O Jerusalem, Guest Post and Photo by Carol Hallman

I am always so deeply grateful to Carol for the poetry that takes me into the issues of the day but also by her poetic style of short short lines that make me feel that I am going forward step by step by step, which is sometimes the only way I can face it. The photo is hers as well but draws me there in memory to my visit ten years ago.

It’s been a long time
Since peace
Real peace
Lasting peace
Peace with justice
Peace with love
Peace with hope
Reigned
(if ever)
In Israel

In the Old city
Jerusalem
In Palestinian territories
Ramallah
And certainly not
In the Gaza strip

Images of keys
Keys to homes
Long gone
The Nakba
Those keys
Symbolize
Hope but
Are also a
Daily reminder

Of
2 laws
2 rules
Apartheid
By any other name

We call it
The Holy Land
Bethlehem
City of Bread
Where Jesus was born
Jerusalem
Home for three
Religions
And their Holy Sites

Al Aqsa Mosque
Stands above
The wailing wall
The western wall
Of the temple
The church of
The Resurrection
Gives testimony
To Christian roots

Many
In all three
Locations pray
Pray for peace
Justice
For all

As the bombs
Fall
As destruction
Reigns
As “skunk” spray
Scatters
Because one group
Has had enough
Of homes being
Razed

Jerusalem, Jerusalem
The city that kills
The prophets-
How we long
To gather you
In your pain and anguish
Your fear and anxiety

How we long for
A way out
A way through
For voices of peace
Who are already whispering
To speak louder
And louder to yell
“STOP”
Enough

How much blood
Must be shed
In this Holy Land
Before we learn
That the only way
We can live
The only we can find
Peace
The only way we can
Find our way
Is through

Love
And in that love
We may finally see
Not a Jew,
Not a Muslim
Not a Palestinian
Not a Christian

But a brother
And sister
Father and mother
For we are
All connected
All created
All called

To do justice
Love kindness
And walk humbly
With our GOD