Azazel

did Avraham cast lots for his two sons
before he banned one to the wilderness
to elevate on  high the other one
the first--at least--we read caused him distress
two isomorphic stories, year by year
but no one talks about the parallels
they hang as echoes in the inner ear
evocative as half-remembered smells
vicarious atonement for one's sins
plays bigger with our cousins down the street
but Yom Kippur reminds us we're all kin
that schism, ages long's still not complete
and Yishmael's grown great in his exile
we're sundered less in substance than in style