God Is a Tree: and Other Middle-Aged Prayers

Poetry. Esther Cohen writes with humor and joy and lots of energy. You cant help but smile when you encounter her delightful images. In her title poem for example you learn that she once wrote a poem and God Is a Tree was the title. / Louis Savitsky didnt like it./ He asked why / I had the chutzpah / to believe I knew. / A few years later Louiss daughter / became a Scientologist. It is those seemingly unrelated comments presented with a straight face that startle and amuse as they challenge ones thinking. These poems have a definite Jewish tone to them but certainly one doesnt need to be Jewish in order to appreciate them.