Gaza has become a haven for Palestinians who were forced from their homes and lands in order for Israel to build its settler, colonial state (and it was never faith based either, as there are Christian Palestinians who were displaced as well). It is a book of poetry about indigeneity, about what it means to come from a land versus trying to bend a land to suit your needs. Palestinians are made to grieve over and over, not only for the death of their loved ones, but for the destruction of their livelihoods (their olive trees completely ripped from the roots, their farms burned) and their culture. There were so many moments where I had to pause or reread because the poem was so shocking or I just needed to hold on to it for one more moment. I took my time with this book, so I could really appreciate the immense weight and truth it holds in so few pages. Poetry is meant to elicit, to provoke, to shock, but also to sooth. These poems did all of that, because while you feel the horror of what is happening, you also feel the connection that Mosab has to his family, to his people, to his roots, to the place his Grandparents were forced to flee. You feel the desire to return, to have a right to your history, and you feel the depth of community that Palestinians have with one another. This is a book of poems that should be taught, studied, and talked about. Because it truly displays how this attack on Palestinians has been playing out for years, generations, and how it has affected the lives of every Palestinian (from Gaza, to the West Bank, and to all those in the diaspora). No one has come away unharmed by this occupation. Every Palestinian has felt the pain of loss, grief, anger, resentment, and many have lost body parts to the occupation. Not to mention the continuing traumatic stress they deal with everyday mentally. This is only one man, and what he has endured in his short life is unfathomable. Only those who have been victims of oppression can truly understand his pain. But, these poems allow for empathy, allow those who are learning the truth to feel how painful and real and unjust what is happening, what happened, and what continues to happen to Palestinians truly is. It is a book of poems that fuels a desire to stop the occupation, to stand with Palestinians for a free Palestine. Favourite poem: "On Gaza Seashore I convince myself that a palm tree never bends, nor do its dates rot. I imagine the sky only occupied by birds and swollen clouds. I walk alone along the beach and never fear getting drenched by the cold, silent waves. Should you find me asleep, be sure I am either dreaming of roses and doves or staring into the void beneath me. I will dress in my rosy suit and walk to the port, even though I know no ship is arriving. My hope is that you will come flying to me on your tireless wings. I will collect seashells and pebbles to build a house for us on the beach until you come. I don't know how many houses I will have built before you come. I'm afraid I will rebuild Gaza by then."
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