Do Birds Still Sing in Gaza
Writing at my neighborhood café. Early morning
as a raven sails on the wind’s currents high above.
I pause, lost in the beauty, the grace of this bird.
My spirits rise with its effortless flight.
Do birds still fly in Gaza? Do children look up,
delight in a breeze caressing their skin,
Do they imagine riding the backs of birds
past border walls to Freedom?
Do birds still sing in Gaza?
Is there a breath between bombs and shaking earth,
when a bird’s sweet song can still be heard?
Do birds still swirl and dance in formation,
amidst drones hunting their prey?
Without the birds to show us how,
can human hearts still take wing?
Do birds’ nests remain in Gaza?
Or have all the tiny eggs shattered
in the rumble and thunder of war?
Silence where the raucous chirping of baby chicks
should cause an old woman’s cracked lips to smile.
Are there still trees to shelter Gaza’s birds?
Sky on fire. Death above and below.
Where do birds go flee to find safety and calm?
Where do they go when their homes burn to ashes?
Fly away! Fly far! Escape across the sea.
Carry Palestinian memories and dreams in your songs.
The people look up, listen and hope.
Do birds still sing in Gaza?
Eisha Mason is a Baltimore-born, Los Angeles-based writer. Her poetry explores the intersection of social justice and spirituality, seeking to heal, love, and create beauty while confronting injustice. Her first book of poetry, Red Door, was published in 2023.
The Marbled Sigh 