Derawi

From societies living together yet drowning in hatred and despair emerge two souls who see the truth in the wisdom of their prophets: ＂Feed the hungry and greet with words of peace those you know and those you do not know＂ and ＂the work of righteousness shall be peace＂. Basman Derawi (Gaza/Egypt) and Michal Rubin (Israel/US) write for a true ＂Never again＂ ＂Not in my name＂, for a child not to have ＂Genocide＂ in his/her dictionary, for living colonization free, occupation free, for no more selective humanity, for justice which is the only road to real peace.

This is a book of searching and finding, through fear and pain, their shared humanity, love of the land, and its people, and decide, in their unique way through poetry, to co-create the yet unfertilized seed of a new reality.

As Rubin writes:

When I hear you say

＂I am from Gaza＂

I think I must paint the screams I don’t hear

and that there isn’t enough love

nor enough red paint

and what color to use

for the silence

between cries

And Derawi responds:

When I hear you say,

＂I am from Israel＂

and you unzip your chest,

handing me your heart.

Same hearts, same humanity.

I breathe again, I almost cry.

The poems in this collection are a precious example of a careful and thoughtful paradigm shift, creating a path to a world of justice, trust, caring, love, and safety between ＂enemies＂.