POEM: A Single Woman Argues with Ecclesiastes
Image by Nikki Casey
Two are better than one
proclaimed the ancient preacher.
Because, essentially, together they produce more income.
But what if one cannot work?
And even if both are skilled and able-bodied and employable,
who will watch the children?
Two are better than one
said the son of David.
Because they can lie together for warmth,
and how can one be warm alone?
Thank goodness, then, for down comforters
and modern heating.
Two are better than one
declared the king of Jerusalem.
For if one falls, the other shall lift; woe to the one
who is alone when she falls.
A thought: assisted living.
Another: Life Alert ®.
Two are better than one
continued Kohelet.
For if an antagonist appears, the two will stand against him
with strength one cannot possess.
Here, I have no counter-argument.
I simply—singly—hope for the best.
Erika Dreifus writes prose and poetry in New York. Visit her online at ErikaDreifus.com and follow her on Twitter @ErikaDreifus, where she tweets “on matters bookish and/or Jewish.”
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
