A Cat in Gaza by Dorian David Leigh
she is quiet on soft
feet streak of
calico flitting from
piece of rubble to
piece of
rubble
there are mice bugs
vermin she at
least will not starve here
she laps
water from a scar in the
concrete she
does not mind the
grit the dust the
blood that leaches in
the old man has
little food and fewer
kindnesses he
shares both with her
“i miss my cat at
home” he says “i do not
know what happened to her
it is a great sadness” he
eases his sorrows with
gnarled hands smoothing
troubles away in soft
fur in this
moment it
is enough
(continued next image)
at night she
goes where plastic
keeps the rain half heartedly
off the families who
shelter in the meager
tent barely a
tent
it cannot keep the rain
out it will not keep
out anything more
dangerous which
falls from
the sky
winter comes nights
are cold
she creates
warmth body pressed
against shaking
flesh
she rumbles softly
her purrs barely
heard drown out
the concussions
bombs fall nearby yet
the child
sleeps she is
a comfort one of
few welcome
intrusions
around her neck is a blue
collar if you call the
number she carries the
voice which answers will
say “i am sorry the
owner of this
phone was killed
by israel”
New poem for Palestine. As always, share if you think this will help, but always uplift the voices of Palestinian and Lebanese poets first and foremost.
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#Gaza
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