A Jewish Christmas
Christopher Stein

Tonight, we are rolling giuggiulena at the kitchen table,
forming little logs, rolling them across a plate
of sesame seeds, lining them up on parchment paper,
laying them on a cookie sheet, pushing them gently
into the oven, and my mother turns to me, says,
look at the window, the Christmas cactus is blooming
it is the first time since my Jewish grandmother died
that the Christmas cactus she left for us is blooming,
and the buds are pink, and the giuggiulena smell like vanilla extract.