Abraham Reisen
Abraham Reisen was born in 1876 in Koidanovo, Russia. Like Solomon, he came from a scholar background since he was the son of a Yiddish poet named Kalman Reisen. He moved to NY in 1914. He lived in Cracow, Berlin and Warsaw before moving to the U.S. He died in 1953.
Here is an excerpt from Reisen’s Poem “The New World”
A new world – one hearsIn childhood that it has begun; Then comes the passage of the years- Is it not yet fully done? The new world being made – always, From childhood on – and on the day They finally set the door in place, All the Walls have turned to gray. The roof is hung – but as they start, The pillars gradually give out; It all begins to fall apart, And so, once more, they rush about, Calling to build it up again And work, a true, united folk! A spark nearby, and then All the world goes up in smoke. (Howe, 72)
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