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                                                                      Poetry | Apachetas by Lynn Lawrence


                                                                      You asked us to remember your Yahrzeit :
                                                                      Jahr = year  Zeit = time
                                                                      Not the two days it took to make Dobos Torte
                                                                      The house a heady confection of chocolate decadence.
                                                                      One and a third cup of batter into the pan
                                                                      Both of our hands needing the others
                                                                      Kneading and folding, one layer into another
                                                                      Repeat six times.

                                                                      You asked us to carry this “Hungarian Drum” on the plane back
                                                                      To New York in a huge cardboard box weighted by a
                                                                      Volume of The Encyclopedia Britannica.
                                                                      One Drum over another to ensure the layers held fast.
                                                                      Josef Dobos’ aim to make a pastry that would outlast the others
                                                                      Have a long shelf life.

                                                                      The Inca Trail is lined with small and large cairns on the path.
                                                                      One small stone carried by travelers to lay on existing cairns
                                                                      Symbolically joins the others for good luck on the journey
                                                                      A mounting mound of wayfarers 
                                                                      Called Apachetas, or “Remembering Stones”

                                                                      At Menorah Gardens the stones skip, gather moss and memories.
                                                                      They share other recipes:
                                                                      Leave us on the headstone, bone-on-bone touchstone to
                                                                      Remember all I have given you.
                                                                      Leave us on the headstone.
                                                                      Don’t pocket us.
                                                                      You cannot take us with you.
                                                                      We are here , present on your day of death.
                                                                      We have laid stones.
                                                                      We will have cake
                                                                      I will miss
                                                                      Your hands needing to knead
                                                                      With mine.

                                                                      Lynn Lawrence is a psychotherapist in private practice. She is going into her second year as a part-time student in the Narrative Medicine Program.

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