CrossFireArabia
By Khaled Nusseibeh
Together, we witness the dying of the light
The oasis of civilized life converted
To a veritable land of waste
The earth is strewn with torn flesh
And bones dispersed on the angry land
The children beckon for humanitarian intervention
To stop, to cease an abominable carnage
Dispersing the folk from one venue to the other
As though death pursuing them with firm determination
But the resolve to overcome is indomitable
In the face of terrible and mounting destruction
Inspiring are the faces of suffering elderly
Keeping the faith amid untold desolation
An iniquitous power targeting the structures of survival
Mercilessly bombing shelters, mosques, hospitals and schools
Will the foe not experience a moment of truth?
That comprehensive destruction will not bring peace?
That the cause of justice shall eventually prevail
Not through iniquitous genocide and holocaust
But through rebuilding the havens of mercy
Of a people tied to the blessed land
Sanctified by the blood of innocent life
The world from a distance watches the ending day
As the toll of defenseless folk inexorably mounts
But the orchards will again be planted
And the olive branch will again thrive
With the travails of the noble folk
Determined to resist unethical onslaught
Designed, not to save life, but to ravage existence
Of an unwanted race on the hallowed soil
Khaled Nusseibeh is a translator, writer and a poet with several published poetry collections to his name. He holds a BA and MA Degrees from Colombia and Princeton universities in the USA. Mr Nusseibeh was born in Amman in 1961 and is a Jordanian of Palestinian origin.
