The perplexing smiles of the children of Palestine

despite the actions of the few

And excessive retaliation,

drones,

planes,

bombs,

tanks,

rubble,

buildings demolished,

vanished houses and neighborhoods,

hospitals targeted,

U.N. shelters disrespected,

murder,

death,

deliberate killing of noncombatants,

babies buried alive,

amputations,

hunger and political starvation,

lack of or no water,

strategic sanitation,

daily terror,

and terrorized daily,

military maneuvering,

moving here and there,

to return back again to nowhere,

trauma with all its manifestations,

international prayers and hesitation,

defiance to the realization of two nations,

global aid thwarted,

global amnesia,

siblings and relatives gone forever,

parental worries –

in the face of apex arrogance

and ethnic cleansing by any definition…

still your laughter can be heard

and somehow you are able to smile,

O resilient Children of Palestine!

Featured Image credit: Omar Chatriwala; modified by Tempest.

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