A Rose Shoulders Up

- Mosab Abu Toha, Palestinian poet and writer, who was kidnapped by Israeli forces on November 19, and later released. When he fled Gaza, he only carried with him a book of his verses.
WAR is ontological devastation, too. How does one then write about war? How do we understand the loss then? How do we make sense of a war elsewhere? We turn to the poets, artists and people. They are living the war. There is a lot of smoke and dust. In the skies that I don’t see from here, there is a lot of fire.
Some might even say they are like fireworks. There is a play I remember by that name. By Palestinian writer Dalia Taha. Al’ab Nariya/Fireworks was produced in 2015 about children and people who carry their grief in their hearts as they go about their daily lives that are shaped by war. War fractures childhoods. I have seen too many bloodied toddler shoes in Gaza lying in the rubble in the last few weeks.
In the play, a 12-year-old girl Lubna wakes up with the sound of what she feels are fireworks. Her father asks her if she is wearing earplugs. The fireworks are in fact bombs. But her father tells her they are not. Overhead planes, he said, are ambulances. “There’s no one on the streets but us. You run that way and I’ll run this way. Whoever gets back to the front door first without getting shot, wins.”
Taha doesn’t name the town. In this town in Palestine, Lubna and Khalil are playing on the empty stairwell in their apartment block. They are friends. The little boy wears flashing red trainers and plays Ninja Turtle Games. The little girl talks about martyrdom, death. That’s how they live and play.
この記事は Outlook の January 11, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Outlook の January 11, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン

Education for the Greater Good
UEM Jaipur in its Mission to Provide Global Exposure with Innovative Teaching Techniques

Delivering Care Everywhere
Innovative healthcare, accessible to all communities across India

First Model Hospital for Global destination with New Benchmarks
Yashoda Medicity is a holistic ecosystem, a convergence of medical brilliance, technology, education, and patient-centred values, poised to redefine healthcare delivery in India and beyond

Green Growth: A New Normal
Indian real estate embraces sustainable design, net-zero goals and eco-friendly innovation to shape resilient, future-ready urban landscapes.

Precision Meets Expertise
Pioneering ROBOTIC Knee & Hip Replacements, Dr (Prof) Anil Arora is redefining mobility with advanced technology and compassionate care

The 5 Best Monsoon Treks in Maharashtra
This curated list of the best monsoon treks in Maharashtra highlights both natural beauty and historical significance of the state while also being ideal for lovers of adventure

Batwoman
Women have gatecrashed a stag party, smashing their way through the sexist walls of bias and invisibility to live their cricket dreams, no more in the margins but in the spotlight

Elite Bench
Why diversity and inclusion in cricket remain elusive
'Write What Should Not be Forgotten'
Chilean-American author Isabel Allende’s latest book My Name is Emilia Del Valle, set during the 1891 Chilean civil war, is the story of a young woman’s search for her identity.

It is Lonely at the Top
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah faces rebellion from within the National Conference. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is breathing down his neck. His political rival, Mehbooba Mufti, is sharpening her attack