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The Rev. Munther Isaac in front of the Nativity scene at Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. Using broken cement and paving stones, the Congregation placed the baby Jesus in the center of a pile of debris from a collapsed home, inspired by television images of children being pulled from the rubble, Issac says. Photo: Ayman Oghanna for NPR. |
The poinsettia sits on the bookcase
in front of an old Japanese print—
a battle scene that features
the rising sun flag
The circle of blood-red petals
echoes the bursting rays
of the sun
Something’s going on here
that isn’t much like
Christmas
In Bethlehem they’re observing
the day, not celebrating it—
not while thousands are dying
in Gaza with no cease fire
in sight
A silent night with no bombs
would be a blessing but
the bombs rain down
and the children cry
Let us hope for a happier
peaceful New Year
Sally Zakariya’s poetry has appeared in some 100 publications and been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Her publications include All Alive Together, Something Like a Life, Muslim Wife, The Unknowable Mystery of Other People, Personal Astronomy, and When You Escape. She edited and designed a poetry anthology, Joys of the Table, and blogs at www.butdoesitrhyme.com.