“My name is Lema, I am eight”
“My sister is Nour, she is five,
“Her name means Light”
“I took her out to buy some sweets”
“They bombed us, alhamdulillah”
“I was injured with shrapnel, alhamdulillah”
“My sister is a martyr, alhamdulillah”
“My sister is a bird in Heaven, alhamdulillah”
“We want to live in dignity, like all people, alhamdulillah”
“We are not afraid of Jews, alhamdulillah”
“We are patient, alhamdulillah”
“I am from gaza, alhamdulillah”
“I support the Resistance”
“I love the Resistance, alhamdulillah”
Lema… Your few words shuttered my being
The deluge of your silence uprooted me
The calmness of your screams tormented my heart
The twinkle in your eyes, despite your wounds, haunted me
Lema, a melody of a Canary
A heart pure, delightful
Astounding wonder
From God, a sign
Lema, a mystic Psalm
Glorious, sublime
Stars above, pounded in dismay
The echo of your pain
Heavens knelt down, sobbing
The aura of your mighty grace
Words diminished, forgot their meanings,
Before your enchanting poise
Lema, sweetheart
Lema, a face of an angel from paradise
Lema, a scented rose, inspiring awe
Allow me to lay my head
Beneath the shadow of your pain
Kiss the ground,
Blessed with the touch of your toes
Lema, sweetheart, don’t cry
Your beloved is now free
She was Nour . . . Now she is Light
Shimmering in the heart of a green bird
His nest, a lantern of supernova light
Engulfed in joy, flying around
The Throne of the Most Loving, Most Kind
Singing rainbows and butterflies
Leaping up and diving down
Meadows as far as the eyes can see
Abode eternal, tranquil serene
Angels sing her lullabies
Peace be upon you
Peace upon your beautiful soul
Peace and bliss forevermore
At Heaven’s gate she often waits
Those she loved and much adored
Poetry for Palestine 