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Channel Esther: Israel and Palestine
Esther Cohen
July 20, 2014
by Esther Cohen
Even if you
are not obsessed
with Israel and Palestine (I am)
even if you’ve never been
to Gaza or Jerusalem (I have)
even if you
don’t dream at least
once a month for many years
of what you once saw
even just an orange grove
or the sea of course
there are seas and orange groves
in other places even if you didn’t go
at twenty to a country full
of hope and plans
rich with the languages
of poems
where many arms were wide open
even if you accepted newspaper wisdom
how hard for all of this
to finally stop
i still after all these many years
i still believe in people themselves
no matter what we are every one of us
more or less the same and no one
wants a child to die
we are all heart broken
heartsick these painful days
even if you are not (I am) a hopeful type
it’s hard not to imagine
not to pray even if you don’t pray
nelson mandela
moses
a beautiful strong woman
in a wide brimmed hat
will lead us all away
Even if you
are not obsessed
with Israel and Palestine (I am)
even if you’ve never been
to Gaza or Jerusalem (I have)
even if you
don’t dream at least
once a month for many years
of what you once saw
even just an orange grove
or the sea of course
there are seas and orange groves
in other places even if you didn’t go
at twenty to a country full
of hope and plans
rich with the languages
of poems
where many arms were wide open
even if you accepted newspaper wisdom
how hard for all of this
to finally stop
i still after all these many years
i still believe in people themselves
no matter what we are every one of us
more or less the same and no one
wants a child to die
we are all heart broken
heartsick these painful days
even if you are not (I am) a hopeful type
it’s hard not to imagine
not to pray even if you don’t pray
nelson mandela
moses
a beautiful strong woman
in a wide brimmed hat
will lead us all away
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