" Two In One"

A term that has many meanings for so many people . But it has one special meaning to Gazans.

Here In Gaza, if you find a ride to university , work or home then you're so damn lucky! And  if you find two people sitting at one seat that in other cases would barely be enough for one , DON'T get surprised! " TWO IN ONE " is two people ( grown-ups actually) sitting at one seat . Not because they want to , but because they have no other choice!

Here in Gaza , our lives are so different , weird but exciting at the same time.

Whenever you go out , you will face , see and experience a new thing ! Three days ago I witnessed the " Two In one " and today I saw how Gazans people are organized and they would actually play it by the rules !

Almost a hundred car were parked , one after another waiting to fill their tanks ! I actually smiled because for the very first time , I can  say that we can be a civilized people compared to other countries!

Here in Gaza , the abnormal thing is having electricity and if you have it you better be careful and when you have electricity for more than 6 hours then it's party time ! People would envy you for a bliss that many don't have ! 

Here in Gaza , you see everything starting from two people fighting over a cab ending with a car running on cook oil!

Here in Gaza , we have what no body else has ! We don't have fuel and there's no one to blame!

If you blame Israel , then you are not completely fair !

If you blame Hamas , then you would be Scandalmonger !

If you blame Egypt , then you are so not living the moment ! Egypt itself is having a crisis with fuel! and last but not least if you blame RamaAllah , then you are defiantly not seeing the whole truth!!

So here in Gaza , we blame ourselves !!

Gaza , I love you Gaza ! You actually have no alike and still people are wondering why am so in love with you !

The Six Magical Hours

It's finally 4 pm and it's the electricity time! Now I can do whatever I want in those long 6 hours that are supposed to be more than enough to do everything my dad, mom , little sister , brothers and I want. Those 6 magical hours when we try to win a race against time even though it's obvious who will be winning ! 

The first thing we always do when the electricity is on ,is watching T.V ! 

So here we are watching the news ,the first thing that I saw and I may say that I couldn't see a thing but this picture 

I saw a little boy standing over his dad's body without even dropping a tear ! 

and then I saw another photo picturing a mom hugging her son's hand ( the only thing left that can be hold)

And a video that lasted for only a minute but it was printed in my memory for a life time ; a video that shows a bag , a shoe and blood and the rest is up to you , you are the one who got to fill the missing parts 

I turned the T.V off and tried to do another thing , but unsurprisingly  I couldn't remember a thing of all the stuff I was planning to do when there's electricity at home and without even knowing what I was doing, I went back to T.V and again I started watching !

This time there was a 65 year old woman talking to a foreigner journalist as if he speaks her language !

she started saying ,"  Have you ever been there _ pointing at Alaqsa _ am 65 years and am originally from Jerusalem and my only wish is to go there "

The journalist smiled and recorded every word the woman said . Maybe one day when he learns to speak our language , he would feel what the woman was really saying ! 

And at 10 pm, the electricity went off and I started to make even a longer list this time , among was watching T.V for another 6 hours and maybe this time those 6 hours would last longer !

The Bitter Truth

The smell of the sand
The sound of the rain
The taste of the pain
And the loss of the Land


A tear from the eye and A cry
A kiss from a Kid and a smile
shredded papers and one black file
A dead body and more are waiting to die

A black eagle and a red rose
A broken glass and a book on the ground
The moon's light and the silence Sound
A muted music and Non-sence Prose


I went there and heard nothing but a moan
A girl left with her son alone
She asked for nothing and Nothing she would wait
She gave up and said it's up to fate

She said " I tried  to write but nothing  went well"
The only book I read was " Go To Hell"
The only thing I heard was a gun shot
And a man says " we're done !! CUT "

A New Picture

One stand I've been taking my whole life
I had No family , no kids and no wife
I was homeless without even a shoe
But No one believed It was true..

I was treated as if I was a slave
They thought that am a cowered , ain't brave
But I'm gonna prove them all wrong
They are gonna see that there I belong..

I will hold my  head up high
I won't easily give up nor easily say good bye
My hands were chained since ages
My chain is gonna break and mu people's cages..

