by Rich Orloff (New York, NY)
I was raised in a middle-class home
In a middle-class neighborhood
Safe and secure
But raised with the fear
That the Cossacks might be standing outside our door
Ready to rape and kill everyone inside
This was never spoken aloud, of course
It was planted wordlessly
My parents never intended to give me this gift
It was simply how they approached life
My mother, born in Belarus
Trained as a little girl where to hide in their little house
If and when the Cossacks came
Her family left in the middle of the night
Telling nobody
Erasing themselves from the world they lived in
My father, born in Chicago
The son of immigrants
A mother from Poland who never learned to read or write
Or show warmth
A father from Ukraine whose only advice to his son was
Never show fear
As you’ve probably guessed
The Cossacks never stood outside our door
But they had already successfully invaded
The souls of my parents
I learned how to protect myself
And have been prepared for annihilation ever since
I share this with you
Not so you will pity me
But so you know who I am
And if, when we meet
I treat you like you may be a Cossack in disguise
I apologize for not seeing who you are
Rich Orloff writes both poems and plays. His poems have been published in The Poet, Fragments (published by T’ruah), and Fresh Words magazines, and they’ve been presented at churches and synagogues, performed in theaters and schools, read at meditation and yoga groups, and spoken at events both lofty and intimate. Rich’s plays include the Purim-themed musical comedy Esther in the Spotlight (performed so far in New York, Miami, Toronto and Tel Aviv), the comedic revue OY! (over 50 productions in the United States – and one in Bulgaria), and many more, of all lengths, styles and subjects. Rich’s plays have had over two thousand performances on six continents – and a staged reading in Antarctica. More at www.richorloff.com.
The Jewish Writing Project 