“Long live Palestine!”
we chanted every morning at primary school.
We were innocent,
Focused against the occupation,
hate,
violence
and oppression.
We truly loved our country.
We never forgot the keys
to our original homes from which we were forced.
We all were Palestinians.

Until things changed.

They taught us to love Palestine above all else,
to die for it,
to sacrifice what we had for it,
to oppose the occupation.
And we did
but they didn’t!

Instead they fought each other,
dividing our loyalties,
splitting our identity into factions:
green, red, black and white.
Each party stole a color from our flag,
Turning our unity into a war of hues.

Our resources they plundered.
Our hearts they broke.
Yet on our behalf they say they speak.
They transformed our patriotism
into self-destruction.

We still dream of our occupied cities,
But now there is more for which we long:
Peace, a decent life, dignity.
Before, our oppressors were the thieves;
Now our own people have joined them.
For unity we pray—one flag once again.
Long live Palestine!

Mohammed Arafat
24-02-2019

Trapped

               In between what's dead and gone
               Under the weight of what's meant to be
               In a place where no one has crossed
               Where I am bound to stay

Forever
               Bound, ununited
               Compelled to do what has to be done
               To accomplish what once said
               No choice, no way

Change
               Is beyond my control
               A will that may not happen
               ****** upon me with no care
               A future that I have no opinion in

Done
               Is my opinion, ignored upon
               Free will a figment of reality
               Just a mindless robot wasting away
               Without asking, without a soul.

It was Sharin's will that kept them,
From death's solitary company.
Only once satisfied and ready,
Would they return to her side.
Many Sharin's ago dragons learned respect,
As protective music saw their supremacy challenged,
It was despair that threatened them most,
Sharin held them close,
With invisible arms that enclosed,
Around mankind in darker times,
Composed of many efforts,
Leaving none ununited.

Mirror hung on my wall
I am staring at you
A conversation starts
between us two

You:
Ununited the world is
You have hate to one another
Rage sneaks into your lives
to your nerves and blood
They love you when they need you
They leave you when you need them

The strong prey on the weak
The rich steal the poor
You have no right to speak
Patronage plays the role

Families divided
Decisions decided
Bad presided
You misguided

I come for a reason
to make you thankful
to stop the treason
and believe in handful

Me:
You came to teach us
but with a big fuss
Our families are pretty ill
Please, teach, but don’t ****!

Mohammed Arafat
25-03-2020

So much time wasted
on ununited nations
remainder zero

          Kelly McManus