Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CIII: "settler violence"
under slate-gray skies
|
a settler aims his gun | a boy throws his rock
|
tank track marks on the grass
Commentary: This is the first three-line visual tanka ever written, and its unusual format forces the reader to consider the relationships among Israeli incursions, as implied from L3, in the occupied West Bank during the Gaza war. And the use of these vertical lines/slashes not only shows the "Apartheid Wall against Palestinians, a cruel system of domination and a crime against humanity" (Amnesty International, Feb. 1 2022), as indicated in L2, but also implies a World Apart between the occupiers/Israelis and the occupied people/Palestinians.
Note: The "single vertical line" has become the standard format for tanka written by the Japanese poets since the latter half of the 19th century; However, Ishikawa Takuboku, author of Poems to Eat and Romaji Diary and Sad Toys, advocated for and started writing two or three lines, depending on the rhythm of each tanka. For more, see Hiroaki Sato, “Lineation of Tanka in English Translation,” 42 Monumenta Nipponica 3:347-56, Autumn 1987.
FYI: The following could be read as its sequel:
Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CLXVI: "military watch"
burning olive groves ...
the weight of thick gray and black
blanketing
over the West Bank families
under military watch
And UN Press Release, March 18: Israel ramps up settlement and annexation in West Bank with dire human rights consequences
Covering the period from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2024, the report details significant expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Steps have been taken towards implementing plans to construct over 20,000 housing units in new or existing Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem alone, according to Israeli non-governmental organisations, while 214 Palestinian properties and structures have been demolished in East Jerusalem. Over 10,300 units within existing Israeli settlements in the rest of the West Bank are in the pipeline and an unprecedented 49 new Israeli outposts have been established.
And Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CLXVII: "pre-dawn bombings"
written in response to The Canadian Press, March 18: Israel's surprise bombardment plunged Palestinians back into 'hell'
By midday, over 400 people had been killed. It was one of the deadliest days of the 17-month war, following two months of ceasefire.
pre-dawn bombings
light the sky with orange flares
shatter the stillness
set fire to a sprawling tent camp ...
sounds of Death in a child's eyes
FYI: "Israel's oldest daily, now sanctioned by Netanyahu, the WarCriminal , Haaretz," Editorial, March 19: Israel, Not Hamas, Is Derailing the Gaza Cease-fire and Preventing the Hostages' Return
The Irish News, March 18: Netanyahu says strikes across Gaza that killed hundreds ‘only the beginning’ And Al Jazeera, March 19: Israel’s renewed strikes on Gaza have killed 183 children
The IDF announced it has begun a ground offensive in northern Gaza. The White House said that President Trump "fully supports" Israel's recent actions in Gaza. Over 710 Gazans have been killed and 900 wounded in Israeli strikes in the last 48 hours, the spokesperson of a hospital in central Gaza told Al Arabiya News.
And Haaretz, Analysis, March 21: Israel Is Preparing to Occupy Gaza, Reinstate Military Rule and Fully Control the Palestinian Population
Israel appears to be creating a smokescreen around the government and army's true intentions. While awaiting updates on talks with Hamas, preparations are underway for a major operation to occupy Gaza
Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CLXVIII: "bomb after bomb"
some sleep, some prepare
for another Ramadan fast ...
bomb after bomb
silencing all things under the roofs
and inside makeshift tents
Added: Against the Drowning Noise of Other Words, CLXIX: "inverted red triangle"
police phalanx on campus ...
with his face painted
with the inverted red triangle
he shouts, I need no mask; I speak
from my difference
FYI: Red triangle (Palestinian symbol), Wikipedia: Since the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, an inverted red triangle has been used by pro-Palestinian protesters.[1] The red triangle as a Palestinian symbol dates back to the 1917 Arab Revolt, after which it was also used in the Palestinian flag...
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