Sometimes we went
to St. John the Divine
because belief is more elusive
than one idea or other.
Hard not to believe
in lights, stars and trees.
and in very good people
who want to help
this world. Some people say
holidays aren’t for us all
but I have always thought
we should celebrate whent we can.
My first apartment
was on P Street
in Washington, D.C.
Next door neighbor an older
man from China named Henry Chu.
If I were to call him wise
it would be an unfortunate cliche
but Henry Chu was wise
one Christmas he said: Maybe
we are not appropriate for this celebration
but why not? Henry and I
and some people from across the street
all went out for Chinese food.
None of them even knowing that
Chinese food on Christmas
was my own particular heritage.
In the end
this was good for us all.
I used to stop at St. Thomas Fifth Avenue for wonderful music anytime and all the time, but at Temple Emanu-el to clear my head.