Passover, 2023
Perhaps the horseradish
was partly to blame,
flavored hot instead of our usual mild,
extra spice around the table.
Or maybe
it was the exodus story, itself,
a promise of freedom,
I will bring you out…
from darkness to light.
Whatever the reason,
sometime between singing Dayenu
and eating the meal,
both twins,
still months away from turning seventeen,
felt it was appropriate to announce
that they are identifying as gay.
The Haggadah
has no script for this,
although it does emphasize
multiple times
that many have suffered
under burdens of malice and ignorance
and tells us Elijah the Prophet
will turn the hearts of the parents
to the children,
and so,
after this revelation,
after a few questions and answers,
we simply returned to the story,
took turns reading the narrative,
ate matzoh, charoset, and bitter herbs,
reminded, once again,
that we will continue to support
all who are not free,
that we have an obligation
always
to be messengers of justice
and tolerance.
(Originally published in Carquinez Review, June,2024)
At the Mirror
I need to put my face on,
my mother would say,
as if she didn’t have one already,
as if her head were a blank slate,
a perfectly formed oval of marble,
ready for a sculptor
to add eyes, a nose, mouth,
as she applied liquid foundation,
penciled in her eyebrows,
curled her lashes, applied mascara,
lined her lips, filled them in
with Revlon’s Fire and Ice,
and I watched her in the mirror,
thinking all this wasn’t necessary,
thinking she was beautiful
without any of it.
A retired language arts teacher, Nancy Haskett’s work has been seen in more than 40 publications, including Homestead Review, Iodine Press, Miller’s Pond, Monterey Poetry Review, Pen Woman magazine, Penumbra, Choeofpleirn Press, Wild Roof Journal, and many others. Beginning in Fall, 2025, she will be serving as the Poetry Editor for the National League of American Penwomen. Nancy enjoys reading, traveling, walking/hiking, and spending time with her family. A collection of her poetry, Shadows and Reflections, is available to purchase on Amazon.
Perhaps the horseradish
was partly to blame,
flavored hot instead of our usual mild,
extra spice around the table.
Or maybe
it was the exodus story, itself,
a promise of freedom,
I will bring you out…
from darkness to light.
Whatever the reason,
sometime between singing Dayenu
and eating the meal,
both twins,
still months away from turning seventeen,
felt it was appropriate to announce
that they are identifying as gay.
The Haggadah
has no script for this,
although it does emphasize
multiple times
that many have suffered
under burdens of malice and ignorance
and tells us Elijah the Prophet
will turn the hearts of the parents
to the children,
and so,
after this revelation,
after a few questions and answers,
we simply returned to the story,
took turns reading the narrative,
ate matzoh, charoset, and bitter herbs,
reminded, once again,
that we will continue to support
all who are not free,
that we have an obligation
always
to be messengers of justice
and tolerance.
(Originally published in Carquinez Review, June,2024)
At the Mirror
I need to put my face on,
my mother would say,
as if she didn’t have one already,
as if her head were a blank slate,
a perfectly formed oval of marble,
ready for a sculptor
to add eyes, a nose, mouth,
as she applied liquid foundation,
penciled in her eyebrows,
curled her lashes, applied mascara,
lined her lips, filled them in
with Revlon’s Fire and Ice,
and I watched her in the mirror,
thinking all this wasn’t necessary,
thinking she was beautiful
without any of it.
A retired language arts teacher, Nancy Haskett’s work has been seen in more than 40 publications, including Homestead Review, Iodine Press, Miller’s Pond, Monterey Poetry Review, Pen Woman magazine, Penumbra, Choeofpleirn Press, Wild Roof Journal, and many others. Beginning in Fall, 2025, she will be serving as the Poetry Editor for the National League of American Penwomen. Nancy enjoys reading, traveling, walking/hiking, and spending time with her family. A collection of her poetry, Shadows and Reflections, is available to purchase on Amazon.
