I stayed in Rafah for more than five months moving between three places looking for a safe place after I left Gaza heading south of the Gaza valley on the instructions of the Israeli occupation army, who repeatedly announced to head south of Ga from the combat zones, where they deceived everyone and ordered them to die far south. It was not difficult for the occupation army to invade any of Gaza's narrow spaces, all they had to do was identify those spaces in red and put them on a piece of paper to throw in the wind, to later become a target for hell-laden planes, and a prey to tanks firing their lava at every A site without setting up targets for the flame to fall.
I went to central Gaza, especially to (deir al-balah) near (deir al-balah) or rather - returned to it - I stayed here two months before the ceasefire ended and before I went far south. I stayed in this place two months before we were taken out by the lava tank and the mass shootings, I stayed here when it was safe and before we left it walking and running, stumbling, running, scared, horrified, sad and wounded Half dead.
I am back after an enforced absence.
I came back after five months to find nothing as it is.
Here were palm trees and here were olive trees and vineyards and greenhouses...... And that was me.
Here was a house, here was another, here was a street, there was a mosque, there were neighbours and friends ......... And that was me.
The thoughts have ploughed the earth and the seeds of hatred have spread in its fertile soil
The scene was as if the hand of God had destroyed the place, and all the houses vomited up its stones.
......
After much hardship, we reached the house that sheltered us five months ago...
We arrived and found what was left of,
... And today what remains (and whoever is left) of us lives in what remains of the house and what remains of the neighbourhood.
......
... And in the rest of the room I sought out a new space to paint
Room for my papers, my pencils and some of my thoughts.
A space in what is left of a room without walls overlooking a vast horizon I see through it at the prospect of what is left of the cities I left behind Burning up.