You shall not escape
Shall not enjoy your sleep or wakefulness
Before you
Our dreams
Pens
and eyes
Before you
Our Walls
cement
and steel
Behind you
Our birds
Ahmad / Zechariah / Mohammed / Ismail
The sixteenth of July of every year of your lives
Behind you
The smell of bunt flesh
The burns of Sabah at Beit Lahiya
The wounds of Zainab Abu Teir
The fourth day of January of every year of your lives
Behind you
The shadows of our families
Abu Khater / Abu Jame’ / in Khan Younis
Al Dalw / and Kilani / in Gaza
Al Ghoul / Abu Jazar / Zourob / Neireb / Ghaith / in Rafah / on the twentieth of July / and the third of August / and the nineteenth of November / of every year of your lives
Behind you
Our live memories
In Haifa / Sabbarin/ Acre / Ilut / Khuza’a / Dawayima / Jenin / Tantura /Salha / and Falluja
Our live memories
In Sabra / Shatila / Deir Yassin / and Shujaya / Majd Al-Chrome / Sasa / Kafr Qasim / Lajjun / Lifta / and Lubia
Behind you
Our sand
Our glass
Our flesh
Behind you
Our blood
Our salt
Our farms
Behind you
Our cactus
And stubbornness
Shall not escape
Shall not escape
We promise you
We promise us
You shall not escape
Written by: Faiha Abdulhadi
Translated by: Dima Abughazaleh