One year since the passing of Mahmoud Darwish: Make yourself what you want

Kristen Ess

A year has passed since the words were written on PNN, "There is no news today of more importance: There is only sorrow as we mourn the loss of Mahmoud Darwish."

A year has passed since tears flowed openly at Ramallah’s Al Muqata, the presidential headquarters, between officials, family, friends, journalists and members of the security, during a funeral of flowers and heartache.

On August the tenth of last year we lost the greatest Palestinian poet, a national spokesperson, due to complications from his third open heart surgery.

Today, as the news focuses on the continuing Israeli takeover of Jerusalem, the Fateh Sixth Conference in the West Bank’s Bethlehem and the split in the Gaza Strip, a new memorial for Mahmoud Darwish is being unveiled.

As was published on PNN a year ago, "He wrote with passion, rage, sorrow and joy. He wrote about the Palestinian national struggle, about the homeland, about love and joy and grief.

"He was not sentimental. He was real."

Darwish had already undergone two heart surgeries in 1984 and 1998 before his final operation. He completed one of his last poems before his untimely death at the age of 67 entitled, "Wall." Among the pertinent lines is, "Make yourself what you want."

With a litany of beauties that also act as historic documents, the personal favorite of PNN English remains "State of Siege":

Here on the slopes before sunset
at the gun-mouth of time
near orchards deprived of their shadows
we do what prisoners do
what the unemployed do
we nurture hope

A country on the verge of dawn
we have become less intelligent
because we stare at the hour of victory.

There is no night in our night that shines with artillery
Our enemies stay up at night and light the darkness of cellars

Here, after Job's poetry we waited for none
this siege will last until our enemies have been taught some of our Jahili poetry

Here
there is no "I"
Here Adam remembers his clay.


IN MEMORIAM - MAHMOUD DARWISH


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Lest we forget: Stay cool; the children of Gaza

I thought you would appreciate hearing from Noam Chomsky
about one way you can help rebuild Gaza:

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STAY COOL - War is Coming from MAN of HANK on Vimeo.

I am writing you today because hundreds of thousands of
children in Gaza are suffering terribly following the recent
Israeli attacks—paid for by your tax dollars and mine.

Even before this horrifying assault, there were tremendous
shortages of food, medicine, electricity, and fuel because
of the Israeli blockade that has been going on for nearly
two years.

We must do everything we can to stop the immoral acts of
the Israeli government and our own government’s political
and financial support.

But right now, the children desperately need our immediate
help. I’m asking you to make a contribution to the Middle
East Children's Alliance to help meet the most basic
needs of children in Gaza at

secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=1171.

I am a founding advisor and supporter of the Middle East
Children’s Alliance (MECA). For the last 21 years, MECA
has been sending food and medical aid to children in Iraq,
Palestine, and Lebanon—more than $12 million in aid to
date. And MECA supports community projects to improve
children’s lives in the West Bank and Gaza.

MECA’s Director Barbara Lubin just returned from three
weeks in Egypt working to get aid into Gaza, and then four
days in Gaza. She said, “I have been to Palestine many
times over the last two decades, but never have I seen
anything like what I saw this time. I will never forget the
sadness, the smell of death, the destroyed homes, schools,
mosques, and cemeteries.”

In the aftermath of the bombardment MECA delivered four
tons of medicine for infants and children, an ambulance
that’s outfitted as a mobile intensive care unit, several
tons of powdered milk, 29 state-of-the-art wheelchairs, and
a truckload of crayons, coloring books and paper to the
children of Gaza and their families.

I am asking you, please, give whatever contribution you can
possibly afford to help save the lives and ease the pain of
thousands and thousands of children who are traumatized,
injured, orphaned, and homeless.

Your contribution now will help:

**Send more medical aid in the months ahead
**Launch a major mental health intervention program for
children in Gaza
**Build water purification and desalinization systems in
Gaza schools

Gaza is no longer on the front page, but I know you
understand that the catastrophe is far from over for the
children and families who are trying to survive and rebuild
their lives under the most desperate circumstances.

Thank you so much for your support,
Noam Chomsky

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The Atara/Birzeit checkpoint

Israeli PR (supported by Palestinain and Western Elites who profit) claim that life is booming in the West Bank and checkpoints are removed. Booming economy for some maybe (I see lots of fancy late model cars and SUVs). But the average person does not see it. Here is the checkpoint at Birzeit which was supposedly vacated but soldiers seem to come and go at their will to harass people like this group that was held for 5 hours. Atara/Birzeit checkpoint video:The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that the Atara/Birzeit checkpoint was removed, but in actuality the checkpoint still operates occasionally. On Jul 12 2009 a minibus loaded with passengers arrived at the checkpoint at 3:15 PM, the passengers were allowed to continue on their way only five hours later, during which they suffered a long series of maltreatments by the soldiers.

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