My face was hidden and I had no clue
People were dying and everyone knew
Time is up , am gonna break that rule
Gonna show my face, gonna approve who's the fool..

In black and white I was drawn
My only voice was my moan
people saw in me their past
Saw their future , approved am gonna last

They saw their loss and war
Saw the country they adore
And they knew the only way out
Now people will see what we are talkin' about

I might have existed for an honorable case
But for many years I stayed this case's face
Now another picture has got to take my place
Another picture would join the new race..

People will see that victory is ours
No matter what abilities we had pr powers
Palestine Your chain I'm gonna break
Am ready to die For your own sake….

No matter I was alive or dead
Your land , your gorund is gonna be my bed
I existed here , I die here and no where else
Palestine , finally my picture will go and this time forever…

13th May ,2011
Noor Ghanem  

Unreal..

My wall is not the same as before ,it's cracking

The sky is falling into pieces
The stars are not shining the way they used to
And the moon is taking one and only shape
The paint is fully damaged;
the only color used is black
The sea is rough and always roaring
The mountains have no end and obviously no one would ever reach the top
The ground is shaking and no one is standing still
The roses have no smell and the trees are not growing
The Ice feels so hot and if you touch the fire, you would freeze
Spring is no different than Autumn; the leaves are yellow and people are always sad
Rain brings nothing but memories ; memories that no one wants to remember
A world that is nothing but unreal , a world that is taking no place but in my mind

No wonder if - in such a chaos - a kid asks for a gun instead of a toy
No wonder If the people of one nation are no longer together and each one of them is looking for what he wants and what he needs only

NO wonder if countries are invaded and no one cares
No wonder If some guy who's completely ignorant and on behalf of his people is asking for a thing that his people would never agree to do ...

And still no wonder If places are afflicted

If lands are stolen
If people are fighting over a football match while no one is seeing the match happening in my country , and my country is just losing and the referee is counting the goals and all the red cards are given to us because form his own perspective he thinks that we are not playing fair
I won't get annoyed or surprised if those things happened in the world that is still nothing but unreal
And I wonder , I truly wonder what would happen when that world comes into reality ?
What would happen while all of things ,that are supposed to happen in A world that still is not existed yet, are happening in my real , current world!!


I still wonder …

A Dream!!!

With a screm he woke up crying ! he woke up without even realizing that he was having a nightmare , even better a dream

His mom came and said what's wrong with u honey !
and still the boy didn't stop cryinhg

She got up and brought him a glass of water

Still was he in shock

His mom tired to wake him up , so that he can tell her what he was dreaming of

But all her attempts went in vain! Her son is not getting back to the way used to be

Her son is now different , he's not hers ; not any more

She stayed by his side all  night long , and at 6 am she stood up and opened the curtains

And when he saw the sun's light , he went near the window and put his hand around his mom's waste

And he said " Mom , I thought that the sun would never rise again , and I would never see it's light "
his mom said " you made me worried , you stayed all the night awake without muttering a word, son if you are having a problem at school or with any of your friends you can tell me , we will try to work it out together "

He answered with " Mom ,I've never wished to dream about something good as that.
I didn't dream of my Cinderella , nor did I dream of winning a million dollar lottery  but mom guess what !
I dreamt that We , Palestinians, are back together!

Mom I dreamt that we are actually living in peace , my two big bothers are not fighting over who's better or who's doing a better job !
 Mom Do you believe that I saw a TV commercial that includes Palestinians holding the Palestinian flag ,and singing together our anthem ; mom the joy I felt was something  that I've never felt before even when you brought me that big giant red car that I saw at the toy's shop
And What made me happier is that I saw Alaqsa Mosque surrounded by prayers and prayers only , I didn't see a single outsider Mom

My dad , my brothers , You and I were there  thanking God for the blessings we have without mentioning the things we lack , we were satisfied mom

But Still among all of this joy , I felt something wrong

Mom , I knew that such things would never happen , that's why when I woke up I was in shock

I could never believe that what we are dreaming of is finally happening Mom "

His Mom cried and her only response was " Son , Go back to sleep "