First Snow Of The Year Poem by Charles Chaim Wax

elated rapture at last mine
pranced into the Teacher’s Center
at Spinoza high school
sat next to Morris Klein
“What’ll the Almighty do next, ” I blurted out
referring in my mind
to the wonder falling from heaven.
‘Don’t ask, ” sighed Klein,
his voice thin weary
didn’t like the sound
not now
not the mood I wanted.
“Millie’s daughter, Nellie,
got brain cancer
fighting for her life
Millie calls
then cries the whole time
she’s on the line
can’t take it anymore
can’t take it
just...
know it’s a terrible thing
but can’t listen to her
cry
anymore.”
stared at Morris Klein
Millie his childhood friend
from the Bronx
52 years
said not a word
had no words to say
“And Nellie
with a five month old baby
darling Fannie
and whenever Millie visits her
can’t take it
her daughter in bed
no hair
head blown up like a balloon
from the chemo
four holes drilled through the skull
into the bone to get at her brain
to kill the cancer with chemicals.”
stood up
patted Morris on his quivering shoulder
then headed for Flatbush Avenue
snow still descending
on the humans
suddenly a shiver along my spine
thought I saw
Irving Mandelbaum
my teacher of Hebrew
at CCNY forty years ago
couldn’t be
eighty at the time dead for sure
but what he said in class
remembering his father’s death
in Tel Aviv
heard the words
“Everyone walked
the sunny streets
my dear father
rotting in the coffin.”
Rotting his word
“Only life...”
filtered through
the drifting ice-crystals
raced inside to Morris
mumbling
“Only life...
only life...”
lifted his head eyes red
a faint smile
sliding across wet lips
“I know...I know
but her voice...”
a pause
then silence.