Welcome, and a poem from Darwish

Welcome to the blog. Gaza is being shelled, as the troops have began a ground offensive.

It would be most fitting to open this blog with the poetry of Mahmood Darwish, who died this past year.

The Earth Is Closing on Us

By Mahmoud Darwish

The earth is closing on us, pushing us through the last passage, and
we tear off our limbs to pass through.
The earth is squeezing us.
I wish we were its wheat so we could dieand live again.
I wish the earth was our mother
So she'd be kind to us.
I wish we were pictures on the rocks for our dreams to carry
As mirrors.
We saw the faces of those to be killed by the last of us inthe last defense of the soul.
We cried over their children's feast.
We saw the faces of those who'll throw our children
Out of the windows of the last space. Our star will hang up in mirrors.
Where should we go after the last frontiers?
Where should the birdsfly after the last sky?
Where should the plants sleep after the last breath of air?
We will write our names with scarlet steam.
We will cut off the head of the song to be finished by our flesh.
We will die here, here in the last passage.
Here and here our bloodwill plant its olive tree.