no!

by mueen bessissou

his wounds said: "no!"
his chains said: "no!"
and the turtledove which shielded his
wound with her feather
said: "no!"
"no!" for those who sold and bought
gaza's silver anklet.
they sold the bullets and bought a goose.

quaking goose!
stop for a moment.
and listen to him
saying: "no!"
pity him; he did not die under neon lights,
between the candlestick and the moon.
pity him; there was no formal announcement
or a dumb funeral.
no moaning poem nor song.
songs!
let me compose, if only one line of verse,
that i may recite it to all the men with
long and false beards.

stop quaking for a moment
and listen to him saying: "no!"
like the solid fence of a horse in gaza.
everyday, he gets killed one thousand times,
quaking goose!


from a lover from palestine and other poems