Hanukkah Poems: Light the Candle !
Posted: December 20, 2011 Filed under: English | Tags: Hanukkah poems Comments Off on Hanukkah Poems: Light the Candle !
Mark Strand (born 1934)
“The Coming of Light”
Even this late it happens:
the coming of love, the coming of light.
You wake and the candles are lit as if by themselves,
stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows,
sending up warm bouquets of air.
Even this late the bones of the body shine
and tomorrow’s dust flares into breath.
_____
Aileen Fisher (1906-2002)
“Light the Festive Candles”
Light the first of eight tonight—
the farthest candle to the right.
Light the first and second, too,
when tomorrow’s day is through.
Then light three, and then light four—
every dusk one candle more
Till all eight burn bright and high,
honouring a day gone by
When the Temple was restored,
rescued from the Syrian lord,
And an eight-day feast proclaimed—
The Festival of Lights—well named
To celebrate the joyous day
when we regained the right to pray
to our own God in our own way.
_____
Zócalo Poets 