In the past weeks and months I have seen countless Palestinian children die and suffer horrific injuries, some of them dying under the rubbles of their own homes and neighborhoods. The immense pain this caused, and the love I felt for these innocent, defenseless children had to find an outlet. This is it

My child under the rubble

Do you know I am here?

Can you hear my voice?

You speak, or wait, no more.

You cried and cried,

My child under the rubble,

But no one heard.

 

You were

Six hours old

Or maybe

Six weeks,

Six months

Or six years

 

Honest to god,

I don’t know how to quantify the time you were given so sparingly, so viciously,

As if unloved by time itself.

 

I will love you instead.

 

My child under the rubble

Were you playing hide and seek with your siblings?

Were you laying in your mother’s arms, dreaming about a beautiful life?

 

Did she promise you you were going to be all right?

If she did, forgive her. Please.

She did all she could do.

She did more than she can do.

No mother could have done more.

 

My child under the rubble

Your cold little hands have let go

Of games and toys and bread

Of sand and rain.

They are empty now,

Soiled and pure,

With not even a trace of the world’s dignity on them.

 

My child under the rubble

Soon you will be one with rubble

But I am not going

I am with you,

Because you are mine.

 

I’ve been told to forget about you,

To not know about you,

But I’m not going to do that.

You are my child under the rubble

And I see my face in your face,

My blood in your blood,

My life and death

In yours.

–

A million white kites will fly

Over the Gaza sky,

My child under the rubble

I am not letting go

I am not leaving.

You will see.

 

My child. My child. Mine.

Under the rubble.