This piece is part of our Witnessing series, which shares pieces from Israeli authors and authors in Israel, as well as the experiences of Jewish writers around the globe in the aftermath of October 7th.
It is critical to understand history not just through the books that will be written later, but also through the first-hand testimonies and real-time accounting of events as they occur. At Jewish Book Council, we understand the value of these written testimonials and of sharing these individual experiences. It’s more important now than ever to give space to these voices and narratives.
Complicated Fruit
for Tzivia
I.
Powerwalking up the street,
afraid a neighbor might shoot
us a dirty look or worse,
my friend and I
pick up the pace,
lower our voices
and change the word Israel
to Pineapple.
II.
The Pineapple is a complicated fruit
shaped not unlike a hand grenade.
III.
When I lay a Pineapple on its side
across the chopping block
its prickly skin pierces my palm
and draws a drop of blood. Still
I hold it steady and use a sharp
swift knife to split the fruit in two.
IV.
A child sitting beside me
at a Bar Mitzvah party
fork in hand, unsure how
to attack her dessert, asks,
“Why can’t they just serve
Pineapple upside down cake
right side up?”
V.
Many people prefer crushed
Pineapple served straight from the can
despite the bitter metallic taste
it leaves in the mouth.
VI.
Pineapple, both tart and sweet
can make the tongue tingle
and burn. The cure for this
is to swish then spit a bit
of salt water preferably
scooped with both hands
from the Dead Sea.
VII.
My potluck specialty:
cole slaw with a secret
ingredient that no one
has ever guessed
is Pineapple.
VIII.
Below the leafy crown
a tough core runs
through the Pineapple.
A piece of stringy meat
gets caught
between my teeth.
The harder I try
to dig it out
the harder it digs in.
The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author, based on their observations and experiences.
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Lesléa Newman has created 85 books for readers of all ages including the memoirs-in-verse, I Carry My Mother and I Wish My Father; the novel-in-verse, October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard; the short story collection, A Letter to Harvey Milk, and the children’s books, The Babka Sisters; Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale With A Tail; Ketzel, The Cat Who Composed; and Joyful Song: A Naming Story. Her literary award include two National Jewish Book Awards, the Sydney Taylor Body-of-Work Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship, and the Massachusetts Book Award. From 2008 — 2010, she served as the poet laureate of Northampton, MA.