“Shattered” by Sara Aharon

Hamas terrorists kidnaping Israeli mother
and her two young sons
Oct 7, 2023

I am an Israeli in the diaspora

but I never left Israel

I know that now.

 

I force myself to eat breakfast

It is already noon

a bread slice

gets stuck in my throat

when I think of infants and children

whose heads were severed.

 

I take Nala, my daughter’s dog

for a walk.

I see dog walkers

chit chat, laugh

and I want to scream

How can you?

Don’t you know?

 

They even shot dogs.

 

Ben Mizrachi. one of three Canadians
known to have been murdered by Hamas.
Three more remain missing.

Summer, 

overnight

replaced by cold air

hope put on ice

so is my heart

and soul

my body

frozen

since Saturday morning

October 7, 2023

when my world

ice-picked       into     a          million

shards

 

tears of mothers

whose daughters and sons

are still missing

cut

my skin

the last barrier

 

their daughters are mine now

they are all of our daughters and sons.

***

Hamas terrorist shooting dog, Oct 7, 2023

Nala

softly rests

her head on my lap

when she hears outbursts

of sobs

nudges

kind and worried eyes,

I don’t have to choke my tears

anymore.

 

Autumn leaves 

are my tears

falling in waves.

 

I used to love the fall.

Will I, ever again?

***

Sara Aharon is an Israeli living in Toronto. She makes her living as a psychologist and is the proud mother of two adult daughters.

***

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