Orange groves in Israel…
my grandparents donated trees
for every special occasion,
circumcisions, birthdays, anniversaries,
bar mitzvahs,
when Kennedy became president,
the moon landing

You’ll visit one day
say shalom to your forest of fruit

And they bought Israeli bonds
at the Bank of America on Irving St.
whenever they could accumulate
25 or 50 dollars

Redeem them for college
no car, nothing frivolous

Citrus and scholarship
recipe for a meaningful life
Jews have a long tradition
with fruit and words
and long arguments over
their meaning and importance

When my Aunt Sylvia
left one shul to join another
because one excluded and not the other
it might be said it was over oranges
a symbol of a more inclusive community
where segments make a whole
where the sweetness of humanity
is ascribed in its words

This poem this is part of a chapbook collection due for future release by Finishing Line Press. Check out their website for further details.

Barry Vitcov lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife and exceptionally brilliant standard poodle. He has had three books published by Finishing Line Press, a collection of poetry, “Where I Live Some of the Time” in February 2021; a collection of short stories, “The Wilbur Stories & More” in June 2022; and a chapbook collection of poems “Structures” in May 2024. FLP will be publishing his novella “The Boy with Six Fingers” in February 2025.