Palestinian Voices: Poems and Poetry Resources
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Naomi Shihab Nye (credit: Wikimedia Commons Free Repository)
In the past few months, the terrible ongoing violence against innocent civilians in Gaza has often left me feeling bereft of words. And while I feel that my own words fall short, I have been consciously seeking out and reading words by Palestinian authors and poets. In this post, I highlight a few deeply moving poems (written in or translated into the English language) that touched my heart, and that will, I believe, reach and resonate with young readers. I share these poems in the hope that their messages may be more widely heard and amplified in classrooms around the world.
Write My Name, Mamma by Zeina Azzam is one of Three Poems About Gaza published by Vox Populi. This searing work speaks captures the innocent voice of childhood, even as it gives body to terror and tragedy. It was inspired by a CNN report about how parents in Gaza have resorted to writing their children’s names on their legs to help identify them, in case the children or their parents are killed. I’ve been offline so long that I haven’t been keeping track of the online world - but I was not surprised to read that this poem, a testament to the strength of starkly-told truth, went viral on TW, where the poet may be found at @zeina3azzam.
In order for me to write poetry that isn’t political by Marwan Makhoul (featured on Chair Poetry Evenings, Kolkata’s International Poetry Festival) packs a universe of power and worlds of wisdom into just four short lines. The creator of this poem may be followed on IG at @marwan_makhoul.
A Farm in Gaza by Kat Abdallah (IG: @kat.d.abdallah), published in Adi Magazine, sings with masterful simplicity about the loss of one’s homeland.
To Our Land by Mahmoud Darwish, translated by Fady Joudah and published by the Poetry Foundation, is an eloquent and lyrical anthem.
Translations of In A State of War and 2 other poems by Rashid Hussain published in Adi Magazine.
Shoulders by Naomi Shihab Nye, is a poem that is timeless and also incredibly timely. Nye was the Poetry Foundation’s Young People’s Laureate from 2019-2020 and her father was a Palestinian refugee.
Those who are looking to support more Palestinian voices may also be interested in the following articles:
Five Palestinian Poets for National Poetry Month by Laynie Rearick
Poems That Tell a Tale of the Struggle for Palestine by Adarsh Badri
Palestinian Poems with and for the Now by Rashah Abdulhaddi
Everyone Should be Reading Palestinian Poetry by Andrew Calis
Poets on the Role of Literature in Fighting Genocide interview with Farah, Fadil, Washington and Abdulhadi on Electric Lit
Calis begins his article in The Atlantic with words that strike the note on which I wish to end this post: “Poetry at its best can stun readers into silence, but also give the silenced a voice.”
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Padma Venkatraman is the author of The Bridge Home, Born Behind Bars, A Time to Dance, Island's End and Climbing the Stairs which have sold over ¼ million copies, received over 20 starred reviews, and won numerous awards: Walter Dean Myers Award, South Asia Book Award, Golden Kite, ALA Notable etc. Her poetry has been published in Poetry Magazine and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Padma loves teaching and sharing her love for reading and writing with others, and her doctorate in oceanography inspired her latest novel, Safe Harbor, which School Library Journal described as a must-read, in a starred review. Visit her author website (padmavenkatraman.com) for free resources or arrange a visit via her speaking agency, The Author Village.
