Nahida is a Jerusalem-born Palestinian refugee living in exile for over 42 years. She was forced to leave her homeland, Palestine at the age of seven during the six-day war.
Here is her poem:
About a home with a broken lantern
About a picnic that wasn’t enjoyed
About an axe that killed a tulip
A story about a fire that consumed a plait
I want to tell the world
I want to tell the world a story
About a home with a broken lantern
And a burnt doll
About a picnic that wasn’t enjoyed
About an axe that killed a tulip
A story about a fire that consumed a plait
A story about a tear that couldn't run down
I want to tell a story about a goat that wasn’t milked
About a mother’s dough that wasn’t baked
About a wedding that wasn’t celebrated
And a baby girl that didn’t grow up
About a football that wasn’t kicked
About a dove that didn’t fly
I want to tell a story about a key that wasn’t used
About a classroom that wasn’t attended
About a playground that was silenced
About a book that wasn’t read
About a besieged lonely farm
And about its fruits that weren’t picked
About a lie that wasn't discovered
A story about a church that’s no longer prayed in
And a mosque that no longer stands
And a culture no longer rejoiced
I want to tell a story about a muddy grassy roof
About a stone that faced a tank
And about a stubborn flag that refuses to lie down
About a spirit that cannot be defeated
I want to tell the world a story
Now light a little candle for Palestine
You can do it
Light a candle One little candle
Watch the darkness fade away
Watch the darkness fade away
Just try it out
One ray of light
Wipes away the gloomiest
Jet-black nights
As the dawn breaks
Wipes away the gloomiest
Jet-black nights
As the dawn breaks
Just observe
Can you see that
All the might of darkness
In the world
Cannot extinguish
The faintest flicker
Of a beam of light
All the might of darkness
In the world
Cannot extinguish
The faintest flicker
Of a beam of light
Light a candle
One little candle
Watch the darkness fade away
One little candle
Watch the darkness fade away
You can do it
Hey.. WORLD
Wow that was beautiful and the photos really completed it, MashaAllah. JazakAllah Khair for sharing this and may Allah help our brothers and sisters in Palestine and all over the world who are suffering and may we never forget them. <3
ReplyDeleteAameen...
DeleteMay Allah end the misery of the people of Palestine soon and may we live to see that beautiful day dawn..