Palestinian Madonna in Flowing White*

By Genevieve Cora Fraser

June 28, 2004

A Palestinian Madonna

In a mantle of white

Faced the brute force

Of Israeli state terror

Tonight inside the sanctuary

Oh her home soldiers aimed

Their assault rifles and roamed

Troops of muddy boots

On pristine Arabic tile

With babe in arms

Another hid behind

She proudly faced them

Stood her ground

As they prowled around

And plunked themselves

Down an ambush

For her tired husband

Who left for work at 4

Before dawn to stand

At the checkpoint

Waiting, tired, hungry

Anxious to get to hospital

Tanks had been roaming

Snipers shooting children

Throwing stones

A doctor made criminal

For treating his patients

Like humans deserving

His care a colleague

Had been shot

Attempting to get

To a man in need

Of an emergency

Operation made to wait

He gestured and said

Please, I must get to my patient

You see he has a bad heart

That doctor is no longer

A surgeon his shoulders

Shot he fell and broke

His hands as they kicked

Him aside for provoking

The Almighty Wrath

Of a 21 year old

Israeli in charge

Of enforced waiting

Mandated to delay

Entry Exit

Submission

In all matters

To Israeli Will

Is required the penalty

For impatience

Is corporal punishment

Possible internment

Or death the doctor

Is out his wife waits

Wondering

As the soldiers

Eye her Semite beauty

Draped in white she shudders

And prays for deliverance

From her enemies

Israelis kill to prove

Their Right to Kill

They rape to defile

Her husband

Is at hospital

She tells them

They will wait

What has he done

That deserves

An unprovoked

Raid he has treated

All with respect

Never held a gun

Never harmed

A key scrapes

Inserted the bolt

Pulls back

As the soldiers

Cock their weapons

She screams

And sees red

*The story is a composite inspired by photos, articles, conversations with Palestinians and a story I heard from members of the American Friends Service Committee who spent time in Palestine with a man who can no longer practice surgery.  It is dedicated to the noble citizens of Nablus whose ancient city is being devastated and lives victimized by Israeli State Terrorism once again.