Padnos

Padnos, old Jew

stands outside his junkyard’s office

and smiles at the proceedings

as if he were Ganesh,

large-bellied, with big, floppy ears

which grow larger

and hairier

every year

He goes to synagogue on the Sabbath

When the rabbi says: Contribute to the building fund

he pulls out his checkbook and

writes a big check

When the rabbi says: Don’t intermarry

Padnos is smug

because he married a Jewess who bore him six children

and they are all Jews like him

and work in the junkyard

— Mitchell Grabois