Adira Rose Koffsky a”h, of West Hempstead, passed away on February 1 in Yerushalayim. Adira loved to write, and she used her writing to both tell fantastical stories and share her thoughts on deeper issues. It’s funny to read her poem about being “normal” because all who knew her well were utterly sure that she was exceptional. Adira always wanted to be a published writer, and thanks to The Queens Jewish Link…now she is.
You’re probably expecting something dramatic,
Something ecstatic, something traumatic
To cry out your tears until you can’t no more.
Thing is, my life’s kinda a bore:
I’m as normal as anyone could be,
I have good friends, and a good family,
With two legs, and I use them to stand,
Five fingers on each of my hands,
Want to hear about my life plans?
Of course you don’t.
That’s the curse of being happy:
No one knows a thing about me;
After hearing this, would you want to stay?
There’s more interesting people not so far away,
Broken kids you think you can fix,
And heroes you worship, add that to the mix;
And once you have this big, giant pit,
Where do all the normal people fit?
I know, I’m being ungrateful,
I don’t mean to sound so hateful;
It’s just, when everyone tells you you’re special,
what do you do when you’re not?
There’s a moment in your favorite book
Where the troubled girl takes a look
At me and wishes she had my life,
Free of troubles, free of strife,
Then she carries on and it never comes up again:
The normal girl gets forgotten
Cause you’re not the main character, you’re the life she longed for
A what-if and nothing more,
Your fate was sealed long ago,
So know your place and keep your head low.
Next time you see a normal girl, don’t walk away;
Make her feel special for just one day,
Because we want our own stories, but try as we might,
Normal girls just don’t get the spotlight.
*****
Donations for the Adira Koffsky Memorial Fund should go to the Eitz Chaim of Dogwood Park Rabbi’s Fund. Visit the following Web address: eitzchayim.shulcloud.com/payment.php (On the “Type” pull-down menu, select “Rabbi’s Fund” and then write Adira Koffsky in the notes).
May Adira’s memory be a blessing.
By Adira Rose Koffsky
