A Literary Magazine in Support of the Jewish Community
The Inner World of the Cabbage
It’s easy to forget about the inner world of the cabbage
all those
elbows and knees packed tight
helixed like a dozen rabbis reading from the same scroll and arguing
— of course they are arguing —
about prophecy and foreskins
talking clouds
dancing icons
and they scarcely notice the bunching up
until a kiss ensues between Miriam and Hagar
and before they realize what is happening Tamar and Rebecca
are at the well comparing notes on their husbands
and the holy men fall over each other
and the scribes spin in their crumpled graves
and in the churn, a smoothing out happens
beautiful in the way of unplanned things
and — lo! — new
chapters unfurl
the snake’s unpublished novel
home remedies for leprosy
men who lie with men setting the record straight
and no one had any idea they were there
that’s how tightly folded
they have been
this whole time
Michael Getty
Michael Getty is a writer who lives with his husband in St. Paul, Minnesota. His work has appeared in publications such as A Poet's Siddur, Tiferet Journal, and Typishly Literary Magazine.
