By Remi Kanazi
don’t call it genocide
we don’t want to offend anyone
if we offend them
they’ll never listen to us
we have to be reasonable
1,400 is just a number
no names
no death
we want peace and negotiations
don’t mention Zionism
if you mention Zionism
they’ll call you anti-Semitic
and people will believe them
don’t cite Palestinian sources
no one will believe you
I won’t believe you
trust Israeli sources
don’t ever be angry
if you’re angry
they’ll call you angry
if they’re angry
everyone will call them
understandably emotional
we have to be pragmatic
pragmatism is not a euphemism
for concessions
although it may feel that way
don’t mention Allah or martyrs
it reminds them of Al Qaeda and 9/11
it’s not your job to fix their ignorance
don’t talk about refugees
boycott
or a one-state solution
if we want to win we have to compromise
the road to peace is just ahead
don’t make analogies that include
the Nazis,the Holocaust, or the Warsaw Ghetto
only Israelis are allowed to do this
when discussing wars on
Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran
don’t talk about Haifa, Yaffa, Safad
or where your family is from
but if you do
nod when random people say they love Israel
it doesn’t matter where you came from
you can’t actually go back
don’t
just don’t
and that will lead to doing
Remi Kanazi is a poet, writer, and activist based in New
York City. He is the editor of Poets For Palestine (Al
Jisser Group, 2008). His political commentary has been
featured by news outlets throughout the world, including
Al Jazeera English, GRITtv with Laura Flanders, and BBC
Radio. His poetry has taken him across North America,
the UK, and the Middle East, and he recently appeared
in the Palestine Festival of Literature as well as Poetry
International. He is a recurring writer in residence and
advisory board member for the Palestine Writing Workshop.
York City. He is the editor of Poets For Palestine (Al
Jisser Group, 2008). His political commentary has been
featured by news outlets throughout the world, including
Al Jazeera English, GRITtv with Laura Flanders, and BBC
Radio. His poetry has taken him across North America,
the UK, and the Middle East, and he recently appeared
in the Palestine Festival of Literature as well as Poetry
International. He is a recurring writer in residence and
advisory board member for the Palestine Writing Workshop.
(http://www.poeticinjustice.net/book/about-remi.html)
No comments:
Post a Comment