In wars, you know…
fear,
You know what is it like
to feel
that the very next moment
you’d be
no more…
torn…
and your blood is a headline
a number added…to the many who died…
In wars, you feel
that a smile
is of thousands of tears
A smile becomes a need
In wars, you realize
that safety is ,
when you hug your mom
In wars, dawn is a sign
a sign of survival,
a sign that you are still alive
5 pm, sundown,
the drums of death
begins to sound…
Strangers weep through waves
bombs drop…
Phosphorus…
Chaos…
then Children, women… bodies
then exploding silence…
In wars, you pray
not exactly sure what you pray for
to live…to survive
or to join the dead who saw the end of the war
or pray for hope against hope
But when You pray…
and you feel it’s echoing in heavens…
as you kneel before God,
You know that He’s the only one who’s listening…
In wars, you’re affirmed
that cowards, hypocrites,
Will always turn their backs on you
In wars, you’re affirmed, too
that when politicians fail
thousands of people would stand for you…
In wars, you wish
Wish from your very heart,
that you don’t live to witness
your family or friends die
You wish you die alone..
or you die all…
but never..to live by your own
In wars, you learn
what hate, what blindness
what arrogance, what ignorance
can do…
In wars, you are
a human…
a human with a heart and mind…
a human whose humanity is pending on decisions to be ratified
You are a human, struggling
to live in peace…to be recognized
You are a human, whose steadfastness
is tank proof, armed with olives…
In wars, you are a human…
You are Palestine…
Lina Al-Sharif, 22, studies English literature at the Islamic University in Gaza. She blogs at http://livefromgaza.wordpress.com/. Gaza Two Years Later is a series of posts by Gazan bloggers and writers reflecting on the two-year anniversary of the Israeli attack on Gaza in the winter of 2008/09. You can read the entire series here.
