Empty streets, a colourless sky above,
I strolled through the ancient city
As she approached me, eyes brown as homeland’s soil,
Her breath was uneven, her voice quivering,
In the shadow of hunters on their tower,
We walked, unsure when shots would break the silence.
Hunters, waiting, eager for a pleasant surprise,
But as the chilling sound erupted, I examined,
No blood on my trembling hands, no wound,
And her, unharmed by the chaotic echoes.
Laughter filled the air by hunters, luck smiled upon us,
The hunters did not select us as their prey.
Homeward I went, safe, as she to her children,
In this land, we’ll continue to tread each day.
Day by day, stories etched on sea, land, and sky,
We shall not become a museum exhibit, erased by the colonial state
Nor bow to supremacy that seeks to dictate our lives.
we are alive, we exist,
We’ll dance to bird songs and paint dreams in Gaza’s sands,
We’ll celebrate the olive harvest, and savour the fruits our land bestows.
Here we stand, resilient, with a history untold,
Refusing to let others define our path.
In the face of adversity, we’ll persist and thrive,
For we were here, and here, we will always reside.
