by Carol Coven Grannick (Evanston, IL)
Something about the rugelach…
they bring her to mind
the word rolling out like pastry dough
spreading smooth and silky, caressed then cut
they bring her to mind
as part of the duet with Dad during nighttime travel
dark-lit stars, Yiddish lullabies in the language of then
the word rolling out like pastry dough
with tastes of comfort and warmth and now
tenderness of hugs still desired this long time later
spreading smooth and silky, caressed then cut
fondled, filled and curled with tenderness then baked
now infusing my mind with the delicate aroma of my mother’s memory.
Carol Coven Grannick is a poet and children’s author whose award-winning novel in verse, Reeni’s Turn, debuted in 2020. Her poetry for adults and children appears/is forthcoming in numerous print and online magazines, and she has received two Illinois Arts Council grants and a Ragdale Foundation Residency for her work.
The Jewish Writing Project 
I love this poem. It’s so tenderly beautiful. I love the feel of it especially “the language of then.” Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Jessica—I love that the feel of it for me seemed that way for you, too.