You cannot stitch the breath
back into this boy.
A brother and sister were playing with toys
when their room exploded.
In what language
is this holy?
The Jewish boys killed in the cave
were skipping school, having an adventure.
Asel Asleh, Palestinian, age 17, believed in the field
beyond right and wrong where people came together
to talk. He kneeled to help someone else
stand up before he was shot.
If this is holy,
could we have some new religions please?
Mohammed al-Durra huddled against his father
in the street, terrified. The whole world saw him die.
An Arab father on crutches burying his 4 month girl weeps,
“I spit in the face of this ugly world.”
*
Most of us would take our children over land.
We would walk in the fields forever homeless
with our children,
huddle under cliffs, eat crumbs and berries,
to keep our children.
This is what we say from a distance
because we can say whatever we want.
*
No one was right.
Everyone was wrong.
What if they’d get together
and say that?
At a certain point
the flawed narrator wins.
People made mistakes for decades.
Everyone hurt in similar ways
at different times.
Some picked up guns because guns were given.
If they were holy it was okay to use guns.
Some picked up stones because they had them.
They had millions of them.
They might have picked up turnip roots
or olive pits.
Picking up things to throw and shoot:
at the same time people were studying history,
going to school.
*
The curl of a baby’s graceful ear.
The calm of a bucket
waiting for water.
Orchards of the old Arab men
who knew each tree.
Jewish and Arab women
standing silently together.
Generations of black.
Are people the only holy land?
***
Thesis.
- This poem centers on the misconception of religion. All religion promotes peace and love, yes we must stand up for our beliefs when being oppressed yet there are a number of people (from any religion) who believes violence will put things in the right order.
Notes.
- why is it 'considered'? why is it not 'important'?
- deceased, young kids/teenager/religion
- imagery used to inform the age of the deceased
- repetition of 'holy'
- those not in the situation would not understand the sufferings
- no one to point out the obvious
- guns vs. rocks, optional vs. fated
- tone (disappointed, angry, sad)
- itallic sentences
First Exploratory Draft.
In the poem "All Things Not Considered", written by Naomi Shihab Nye, the poet describes the effects of a war carried out in the misconception beliefs of religion. The poem focused on the younger victims of wars and how humanity fades from one's faith.
With imagery, the innocent and young age of the murdered victims was emphasised by including the activities (playing with toys, skipping school) or situations they were in when they were attacked. Some were happily and innocently playing with their toys while some were murdered brutally infront of a family member- two victims died in their father's presence. The victims were described by their different religions(being the main excuse for a war). At the same time, the poet portrays a calmer situation whereby families bring their children out and about the explore and spend quality time together. The poet was raged by the absence of a bold volunteer who would stand up to point out the obvious things- the war happening and its effects. It was clearly explained that everyone who is able to think is able to choose wisely, not just for themselves but also in respect to other human beings. Even if one is to be pushed to a corner to carry out a sin (murder), the conscious should be able to reason the nervousness and choose not to carry it out.
The repetition and itallicised of 'holy' and it being linked to "religion" shows how the poet losing her faith in religion as it has been pushing people to take another person's life without any stronger basis nor logic as to killing children. In the poem, religion is being described as an evil excuse to carry out wars just to stand up for one's confused belief, it has deviated from the religion original teaching which is to promote peace and love. The poet struggles to convince what is more important, that peace can be found in each other and not by going against one another.
Image taken from http://electronicintifada.net/content/un-office-palestinian-childrens-rights-being-violated/7721
No comments:
Post a Comment