Sylvain was a young man
in 1934 Paris.
Adonai Eloheinu
His father gone twelve years,
he was close to his mother,
Karola.
He loved her religion,
and used
YHVH
its symbols
as magical talismans
for protection.
There were Jewish
stars and names of
God
on every page
of the special book
in which he wrote
his dreams,
his fantasies,
and his love
for Claude.
Elohim Ts'vaoth
Sylvain wrote,
claiming protection.
They were both
piano students,
and in Sylvain's words,
Claude was
a virtuoso.
History
YHVH
knows nothing
of Claude now.
Adonai
Paranoia.
Paranoia.
History knows nothing
of Sylvain either,
but Karola,
his artist mother,
fled to Perpignan,
and survived.
YHVH
Sylvain wrote
Claude's name
on every page,
and coupled it
with his.
In shaky Hebrew
printing, he wrote
his talismans
to protect them both.
But by the end of the book,
Claude's name
was joined to another.
I don't know
if Sylvain survived
the Nazis,
but he could not
survive love.
Adonai, Adonai, Adonai
Sylvain's mother
had his special book
rebound in red
half-leather,
with gilded
page tops,
and somehow,
it came to me.
Adonai Eloheinu
Karola is gone now,
as are Sylvain and Claude.
The world forgot,
but I cannot.
May this poem serve
for their Kaddish.
Amen.
