The Statue of Liberty

Decided to leave America today
after hearing Biden’s speech,
after knowing thousands of
Palestinian children were killed
by American bombs and rockets.

At the end of the day,
she isn’t so iron-hearted.
She comes alive at night.

She wore a helmet,
a Palestinian flag
draped around her neck,
her torch in hand,

She donned a press vest,
but after hearing about
the killing of journalists,
she looked at her reflection
in the water and laughed.

She sneaked into a supermarket
and filled her bag
with bottled water, canned food,
flashlights and batteries.
She carefully packed
candy for the kids.

She wanted the kids in Gaza
to drink clean water,
to enjoy the taste of sweets,
to climb the steps up and up
into her observation room
and see the moon and stars,
to share a moment
of what freedom should be,
even if for the last time.