It is the cold ... a poem for peace by Anne Selden Annab

AFP Winter storm pummels Mideast, adding to refugee misery

    It is the cold

It is not the snow
that brings misery
and horrific suffering
to the refugees of Syria
 and Palestine.

It is the cold.

It is the cold...
It is the cold of winter

It is the cold of winter,
the cold of ice and wind
and the tatters
of temporary housing
and worn out shoes.

It is poverty
and stress
and constant loss

It is violence

And it is the cold of hearts
refusing to make peace-
refusing to honor
the Golden Rule.

Refusing to talk
and refusing to act
in ways that will
welcome peace
and warmth...
in ways that will
welcome
 true compassion
with fair and just laws...
shaping safe communities.

It is the cold cruel
refusal to respect
basic human rights
and the dire need
for justice and peace
and jobs...

It is the cold,
not the snow.

NOTES

‘The Long Journey’: Digitizing the Palestine Refugee Experience 

  

Time for honesty about dialogue with Israel

"The only way to honor our tragic histories is to create a future for our children free of man-made tragedy. This means making peace fully, completely and without reservation, between Israel and Palestine." ATFP's Ziad Asali: To honor a tragic history, we must work for peace 

 The Arab Peace Initiative

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 1

• All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.