What I'm Reading: "If I Must Die"
Refaat Alareer was a Palestinian writer and translator living in Gaza. His wit and scathing criticism of the Israeli occupation made him an important and beloved online figure. A targeted Israeli strike hit the apartment Refaat was sheltering in, and he was killed along with members of his family. His death drew attention to his pinned tweet, which shared his poem "If I Must Die." I reproduce it here:
IF I MUST DIE
By Refaat Alareer
If I must die,
you must live
to tell my story
to sell my things
to buy a piece of cloth
and some strings,
(make it white with a long tail)
so that a child, somewhere in Gaza
while looking heaven in the eye
awaiting his dad who left in a blazeโ
and bid no one farewell
not even to his flesh
not even to himselfโ
sees the kite, my kite you made, flying up above
and thinks for a moment an angel is there
bringing back love
If I must die
let it bring hope
let it be a tale
In a moving tribute to Refaat and his legacy, people from all over the world are translating the poem into their native languages.
Words matter. They can and do change the world.
To read more of Refaat's work, as well as other writers from Gaza, you can download the E-book Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire for free from Haymarket Books.
I will continue to write. I hope you will continue to read.
Thanks for being here.
Kitanya