One dictator has fallenFrom his thrownIn disgrace The people are eagerTo try himAnd get himDisfiguring his face His reign was bloodyIn every corner and sphereOppression, suppressionSpreading torture and fearThousands had vanishedFrom their homes and places Have tyrants really learnedFrom his example and fate?Ruling their peopleThrough brutal tactics and hateOr turning[Read More…]
He was toughBut behind the veneer of toughnessA heart full of loveAn intellect full of wisdomA conscience full of compassionA life full of beneficenceEndurance and perseverance The oldest of three brothersHe grew up as an orphanLosing his motherAt the tender age of sixDeprived of her love and compassion Nothing is[Read More…]
People often askWhat’s martyrdom?And who’s a martyr? In an era of chaos and horrorMayhem and state terror The villain is considered a victimWhile the victim is blamedThe occupier defendedAnd the occupied defamed Where the stone is a threatTo a soldier inside a tankWhile crushing the skull of a childInvites only[Read More…]
Dear Diary,I’m haunted by the images From my three years of military service In the Israeli army as a staff sergeant It was in the late 90s,A period of relative calm and quietYet our leaders called itA necessary duty and urgent I was assigned at a checkpointDeep into the Gaza[Read More…]
My name is VictorI’m now a pacifistBut more importantlyI’m a recovered Zionist I was born overA half a century agoAs a Canadian citizenMy parents wanted meTo have a religious upbringingThey sent me to my grandparentsIn Israel when I was ten As every IsraeliI also served in the armyIn my years[Read More…]
Crushing my bonesWith your clubsOr gouging my eyesWith your rubber bullets Filling my lungsWith your tear-gasOr demolishing my houseWith your bulldozers Uprooting my thousand-year oldOlive treesOr destroying my vast orchardsOf orange groves Blocking me from prayingIn my mosques and churchesOr taking away my waterTo dry the roses in my tiny[Read More…]
His mother’s familyLived in the landFor fourteen hundred yearsHis father’sFor over eight hundred Celebrating lifeAnd burying their dead Breathing its airDrinking its waterSwimming in its mudWriting its historyWith sweat, tears,And blood Planting orange grovesIn its prairiesOlive orchardsAround the hillsEngraving ancient stonesIn its cavesErecting defiant castlesAnd buildingSmall mills O’ Jaffa,The bride[Read More…]
The most gentleAmongst all honorableWomenHad a spiritAs dazzling asThe garden ofEden A shy smileA sharp mindA fervent characterThat was hardlyHidden Her only weapons wereA determined willA magnificent presenceA piercing pen But her departurewas tragicHeartbreakingAnd sudden A tiny bodyStanding beforeOppression and destructionA bulldozer with a driverWho was a monstrous fiend Crushing[Read More…]
A revolutionaryAt heartA patriotFrom the start Loved by his countryTo the coreDefended freedomEven more Hated arroganceIn shape and toneFought tyrannyWith every bone He was the conscienceOf his peopleStriking fear in the enemyAnd made it feeble Stood upAnd out loud saidRise upAnd raise your head Occupation is the rootOf our miseryResisting[Read More…]
The house was elegantSparklingAnd gloriousThe owners were eloquentPleasantAnd graciousThe garden was exquisiteGreenAnd spacious Down the streetThey were runningBarefootHungryCryingBut cunning Chased awayBy bulliesBeaten up and robbedArriving half-nakedThey cried and sobbed Come on inAnd get some restYou are welcomeAs our honored guest The owners helped outAnd did their bestGot ‘em a hut[Read More…]
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