Years ago when I was writing
my first novel, Mango Tango
living frugally on the money I earned from
answering phones at The Rochester Button Company
I was an Office Temp my friend Jean Boudin sitting on
the couch in my living room one day purple velvet
with some working springs Jean said I have
a job for you. I will hire you to be my relative
at a distant cousin’s shiva. I don’t like to go to these
things alone in fact I don’t like to go to them at all
but if I’m bringing my second cousin Esther we can
go out afterwards. What should I wear I asked Jean.
Anything she said. She being a person who wore
anything herself. We have to bring cookies I said.
I don’t remember the shiva or the relatives,
only that one woman asked how I was related
and I told her a story about
Great Aunt Tillie which satisfied her and made Jean
happy and afterwards Jean and I went out for a meal
and I asked if she thought anyone else would hire
me to be a shiva relative. No, she said. But maybe I’m wrong.
Depends where you get the cookies. Hungarian Bake Shop is good if it's still there.
I loved this poem. I had an Aunt Tillie too. :-)