Think of Others poem by Mahmoud Darwish of Palestine

Palestinian embroidery. Photo credit Project Prospera Crafting Cultures:Palestinian Embroidery Workshop

                    Think of Others
 
As you prepare your breakfast, think of others
(do not forget the pigeon’s food).
 
As you wage your wars, think of others
(do not forget those who seek peace).
 
As you pay your water bill, think of others
(those who are nursed by clouds).
 
As you return home, to your home, think of others
(do not forget the people of the camps).
 
As you sleep and count the stars, think of others
(those who have nowhere to sleep).
 
As you express yourself in metaphor, think of others
(those who have lost the right to speak).
 
As you think of others far away, think of yourself
(say: If only I were a candle in the dark). 

- Mahmoud Darwish

 "About Darwish’s work, the poet Naomi Shihab Nye has said, “Mahmoud Darwish is the Essential Breath of the Palestinian people, the eloquent witness of exile and belonging, exquisitely tuned singer of images that invoke, link, and shine a brilliant light into the world’s whole heart. What he speaks has been embraced by readers around the world—his in an utterly necessary voice, unforgettable once discovered.”" poets.org