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Jewell's avatar

I was reading a book by Khalil Gibran the other day and the poem "Dead are my people" really hit me.

Excerpt

"My people died on the cross....

They died while their hands

stretched toward the East and West,

While the remnants of their eyes

Stared at the blackness of the

Firmament...They died silently,

For humanity had closed its ears

To their cry. They died because

They did not befriend their enemy.

They died because they loved their

Neighbors. They died because

They placed trust in all humanity.

They died because they did not

Oppress the oppressors. They died

Because they were the crushed

Flowers, and not the crushing feet.

They died because they were peace

Makers. They perished from hunger

In a land rich with milk and honey.

They died because monsters of

Hell arose and destroyed all that

Their fields grew, and devoured the

Last provisions in their bins....

They died because the vipers and

Sons of vipers spat out poison into

The space where the Holy Cedars and

The roses and the jasmine breathe

Their fragrance."

https://allpoetry.com/poem/14326976-Dead-Are-My-People-by-Khalil-Gibran

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Sam Husseini's avatar

Dear Jewell --

You comment is incredible to me in a number of ways.

I was not familiar (or had forgotten) the poem, it's wonderful and speaks so much to Palestine now.

When I chose the picture to feature atop the piece, I knew it -- esp the woman with hands outstreached -- reminded me of something, but I couldn't recall what. After reading your comment, I realized it's similar to some of Khalil Gibran's drawings, like this one:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Untitled%2C_Kahlil_Gibran%2C_c._1915%E2%80%931918.jpg

The line "stretched toward the East and West" links to one of my art projects:

https://compassroses.org

Finally, the person I know who knows the most about KG is Edmund Ghareeb, who is largely responsible for the "Enemy of the Sun" piece cited atop my piece.

https://www.blackagendareport.com/poem-enemy-sun-samih-al-qasim-1970

Thank you so much,

Usamah

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Jewell's avatar

Videos with the verses from these poems read over the photos of past and present crimes and atrocities, I believe could be powerful. Instead of "Dead are my people" they are murdering our people, erasing our history, and committing ecocide. just a thought.

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Mags Schneider's avatar

Verklempt is the wyrd that has been with me all week

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Sam Husseini's avatar

Dear Mags,

Ironic learning a new, such relevant, word from this.

Usamah

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Jim Brasile's avatar

Sam! Saw what you did mentioning our Veterans For Peace group fasting for Gaza outside the UN!... I WANT TO MEET YOU AT THE UN !!??! Bring my grandkids! Also teachers from Connecticut!! Can you help?!!??

Jim Brasile

Veterans for Peace Connecticut

Vfpconnecticut42@gmail.com

Thanks Jim

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