Ali's cries and laughter ring in their ears,
he smiles toothless and lays his heart bare
as Ahmad tickles his baby brother's belly,
"Ah ha ha! Ah ha ha!" Joy warms their home.
Their home burns bright for all to fear,
"Ali! Ali!, his mother wails and beats her breast,
the raging fire steals the angel's breath,
bleeding and broken, Ahmad kisses him goodbye.
In memory of Ali Dawabsheh, an 18 month old Palestinian child burnt to
death in his sleep in July 2015 by illegal Israeli settlers.
Esther Masoyo © 2016
My name is Esther Masoyo. At present, I live in New Delhi and work in Bank of America.
I was born to a Naga family in Manipur. Ever since I lost my father at the age of four, my journey of being a compassionate person began. As I entered my adolesence, I started writing mostly poetry. At first it was just an escape from what I thought to be, a cruel world. Poetry stayed in me. After I graduated from Delhi University in 2011 in literature, I began to feel so compassionate towards the oppressed, the suffering, the hungry. If not in monetary terms, if I could only help them through my poetry in spreading the message that the world needs peace and love, I want to be a messenger of peace from the bottom of my heart.
Ali Saad Dawabshe was the younger son of the Dawabshe family. At an attack on 30th July 2015 at Duma Village of the Occupied West Bank, Ali was burnt to death as his family house was set afire by Zionist Settlers. He was just 18 months old. Ahmad from the poem is his older brother who survived who at the time of the attack was just four. Both the father and mother of Ali succumbed to their burn injuries.
