must do this time.
Make it chocolate chips if you
really want to please the crowd.

Take an apple which is already sweet
and dip it in honey which exacerbates the situation

and sends our dessert sensibility into the next world.

The one we’ll get to soon enough
when we learn to be as sweet
as the late apple blossoms.

When we remember the sugar on
our tongues months later when it is
the most difficult.

May our year be as sweet as the syrup
squeezed out of dates by the people
who wrote the ancient words.

May our blossoms
never fail to appear.

Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 28 books including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.”