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You shall not escape

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