I wanted to hear Kol Nidre on a Jazz piano tonight.
But none of the jazz pianists were available.
So here we are with a musical blank ahead of
my desire to bebop straight ahead over
all of our broken promises. I would have accepted
a New Orleans-style ensemble even
hard bop, big band, dixieland, bossa nova.
Afro-Cuban or Latin would have done the trick.
Anything but smooth jazz. I couldn’t stomach that on
an empty stomach. A pious Jew has to have his limits.
But no one with fingers and that sensibility
was able to make the promise.
They’re smarter than us not to make a promise.
What we assure ourselves we’ll do
we eventually don’t do. This is Kol Nidre.
All vows. Acknowledged. Hoped for.
Forgiven when we miss our marks.
Whoever negotiated this was a genius.
I want them on my legal team.
Can they get me out of traffic tickets?
Jury duty? Having to go to work at all?
I hope not. I need the structure.
I need to make these promises.
I need to believe I’m going to do
what I’ll say I’ll do. Even if I fail.
I need jazz pianists to show up
ready to take on holy texts.
Ready to remind me to make
all the important promises.
There’ll be a nice stipend too.
I promise.