For Shirah’s Neighbor
When madness drops from the sky
I’m pretty sure no paratrooper will drop
into my backyard
and take me hostage.
-
I’ve not lost sleep that our yearly splurge
of a music festival
Would be the site of an invasion.
-
A kiss goodbye in the morning
isn’t accompanied
by the fear of an empty house when night falls.
-
The news doesn’t wait outside my windows
seeking a glimpse
of my life to blame me for a nightmare of pain.
-
I take for granted the privilege
to live my life
without seeing it splashed across the news.
-
I remember where I was on 9/11
it changed my life
how many will remember when your world shattered?
-
Your family, your child, your parent
birth home or
determined homeland decision: all are treasures.
-
We have not met, we may not meet
distance is the convenient illusion
of strangers as you seek light, water, heat, help, and hope.
-
Shall I give blood, here,
so that the butterfly wing of connectedness
means your neighbor receives it?
-
Shall I turn my face away
from the truth you cannot escape
and leave you exposed in your grief?
-
I hold the light and a space for you
speak the truth, and when they pass my way
tie tight the fraying bonds that hold our world together.
~~
Two high school friends (Shirah and Michael) live in Israel, and I see them in the headlines of the horror that is unfolding.
War is good for absolutely nothing and diminishes us all.
Please leave a comment, heart, and a prayer- as you would.
About the Creator
Judey Kalchik
It's my time to find and use my voice.
Poetry, short stories, memories, and a lot of things I think and wish I'd known a long time ago.
You can also find me on Medium
And please follow me on Threads, too!
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Comments (7)
Gosh this stunned me. Excellent work at highlighting the awfulness happening right now. My love to those there <3
Prayers for their safety, as well as the safety & well-being of all those who currently aren't--on all sides of this conflict. Not all Palestinians are Hamas, nor are all Israelis Netanyahu or Zionist radicals attempting to confiscate lands through illegal settlements, yet all are suffering right now.
Nice job on this wondrous piece♥️📝💯👍😉✌️
This is heartbreaking. I'm at a loss for words..
Surely a Top Story, the image drew me in and your words take us into the heart of this conflict
So much is going on and its only going to get worse. My whole family lives in israel, which is scary. Its also super complicated because Palestinians are getting wiped out for resisting occupation and standing up for themselves- while Hamas doesn't speak for all either. Its so complex. Its so f-ed up. Gaza and West Bank are legit an open air prison. But its like- two peoples cannot exist without erasing the other. And that in itself is part of the root problem. anyways.
So much war. Hope that your friends are safe.