my winter companions

I sit there...alone..
On the shaky old bench
My face turned..
toward the cool breeze..
blowing in..from the North..
...toward the...winter ahead...
The long nights...and flickering..
oh I can sense it all...
close my eyes....
I hear them coming..
....I see them
in the distance
my winter companions...
and I smile....
I know...
So well...my familiar..
I can hear their tales
..of yore..around the flickering..
keeping me
......warm
they take their place..
beside me..
hushed
acknowledgement

But for now....
The rickety walls...
Of the Sukkah..
Keep me warm..
....and safe

my guests..
sit..
...one by one...
Avraham...
Yitchok..
Yaakov..
Yosef..
Moshe..
Aharon..
and Dovid...
with his music..
....softly playing..
We sit together...
..for awhile..

Before heading off..
into the cold..dark night..
my winter companions..
and I




.