i can’t stop thinking about the palestinian families
who have pulled apart their homes to salvage expensive building materials
before the israeli army can destroy them.
in airports i have lost:
heartbreak
hard drives
home
h(my mind)
enter queen alia international with your american passport
cross allenby bridge with your palestinian authority passport
guest appearance by your west bank id
leave queen alia international with your palestinian authority passport
enter john f. kennedy international with your american passport
but people are dying
& all you’re talking about is
papers
papers
papers
just papers
a lack of home makes a need for home
filled by a thirst for things that look like home
but all home looks like is people
who hurt (others) like you (do)
i can’t
stop
thinking
about
the families
who have pulled apart their homes
before the army can destroy them.
& how, on some level,
many of us have always been doing the same
______
TEXT:
RYAH AQEL
UNITED STATES