where halfway around the world
the journalists are saying goodbye
presenting perfect poetry of condemnation
and bleak acceptance
“Faces have become pale
hope has disappeared
we will not forgive
those who were able to speak truth
and remained silent“
-Ismail Jood
still offering beautiful
words to describe atrocity
“I do not know how much
longer I have. I hope people will
remember me in a beautiful way
and I will remain in your hearts”
-Ayman Aledi
such a soft and aching request
after documenting a massacre
please know I was beautiful
please know I was strong
please know I did everything I could
*
“It is about life or death now
I did what I could
we are surrounded by Israeli tanks”
-Motaz Azaiza
I�did what I could
what words are more defeated
what words are more innocent
survival like that means no longer
doing what you stayed for
their eyes are our eyes
“There is nowhere to go
I cannot leave. A bomb killed
fifty people in my neighbors home”
-Thaaer Abu Rayyash
escape is not possible
their eyes are our eyes
what must it be like
to document your own destruction
“I am an English speaker
my wife and child will leave.
I can help document in English“
-Mansour
in English
for us
they are begging for their eyes to be our eyes
individual life is less important
than the belief of the world
“I no longer have hope of survival
like I had in the beginning.
I am certain I will die in the next few weeks,
maybe days“
-Bisan
maybe days
maybe days
maybe days
most of us
don’t know
when the reaper is coming
but these authors
these fearless artists
they’re risking their lives to
be the eyes of the world
those who are
begging for peace
somewhere halfway around the world
the journalists are saying goodbye
they have accepted the inevitability
of occupation
of genocide
they will still be our eyes
until they cannot anymore
somewhere halfway around the world
children are dying
and the journalists
are saying goodbye
- Omer Yildiz Unsplash
- This is my own work and has not been generated in whole or in part by AI
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