I composed this piece following the October 7th attacks by Hamas on Israel and the aftermath of families’ suffering.

the way she clutches
a handkerchief as she
exits through the wooden
door, the way she clutches
her hands as she realizes 
that fires have erupted at 
home 

and a heart melts into 
itself on the other side of the 
world, a heart is interconnected
to other hearts, beating
at the same time, beating
and praying 

and she recites prayers in the
distance as two little boys
play with dice, as two little
boys notice the aroma from
herbal tea in the small kitchen

the way she latches onto 
her phone, checking WhatsApp,
reading the news, as she pretends
she is in the present, as she grabs 
baklava from the fridge and knows 
her tears are about to fall, tears that 
could fall for miles and miles across 
the land 

but she puts on a smile. 

Process

As a young person who is very connected to one of the regions, I know what it feels like to grieve when many others can carry on with life as it was before a catastrophic event. However, I believe that in this moment of division, it is important to come together- Israeli, Palestinian, Muslim, or Jewish- and speak about what has occurred. This writing takes a chance in the sense that this conflict is very real and unfolding in real-time. However, I wanted to address what may not be addressed in a poem that speaks to one side.

Composing this piece puts me in conversation with many others, both from the Middle East and America, because of the war that is continuing in the present time. I engaged in ideas, rather than words or views, to convey that current times and news can be difficult, especially for those of us who have a relationship with the conflict. By writing this piece, I pushed myself to step out of my comfort zone and into a place of community. I want this poem to unite us as we reflect on past events and continue delicate and difficult conversations.