"Rapture" [by Loren Goodman]

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December 26, 2020

"Rapture" [by Loren Goodman]

The Rabbi’s little son
Decked out in stripes
One leather strap
Over the edge
Of the black
Lacquer box wraps
The tefillin I
Have taken from my
Head as he is
Wrapped by the
Stripes on his shirt
As I watch
I am rapt
As the boy
As I unwrap
The left strap
From my arm
As the boy
Wraps the strap
Falls off as
He starts again
Wrapping one strap
Over the bulge
Of the next
As I watch
And think maybe
Maybe someday
I’ll be like him
I’ll be able to do this

Posted by The Best American Poetry on December 26, 2020 at 03:15 PM in Poems | Permalink

Comments

Terrific poem, Loren, and one that really speaks to me.

Posted by: David Lehman | December 27, 2020 at 10:52 AM

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"Lively and affectionate" Publishers Weekly

Radio

I left it
on when I
left the house
for the pleasure
of coming back
ten hours later
to the greatness
of Teddy Wilson
"After You've Gone"
on the piano
in the corner
of the bedroom
as I enter
in the dark

from New and Selected Poems by David Lehman