Gaza Wednesday (July 16, 2014)

Four little boys
Who went to the beach that day
And never came back home as planned--
But left instead
Their blood down in the sand
With scattered flesh
And bloodied Adidas pants
Scorched by drone-and-might that
America made seconds ago
Did not know what America made
‘fore America was ever white(-washed) as planned
Would e’er be awash with their blood
This Gaza-on-Wednesday sand.
Four tiny little boys
Who left their blood down in the sand,
In little graves today await:
The drone-and-might, that might just strike
The Colonial muse of folk heroes
Whose tomorrow tells a tale
The ruling elites never taught
in old boys’ private schools
To implement the Golden Rule.
Four little boys
Might be awakened someday soon
By yarns down in the sea breeze
As yet unfelt among (magnificent) olea trees.

—Katherine Shehadeh

Seed: Adapted from lines from “Birmingham Sunday,” by Langston Hughes

Source: “Birmingham Sunday,” by Langston Hughes

Katherine Shehadeh is a writer, mom, attorney, and perpetual student, who is basically everything you would expect someone with that lineup to be (without the terrible attitude). Katherine’s recent poetry has appeared in an anthology by Moonstone Arts Center and in a group exhibition by the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.