The Day the News Came from Poland

When the news came from Poland about his family
Father lied down on his bed and wouldn’t move;
It was also the day of his son’s bar mitzvah.
A big social hall had been rented in Brooklyn
And the boy was giddy with anticipation.
When it became clear that his father wouldn’t go
The boy screamed at him telling him he had to.
The father went. When the crowd cheered
“For He Is a Jolly Good Fellow”, something
On his father’s face made the boy realize
That he had done evil.

The boy’s name was Maurice Sendak.