From the River to the Sea

From the River to the Sea — A Gaza Lament

Original Poem by Sanniah Hassan

Content Warning: war, violence, and themes of ongoing genocide.

Note: This piece is a personal lament for Gaza—an expression of grief, solidarity, and the aching hope for freedom. It reflects the anguish of witnessing ongoing suffering from afar while holding fast to a vision of peace and dignity for the people of Palestine.

I see their tears.

I hear their cries.

I witness their suffering –

and through it all

die a little inside.

My peace is gone,

I feel helpless each day.

I lose my hope a little bit,

Every day, never once at all.

I pray for their freedom.

I wish for a time,

when Gaza’s skies are clear as noon.

I chant in my dreams the slogan of freedom

I shout from my lungs –

“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

Though the future seems distant,

I keep Gaza in my prayers,

as I strive for its people in my breath.

I wish to see its children breathe freely, without a care

As they run to play in the streets without fear,

Their laughter ringing through the air,

filled with kites where rubble once lay.

A Gaza that is welcoming.

Liberated.

Alive.

At peace.

As their sparkle and flare return.

*Originally published on my profile Medium.

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