Festival

[the mingo]

the young woman ran
trying to stay ahead of her pursuer
never in her wildest thought ever
thinking of this moment this day
the moment she became too tired to run
or didn't want to be shot in the back
turning to face her attacker in a submissive posture
and sitting down on the grass
she was unarmed
her friends running with her
all dead or dying
or being brutally raped then shot
or butchered alive
or beat to death
or set on fire
all those screams all around her the last thing she heard
her murderer ran straight up to her
she bowed her head & pleaded for mercy
don't shoot me don't shoot me please please don't shoot me
her murderer looked down at her
her murderer shot her at pointblank range
execution range
blew her head off
then ran on laughing, excited to do the same or worse
to the next Jew
and the next Jew's children too

[Doreen Peri]

Thank you for writing this!!! We need to write about it! Strong poem and so important…. Thanks mingo!

[the mingo]

Thx, Doreen. It has taken me this long to sort through my feelings on this which has been the exhausting part and the place where the pain comes from. I am no longer undecided about what is what and I can't go back to being stupid. What brought me to where I stand now is seeing not just the killing but the celebratory attitude exhibited by the Hamas murderers doing the killing.

Once I saw that I couldn't unsee it.

Bless your response, Doreen, Warrior.

[Doreen Peri]

Yes! Sickening! Disgusting! Not human!!! I’ve heard them called animals but I don’t know of any animals who treat other animals that way. Despicable.

I have to write one too one day…. Dropping bombs on babies burying them in the rubble is also sick!!! Those babies didn’t commit any atrocities.

Mingo my friend…. I’m worried that the world is so sick that humanity might not have a chance.

I have to turn my focus toward hope and goodness, kindness and love—- otherwise what’s the point?

[Doreen Peri]

Thx, Doreen. It has taken me this long to sort through my feelings on this which has been the exhausting part and the place where the pain comes from. I am no longer undecided about what is what and I can't go back to being stupid. What brought me to where I stand now is seeing not just the killing but the celebratory attitude exhibited by the Hamas murderers doing the killing.

Once I saw that I couldn't unsee it.

Bless your response, Doreen, Warrior.

I couldn’t get your poem out of my mind last night (after not being able to get the horrendous acts of violence out of my mind since October 7th. I just wanted to come back to tell you that you relayed this so perfectly, and it was so important and necessary to do so!! As always, you’re a wordsmith with great affect— please write more about this war— it really helps to read this because makes me feel in authentic company with others who are rightfully appalled

[the mingo]

Thx, Doreen - just wanted to tell you I saw a report on Canadian TV last night. It mentioned the only Canadian citizen known to be in the hands of Hamas. They said her name - it's judih. They said her name was not on any of the hostage lists this time around. They did not mention her husband.

... hope.

[Doreen Peri]

Mingo… thanks for letting us know!! Hope. Yes! We need to embrace the hope!!! I appreciate you!

[the mingo]

Same ... ~*~