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a journal of contemporary politics, culture, and Jewish affairs at Columbia University
//creative//
Spring 2022

Danelle Tuchman

a story told by endless rows of gravestones

we are a people born from mourning together 
a community build from gatherings surrounding graves 

so many graves line the hills its hard to watch the sunset 
we still gather to watch the sunset 
momentarily convince ourselves that the shadows they make are simply figments of our imagination 
or the teeth in god’s crooked smile 
this way we can convince ourselves that he is smiling 
that something out there is smiling at us 

the gravestones could circle the earth if they needed to 
like the sketches of children holding hands 
to spread love and peace and prosperity 
to every inch of the earth that they tread 

we are a people who match children to the ever-present gravestones 
the only thing as constant as death 
is life 
the way we are our ancestors revenge 
or a result of a covenant that means continuity 
proof that millennium of suffering will not negate continuity 

we are a people from so many places 
sustained by bread from so many tables 
the kneading of which is a rebellion on its own 
history flavors each strand of our bread’s signature braid

i was told it my duty to watch the bread rise 
my mother kneaded the dough 
my grandmother measured ingredients 
my great grandmother risked her life to scavenge for eggs  

i was told it my duty to raise a daughter to take the bread out of the oven 
to feed it to those in need 
to mark it as a centerpiece for the table that generations of my people have sat around 
millions perished simply because their heritage allowed them a seat 
millions more were lost in attempts to defend it 

gravestones litter our table like scrabble pieces 
i was told if you squint you can make out the words we are trying to spell 
each letter holds a question and an answer 
a memory and a prayer

​​//DANELLE TUCHMAN is first year in Columbia College. She can be reached at dst2161@columbia.edu.
Contact us: editors.columbiacurrent@gmail.com