A Newborn Girl at Passover

This is for my sister, a somewhat belated birthday poem:


Consider one apricot in a basket of them.
It is very much like all the other apricots--
an individual already, skin and seed.

Now think of this day. One you will probably forget
The next breath you take, a long drink of air.
Holiday or not, it doesn't matter.

A child is born and doesn't know what day it is.
The particular joy in my heart she cannot imagine.
The taste of apricots is in store for her.

by Nan Cohen

Luriana Lurilee

Come out and climb the Garden path
Luriana, Lurilee.
The China rose is all abloom
And buzzing with the yellow bee.
We'll swing you on the cedar bough,
Luriana, Lurilee.

I wonder if it seems to you,
Luriana, Lurilee,
That all the lives we ever lived
And all the lives to be,
are full of trees and changing leaves,
Luriana, Lurilee.

How long it seems since you and I,
Luriana, Lurilee,
Roamed in the forest where our kind
Had just begun to be,
And laughed and chattered in the flowers,
Luriana, Lurilee.

How long since you and I went out,
Luriana,Lurilee,
To see the Kings go riding by
Over lawn and daisy lea,
With their palm leaves and cedar sheaves,
Luriana, Lurilee.

Swing, swing, swing on a bough,
Luriana, Lurilee,
Till you sleep in a humble heap
Or under a gloomy churchyard tree,
And then fly back to swing on a bough,
Luriana, Lurilee.

by Charles Elton


Its my birthday today.
I'm 26.
Time goes by so fast.

for Elliot on his birthday

Crossroads

The second half of my life will be black
to the white rind of the old and fading moon.
The second half of my life will be water
over the cracked floor of these desert years.
I will land on my feet this time,
knowing at least two languages and who
my friends are. I will dress for the
occasion, and my hair shall be
whatever color I please.
Everyone will go on celebrating the old
birthday, counting the years as usual,
but I will count myself new from this
inception, this imprint of my own desire.

The second half of my life will be swift,
past leaning fenceposts, a gravel shoulder,
asphalt tickets, the beckon of open road.
The second half of my life will be wide-eyed,
fingers shifting through fine sands,
arms loose at my sides, wandering feet.
There will be new dreams every night,
and the drapes will never be closed.
I will toss my string of keys into a deep
well and old letters into the grate.

The second half of my life will be ice
breaking up on the river, rain
soaking the fields, a hand
held out, a fire,
and smoke going
upward, always up.

by Joyce Sutphen

I believe a spoof on one of those newer Mastercard commercials could best sum up my feelings about Elliot's birthday....

Tinkertown ticket: $10.

Dart game: $3.

Mini donuts: $2.50.

Watching Paul get stuck at the top of a roller coaster: Priceless.

* * *

In other words, we had fun. And I think we surprised Elliot (possibly even more then he let on).

I worked at my 'grunt job' (hmmm, that term sounds more titilating then it really is) in the morning and then rushed about organizing people and cars. Eventually Colin, Jan, Paul, Greg, and myself were squished into my tiny VW Golf speeding along the highway to Tinkertown. We got there a little earlier then we were supposed to which gave us time to spray paint the sign: HAPPY B-DAY ELLIOT! it read in slime green paint.

We then attempted to attach balloons to the sign.

Well, Jan and Paul did.

There were around 8 balloons to begin with and by the time they were finished there were 2. I don't know how many times I heard Paul say to Jan, "I TOLD you we should have brought ALL of the balloons!" :P

Anyways, we set up on the highway with camera in tow. In no time at all (well, 30 minutes), Elliot and Melissa pulled up in their snazzy black car.

Just as I'd foretold Elliot was touched and amazed by our wonderful surprise.

In fact, the first thing he said was, "But I don't wanna go to Tinkertown!"

And so the coercion and the dragging began.

But after a few injections of mini-donuts, cotton candy, and ice cream as well as some bribes in the way of stuffed animals, he was well on his way to experiencing gleeful child-like fun.

Of course, the highlight of the afternoon was when Paul got stuck at the highest peak of Tinkertown's highest (in other words, not very high) roller coaster ride and the owner of Tinkertown had to climb up the track to dislodge Paul's car and push it into movement again.