If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blaze –
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himself –
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up
above
and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale.
__________
Dr. Refaat Alareer was a Palestinian poet, writer, activist, and a professor of English literature at Islamic University of Gaza. Dr. Alareer was a well renowned teacher; respected by many for nurturing young Palestinian writers and helping them to tell their stories in English. He was martyred by an Israeli airstrike in Shajaiya, Northern Gaza, on December 6, 2023, along with his brother, his sister, and her four children.
He leaves behind his wife, and six children, aged 7-21. Sources at CNN have been unable to contact Dr. Alareer's family.
written by Astoria E Greene
[23 December 2023]
__________
Sources
Haq, Sana Noor, and Abeer Salman. "Gaza Professor and Writer Killed in Airstrike, Weeks after Telling CNN He and His Family Had 'Nowhere Else to Go.'" CNN, Cable News Network, 12 Dec. 2023, amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/12/11/middleeast/refaat-alareer-gaza-professor-killed-in-airstrike-intl/index.html.
Serhan, Yasmeen. "The Voice Notes Poet Refaat Alareer Sent before His Death." Time, Time, 14 Dec. 2023, time.com/6344843/refaat-alareer-killed-poet-gaza-notes/.
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Everything You Need to Know - PALESTINE
Non-FictionAn informative guide to understanding the situation in Palestine. I do not claim ownership of any multimedia referenced in this book-- attribution and sources provided as always. Astoria E Greene
