I looked around me,
by my sleepless eyes.
I saw beauty, history and love.
I saw peace.
I did see peace,
but only inside the worshipping places,
and between the worshipper and God,
and only inside the hearts of righteous.
I then looked around,
and smelled hate and detestation,
all around my home,
in the occupied city of Jerusalem.

A checkpoint,
an unidentified ID,
threats,
demolition orders,
a wall, a high one,
which should have to go,
watchtowers,
hating settlers,
and soldiers with helmets and M16s,
made it so hard for me to live,
along with my family,
in my city.
Yet, I lived because I love,
the old city of Jerusalem.

Palestinians in my area are gone.
It was only me, and lots of settlers,
around me.
I accepted that,
because I wanted peace,
I wanted love,
I wanted Jerusalem,
But they didn’t accept it.

Secured with shields, heavy weapons,
and chants of settlers,
they evicted my kids and wife,
from my home,
on which they planted their flag,
while media covered the incident all round us.

They then arrested me not knowing why.
I though knew this house was mine.
It was my father’s.
my grandfather’s,
and my great grandfather’s.
It was built before their court was built!

They lived instead of me.
They ate from our food,
sat in our sofas,
watched our T.V,
and slept in our beds.

I wept…
for the first time in my life,
I wept…
like little kids,
I wept…
Like a mother weeping over her lost son.
None made me weep,
but them,
and their hate.

Mohammed Arafat
17-02-2019