As we enter the darkest of viral times we are told
Along comes the Jewish festival of Hanukkah
And its story of fossil fuel miracles and warriors bold
Good old Hanukkah with those flickering flames
It’s too bad the holiday rules have constraints
We must burn just one candle for each of the eight nights
When this year we could use a full complement of lights
I mean on every night why not eight candles, a fully lit menorah
To raise our hopes and vanquish the horror
On the other hand we then might have to tell
Not at all a story of miraculous oil
But another from which we might recoil
A decade’s brutal fight of the Jews, almost a civil war
Between factions who loved the Greeks and those they abhorred
Might that be a cautionary tale for us, for what we have in store
See fuller details in the Books of the Maccabees, all four
At a time when we could use something that endures
It’s wise to be wary of miracle cures
On the other hand, who doesn’t love the kids’ version
And that doesn’t compel us to jump to conclusions
So let’s not worry about telling it right
May the old candles stand tall, and burn long and bright.