They call us now.
Before they drop the bombs.
The phone rings
and someone who knows my first name
calls and says in perfect Arabic
“This is David.”
And in my stupor of sonic booms and glass shattering symphonies
still smashing around in my head
I think “Do I know any Davids in Gaza?”
They call us now to say
Run.
You have 58 seconds from the end of this message.
Your house is next.
They think of it as some kind of war time courtesy.
It doesn’t matter that
there is nowhere to run to.
It means nothing that the borders are closed
and your papers are worthless
and mark you only for a life sentence
in this prison by the sea
and the alleyways are narrow
and there are more human lives
packed one against the other
more than any other place on earth
Just run.
We aren’t trying to kill you.
It doesn’t matter that
you can’t call us back to tell us
the people we claim to want aren’t in your house
that there’s no one here
except you and your children
who were cheering for Argentina
sharing the last loaf of bread for this week
counting candles left in case the power goes out.
It doesn’t matter that you have children.
You live in the wrong place
and now is your chance to run
to nowhere.
It doesn’t matter
that 58 seconds isn’t long enough
to find your wedding album
or your son’s favorite blanket
or your daughter’s almost completed college application
or your shoes
or to gather everyone in the house.
It doesn’t matter what you had planned.
It doesn’t matter who you are
Prove you’re human.
Prove you stand on two legs.
Run.
Running Orders by Lena Khalaf Tuffaha
(via lilightfoot)
- changethepast liked this
- communistkiss liked this
- squeackygee reblogged this from newsouthnegress
- dillenger4u liked this
- squeackygee liked this
- zim-zam-the-space-man reblogged this from pushtheheart
- pushtheheart reblogged this from pushtheheart
- unquiet-things reblogged this from womanontheedgeoftyne-blog
- lucaluxury liked this
- aegarrison reblogged this from beautyofabellylaugh
- taenyllairniris-blog liked this
- sword-and-spear liked this
- sword-and-spear reblogged this from palestina
- wester-nesse reblogged this from yayasmeen
- venus-meanest reblogged this from blue-author
- theonlyleftydesk reblogged this from sexhaver
- pazzzalam reblogged this from communistkiss
- creatorsmastertape liked this
- daiislove-blog reblogged this from pensamiento-serpentino-blog
- mantecadito liked this
- estosoloempieza reblogged this from florecitadeceibo
- estosoloempieza liked this
- florecitadeceibo reblogged this from pensamiento-serpentino-blog
- marielx reblogged this from communistkiss
- esperanzaylibertad liked this
- enteneiblau reblogged this from pensamiento-serpentino-blog
- dianaguadalupe17 reblogged this from communistkiss
- dianaguadalupe17 liked this
- pensamiento-serpentino-blog reblogged this from communistkiss
- pensamiento-serpentino-blog liked this
- jennyheuxlzer reblogged this from communistkiss
- hibachigirl-blog liked this
- sadbopsonly liked this
- artwolf liked this
- communistkiss reblogged this from exorpiona
- its-writtenn reblogged this from fateem-eyat
- brokenxnightmare15 liked this
- Show more notes