Dassi at the Summer Camp

This story was written and told by Dassi Rabinovitch at a summer camp organized by "Zichron Menachem" for children with cancer, two months before she died.

One last story before we go
Of two close friends
Who loved each other so..
This time the ending isn't tragic,
As usual,
For tragedy shouldn't mix with my parable.

Now, these two friends went for a ramble,
In the cold snow and fog they liked to amble.
Tales they told, with one another they talked
To make time pass happily as they walked.

And then Vanunu asked Yitzchak,
"Are you there?"
There was silence. Yitzchak was nowhere.
Vanunu shouted in a loud voice, forlorn:
"Yitzchak, where have you gone?"

There was no answer from the wind and abundant snow,
Vanunu was distressed. He didn't know where to go.
He was in a terrible state,
Worrying about Yitzchak his soul mate.

Vanunu started to race
All over the place,
To make gestures all around
That solved nothing on the ground.

Then suddenly like a sweet dream,
A hand appeared, rising from the snow, waving to him.
And he started to dig and dig, with a surge
And then a foot, and a body, emerged.
And then a freckled nose. And more digging
Uncovered Yitzchak's cheeky face, grinning,
Then, Vanunu gained added spirit
And dug his friend out of the pit.
But only half the problem was solved,
For Yitzchak was extremely cold.
A quick solution was put on hold.

Our Vanunu was now desperate, rigid,
For Yitzchak's whole body was totally frigid.
But Vanunu carried on the brave fight,
With all his energy, with all his might.

Until with warmed body and eye flutter,
Yitzchak managed a weak "thank you" to mutter.

Vanunu said: "Are you kidding around?
Because to admit, I am dutifully bound.
Had I not helped you, I guess,
I would have landed in a terrible mess!"

And here, my friends,
The parable ends.
I'm happy to say,
The lesson's here to stay.

For us, your day-camp staff,
The aim has been to make you laugh.
But you, each and every one,
Continuously provided us with fun.

Sweet children, each one of your smiles
Inspired us to go that extra mile.
The energy you created in such vast amounts
That, in the end, is precisely what counts!

How, like "tatalehs" you went to sleep,
You relished every dairy meal without a peep!
How in the mornings you woke
Us staff, the older folk,
So eager were you to do it right,
To be on time at every site.

In short, my friends, sweeter than all,
I must admit, I could easily bear your brawl!