Hadeel is nine.
Hadeel was nine.
Official said
Israeli official said they regret her death
''but terrorism must stop, rockets must stop, resistance must stop ''
or they will continue to shell Gaza
until we surrender the bit of dignity we have left.
Until we elect who they want
sign what they want
and die in silence
the way they want.
They smile and regret death
as a casual accident
and regret how Palestinian children die
in a collective torture chamber: Gaza.
Israeli security is absolute written with blood
and bulldozers
and the art of women spokespersons
because death is softer coming from a woman
death is more polite coming from a woman.
And who
who will tell Hadeel's mother
busy baking bread and za'atar
that doves will not fly over Gaza again
doves will not fly over Gaza again
God died at her feet.
Hadeel is gone
and her brother Ahmed lost his sight.
Hadeel.
Every prayer I remember and half-remember won't bring you back
every prayer I remember and half-remember won't bring you back
as you wrap yourself in stories of Palestine.
Gather the other children to cry a while
waiting restless
for the next soldier
to knock down your door.
But the Gaza sky
the Gaza sky still rains U.S. --made shells
to cast us out of a history
we carry on our backs.
Hadeel.
Who
who will tell Hadeel that we went out for coffee and carried on
the day she died.
Nothing stopped
not a pause
not a tear
next meeting
next cigarette
next train
check e-mail and sigh
over another Palestinian gone
''is this worth a press release?
Maybe not.''
Solidarity from afar like a sick joke
a bad story to tell a child.
But the doves
the doves will not fly over Gaza again
the doves will not fly over Gaza again.
Hadeel is gone forever.
Gone.
No final words
just a void in her mother's heart
just a void in her mother's heart.
And they say
they say
''don't cry for martyrs
don't cry for martyrs
carry on the fight
carry on the fight
carry on the fight''
but for Hadeel
for Hadeel
give me a moment of silence
give me a moment of silence
NO
give me a moment of sincere resistance,
sincere resistance
so we can hold on to the bit of dignity we have left
so we can hold on to the bit of dignity we have left.
For Hadeel.