As I watched a large green tank roll towards me,

as I stood in the middle of the street,

Walking towards my college with ear phones in my ears,

I wondered if the devil was real.

When I ran in to the classroom for protection as everyone scattered into a state of havoc,

I heard bullet shots hit the windows and learned some students were hit,

I wondered if the soldiers pulled the trigger or the devil did.

As the students and professors gathered the courage to protect one another,

Tear gas was shot into the building through the broken glass,

As I held my breath, I thought “It must be the devil”.

My parents heard about the attacks from Al-Jazeera news and told me to come home.

I told them “I still have class tomorrow” as I prepared my assignments for the next day,

I thought I should not give in to fear.

I lived today and i could live tomorrow.

I woke up to hear my friend was shot dead.

His blood ran through our palestinian soil as he laid there.

I didn’t know that I wouldn’t be able to say goodbye,

But I guess the devil didn’t want that neither.

Sometimes the soldiers would knock on my aparment door along with all the neighbors,

I thought the devil wanted a late night snack to raid our homes and leave us in the cold.

When I opened the tv to hear about the bombing in Gaza being described as “Operation protective edge” instead of “the masscre of Shujaya”.

I wondered why the devil hated us?

But then I thought, The devil’s goal is not to hate us.

The devils goal is to make us hate one another.

It whispers in our ears to kill, to seek revenge, to take pride in war.

The devil never was real in our world.

The devil never pulled the trigger.

The devil didn’t care if we never said goodbye.

The devil never wanted a late night snack.

The devil never hated each other.

Does the devil really exsist?

Maybe it does...

But for sure Demons exsist,

the ones who chose to wear the horns,

they become the demons that we fear in movies.

They become their own nightmare ,

serenading them selfs with angels dust.

The devil could have whispered in your ear but you created your demons.

No one to blame but ourselves for the pain we’ve caused one another.

#demons #devil #Poetry #challengeoftheweek #angelsanddemons #palestine #israelioccupaition #war #struggle #nonfiction #memories #palestinianwriter

#selfreflection

I wanted to dance when I was little, You signed me up for dance classes.

When I got older you told me I was mature and shouldn't dance anymore.

I wanted to sing, so I joined the schools talent show. I sang live on stage.

When I got older you told me a women's voice shouldn't be heard.

I wanted to make friends. My friends were mostly male.

When I got older you told me that it would ruin my reputation.

I wanted to eat cake. So you bought me some on your way from work.

When I got older you told me I should watch my weight so I could marry.

I wanted to study psychology, so I bought alot of psychology books.

When I got older you told me that job doesn't pay and people will think your crazy.

I wanted to play games, so you let me play.

When I got older I wasn't playing games anymore but you made up many rules.

So Baba, if you ever read this, I'm sorry for not being a product of your traditions.

But I'm not sorry for realizing that there are loopholes in your rules.

I don't follow rules any more Baba, I make them.

Sincerly,

Your not so little daughter.

#dad #poetry #father #baba #letter #growingup #selfreflection #notsorry #family #comingofage #patience

Pride walks with flourished wings.

Ready to abandon voices and eyes.

It treads on water only to splash others,

Pride, hand-in-hand, passes out white flags.

Only for others to wave it in defeat.

It hides its devil ears with righteous word.

Prides tone of voice is auto tuned

To make sure the outcome is its own.

Pride Photoshop’s its life to be a perfect one.

It shares the miraculous and hides the deviant.

Pride is permanent

Pride is also the end of your true self.

Because Pride doesn’t have enough room for the weak.

#poetry #pride #poetrycommunity #3rdpost #selfreflection

Sometimes it breaks into your home,

through the cracks of your body,

Karma could see you when nobody else could.

Sometimes karma wears a short skirt and likes pots of gold.

Other days Karma has a sweet smile but devil thoughts.

Karma can look vulnerable and bite like a snake.

Taking respondsibility was never your option

so Karma made your respondsiblity, it's respondsiblity.

You can run but Karma's a bitch.

The karma you know is on vacation though,

but the Karma I know,

She has short hair ,wears glasses, a hoodie, and nike shoes,

knows where you live, knows your secrets.

Most importantly, she remembers the day you hurt her.

#Karmasabitch #poetry #Karma #writtingcommunity #poetrycommunity #secondpoem #firstday #july1 #Competition

I said I was lonely when I sat at home,

When I sang with my sisters.

When my brother came with memes.

When my father shared his dad jokes,

and my mother made cakes.

I said I was lonely as I sat in Noosha

writing an essay for an English Literature class,

where the waiter gave me free eclairs.

because I always went there.

I said I was lonely,

When I broke up with my boyfriend.

Who held on to me, loosing his state of mind.

When all I had left was a white teddy, a shirt , a ring,

and the messages he left for me.

I said I was lonely when I remembered,

my next door neighbor when i lived in Chicago.

Before i moved to the other side of the world.

We played everyday religiously.

Catching fireflies and dancing beneath the street lights

In roller blades and shiny nail polish.

I said I was lonely when my hair became short.

When my applications were filled and sent.

When the flight was purchased and goodbyes were said.

I said I wasn't lonely when I stepped on new territory.

I wasn't lonely when i met my online lover.

Or carried a new life style.

When I said I was lonely, I wasn't.

But my family grew further and I did too.

Phone calls decreased, memes lessened,

messages stopped coming and words weren't shared.

I said I was lonely with them.

But I am lonely with out them

and it is my fault.

She always wanted more people around her,

She felt her family was permanent

so she spent her life chasing strangers

and distancing her family

I wasn't till I was , I wish I hadn't but I had and now I really am alone.

#poetry #loneliness #personal #family #love #karmaabitch #writtingcommunity #poetrycommunity #firstpost #Iwasnttilliwas