A Woman's Prayer for Passover

Source
Foundation for Family Education, Inc.

By Esther Blaustein 1971 Lord, let not the line at the supermarket be too long Let the produce be fresh and crisp and let there be Just one more jar of Kosher-for-Passover mayonnaise left. You see, Lord, I forgot that there is school next week And tuna fish falls off matzoh sandwiches so easily When it is not held together with enough mayonnaise. God, please let everyone be well for the two Seder nights And while You are at it, could you please make it the rest of the year,too? And if you do not make me spend so many hours Swabbing chickenpox with calamine lotion I promise that I will devote my leisure To ecology, UJA, JHA and things like that. Almighty God, let the children behave at the seder table For I have labored so long to make everything right and lovely. Suffer not their little fingers to spill wine on the tablecloth and carpeting It never seems to come out. And let them pipe the Mah Nishtanah and the Chad Gadya In such abundant glee and wisdom As to make the car pool to Hebrew School worth it. Ruler of the Universe, it seem that I will never get all these dishes changed And Everyone's clothes ready, and all the chametz out of the house in time. So remember, Dear Lord, To please make sure that the cleaning woman shows up. Creator of the World, let each year have our table be fuller Not only with Your bounty, but with people. All our loved ones, dear friends, new babies, And young lovers shyly brought home for approval. And let this year begin, and next year see Our banquet seats overflowing With our long-lost Jews who crouch in fear in countries other than ours. God of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel and Leah. Let me not,  In the hustle and rush of preparation, Forget what the Passover really means.