A visual arts display sitting on a table in the Kitchener City Hall. The piece in front is a round mosaic depicted an olive branch, and the piece in the back depicts a painting of a cityscape surrounded by leaves.
PHI DOAN PHOTO

WHAT I TRULY FEEL

Watching the news emotionally drained  

The injustices we see are never named 

I watch my families smiles fade. 

I watch them die and feel their pain. 

What the world doesn’t see is very cruel 

How can we stand by and just watch them rule 

Where’s your heart? 

Do you feel sympathy 

Do you not have any dignity 

I feel all my memories turn to dust 

My entire life continues to rust 

This isn’t some movie or some game 

Its a genocide, it brings shame 

I can see the fear in Palestinians’ eyes 

Families have no more ties 

I see the life they have to live 

I see the life they suffer with 

Cities bombed and houses fall 

But our people always stand tall 

Big dreams my family will maintain 

Our faith in God will always remain 

This poem was accidentally printed without its last three lines in the print edition of Vol. 12 Issue 5. It is reproduced here completely.