When I was seven, Jesus cried…
POETRY FORMAT, 21 Jan 2013
Nahida, the exiled Palestinian – TRANSCEND Media Service
When I was seven
I was living
In a beautiful village
North of Jerusalem
Near the heart of Palestine
I used to play
Where Jesus used to pray
I ran up the hills
Where he used to walk
Listening through the wind
To the echo of his talk
“Oh, children of God,
Love one another”
A man of Palestine
Gentle, kind, and giving
A true prince of peace
Ever so loving…
Up above my head
White fluffy clouds
Slept all day
On my blue sky’s lap
I used to lie down
Jumping with my soul
Up in to heaven
Weaving with the clouds
Snow white and teddy bears
I’d make up stories
Dressed up as a princess
Dancing with the fairies
Flying on the wings
Of a pure white bird
With a magical brush
That no one could see
I painted the world
With colours of the rainbow
I flew wiping tears away
Of every human face
Putting a big smile
Right in their place
I spoke every language
With no words at all
With all words of love
They answered my call
Every drop of water
Every grain of sand
Every green leaf
Felt God’s loving hand
UNTIL
One summer day
My life was turned
Up-side down
My peaceful world
SUDDENLY .. ran away
Leaving me to drown
Shivering all alone
In the grave-yard of town
THE SIX-DAY WAR
EVER SO CRUEL
The army of Zion
Marched ready to fight
Crushing us with bombs
Proud of all their might
Stealing our country
Was a “ God given right”
Killing.. maiming.. destroying
“CHOSEN”, so it’s all right
Bombing peaceful towns
All night and day
Killing young children
So, no longer to play
Tearing clouds apart
Scaring them away
Burning innocent lives
Chasing dreams away
Filled with shame and guilt
Of Hitler’s holocaust
Followers of Christ
People of the west
Cheered .. rejoiced ..hurray
To a cheap victory
While Jesus was weeping
Crying out loud
The murder of his children
And the rape of his land
When I was seven
Jesus cried
Ever so hard ! !
___________________________
Born in Al-Quds (Jerusalem), I am Palestinian refugee living in exile for over 45 years. I was forced to leave my homeland, Palestine at the age of seven during the six-day war. My academic qualification is in Mathematics, but art is one of my favorite pastimes. I love hand-made things, so I make dolls, cards, and most of my own clothes. I also write poetry, and because I believe communication is the first step of understanding, I participate in dialogues with friends, known and unknown. I believe in building bridges not walls.
Go to Original – nahidaexiledpalestinian.com
DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. In accordance with title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. TMS has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is TMS endorsed or sponsored by the originator. “GO TO ORIGINAL” links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the “GO TO ORIGINAL” links. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Nahida, you are right to seek to build bridges, rather than walls, and to seek to exchange ideas, rather than vollies of bullets. Jerusalem was originally known as “Uru Salim”, or the “City of Peace”. (From the ancient records of Syria, circa 2500 B.C.) While the conflict among Jews and Palestinians is not being easily resolved, let me suggest something that will help to resolve conflict elsewhere, and that will alleviate much suffering among the unseen poorest of the planet. Between 1986 and 2011 the number of people on the planet increased by two billion. That was a forty percent increase in the human population of our world. This has generated endless cheap labor, and countless thralls. What needs to be done is to give these poor, desperate people the option of knowing how to use the natural (and artificial) methods of birth control. Over-crowded people become over-stressed populations, and this is a direct cause of more crime and more violence. We need to instruct people to seek God within themselves – not necessarily within a building. The poor need to be taught to seek signs from God, in order to find solutions to their seemingly hopeless plight. Have you heard many people suggest that?