Palestine?

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Newspaper in my hands,

News on the screens,

News of countries around the world,

But an important land seems to have little to no coverage,

Palestine?

What Palestine?

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Did Palestine not matter?

Did Al-Aqsa not matter?

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Today I read and know,

That all Palestinian neighbourhoods were once sheikh jarrah.

The silwans, the beitas, the liftas of yesterday,

Today are in the hands of the enemy.

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Did Palestine not matter?

Did Al-Aqsa not matter?

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Today I know that attacks on Al-Aqsa is not new.

Attacks on worshippers in Al-Aqsa is not new.

Attacks on Al Quds is not new.

Sheikh jarrah is not new,

And neither is Silwan nor Beita nor Gaza.

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Did Palestine not matter?

Did Al-Aqsa not matter?

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Isn't the holy land important?

Aren't the blessed surroundings important?

Or are they muslims not your brothers and sisters?

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Did Palestine not matter?

Did Al-Aqsa not matter?

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But we will be patient,

Seeking help from our protector.

Patient we must be,

Adhering to the Quran and sunnah.

Patient we must be,

Adhering to the guidance we received.

We ask Allah the almighty,

For without his will and knowledge,

nothing happens,

We ask him for victory.

١٧ أيار ٢٠٢١

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القي نظرة

من الواجهة الزجاجية لشقتي

المشرعة على كراكاس

،ذلك الحيّ البحري البيروتي

.فأرى غزّة

The tyrants may scream lies

They may plaster cries in our eyes

With our faith we won't break ties

We prefer graves in size

Than submit to your allies

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On a stolen land, your flag you've placed

Watch out, with our flag the world is in a race

Our identity you want to efface

Today the world is acing this space

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Gaza you've transformed into the world's largest prison

You snatch our land into possession

A victory you believe in this destruction

But God's statement never falls in oblivion

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You slaughter to shut our mouth

Yet Palestine beats from North to South

East to West

We reign the mess you've set

These cowards attack from the back

In the midst of our prayers they crack

Our path to Al-Aqsa they track

How many bodies you'll smack

Our soul will remain intact

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What you consider as our worldly defeat

For us is a treat

To heaven we've safeguarded our seat

Continue with your cheat and beat

God's name you'll hear on repeat

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On the day of judgement

We shall be honoured into ranks

Due to your inflicted lament and torment

The hour will have an announcement

For you to be thrown into Hell fire, will arrive the moment

With our Rabb is our lifetime commitment

This is our ultimate fulfillment.

Footsteps

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Child of a prophet

What made you so heartless

Firing missiles at scarred kids

As they play with toy rockets

A pharaoh in the land

But retrace your steps

Walk through Egypt’s sands

Gaze at Pharaoh’s hands

You watched the waves crashing down

Then rose to haughty heights

You chose tyranny over piety

Was your soul worth the price?

But the Hour awaits

The Trumpet will be blown

And the children will watch

As Pharaoh leads you home

Dear Palestine,

Today marks 20 years of me living in another place, in a strange world surrounded by strange people who don't talk my words or act like me. When will this end? when will you let me come and be between my family again. I wake up everyday with this painful feeling in my heart, a feeling that only us, who were forcibly kicked out of our homeland feel, isolation, loneliness, feeling like you do not belong, and I have been experiencing this everyday, every morning, for the past 20 years. Is it too much to ask for? Is it too much to ask to return to my home, return to my people, and be happy again? But I haven't lost hope, and I will keep dreaming of the day that we will meet, how sunny it will be, surrounded by the sea and the people of my land, happy, singing and dancing. I only pray for it to happen soon.

Yours truly,
L

PALESTINIAN SUNBIRDS FOR EYES

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In my native village

as long as the sun shines,

Palestinian sunbirds fly through our gardens:

similar to the nomadic hummingbirds,

for they too come round for the nectar.

The sunbirds of Palestine trust our branches,

take their time kissing the flowers in our trees.

They are the size of my eyes

all black and shiny blue-green.

Past them far away over the mountain

I see olive groves glittering in dusty green silver and gray

and across the hill just past the mighty fig tree

precious Palestine stretches before me.

Dear Palestine,
I never got to know you. Sure, I listen to your music and eat your food from afar, but I never got to see you, eye-to-eye, experiencing your land, in its unadulterated form. I hope I will have the opportunity one day, but until then, I will continue to eat your food and listen to your music from afar.