Donors

I began my writing career
writing to donors
and would be
could be
hope you'll be
donors

we wanted money
nothing else
neither blood nor soul

a couple of times a year
someone sent
five dollars
and
I honored him
with a letter
neither shorter
nor cheaper
than
the big donors
who then
gave a hundred

we had dreams
that one day
we'd discover
that he'd been
testing us

that he was
one of those
hidden millionaires

to this day
I don't know

but
recently
I heard of different donors
who didn't give money
they gave more

G-d gave them two
and they gave
one away
to strangers

I met one last night
and the recipient
a pair so different
but
with
matching kidneys

a man
not born Jewish
gave a little Jewish boy
his kidney

and then he read to us
a psalm
in Hebrew
and those who could
recited with him
the others
cried